Do you remember the first time you realized that science was not just something you read about in a book, but something that you could investigate and explore?
True science should be taught through hands-on learning and I want my students to have that experience as they learn about owls in my classroom.
I teach in an system-wide magnet school with preschool through eighth grade. My class is a self-contained fourth grade class with 15 students, ages nine to ten years old. The school was started in 1991 with a grant as an experimental school. The school is located in the heart of our city. One goal of the school is to encourage community involvement. Our school is connected to the area in various ways which range from wading in downtown streams to help clean them to walking to the theater two blocks away. We use the main branch of the public library as our school library and for physical education activities; we play tennis on city courts or play basketball at the local YMCA. We communicate with parents through teacher websites, email, and parent conferences throughout the school year.
My Project
I am requesting owl pellets for my students to extend our unit on animals. We are reading the book The Owl in the Shower, and the owl pellets will serve to enhance the unit as a whole. A couple of years ago, I was able to dissect one owl pellet for my students, and I could not believe their reaction. They could not believe that owl pellets were regurgitated remains from an owl's meal. Some students were grossed out (but still engaged), while others could not wait to touch it! The pellets gave the students the opportunity to see the food chain firsthand. I would like to be able to give each pair of students an owl pellet this year to dissect. The dissection kits come with skeleton charts, tools to enable careful dissection, teacher’s guide, and of course the owl pellets. I would like to further enhance the unit with other books about owls that the students may choose to read.
Once again, I would love to have this owl pellet dissection kit and books to engage my students in learning.
I feel these learning tools will make the study of the food chain come alive for them.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Makitka and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.
