Owl Pellets and Beyond (Grades K - 8)
Dissect an owl pellet and glimpse the life history of these amazing animals. Updated curriculum supports NGSS.
Discover how to turn a simple owl pellet dissection into a rich, inquiry-based experience for your students. This kit includes everything needed for each student to perform an owl pellet dissection, including a dichotomous key that will enable your students to identify the prey animals that they find in the pellet. Students can also play an educational board game based on the barn owl's food web, and learn about the natural history of these remarkable birds and their prey.
Please note that the Owl Pellets kit will only be available for a two week rental period.
Materials
- curriculum binder
- mounted owl specimen
- 7 prey skull specimens
- "Common Prey of the Barn Owl" display board
- 35 plastic tweezers
- 35 hand lenses
- owl pellets (NOTE: there is an additional charge of $2.25 per owl pellet)
- Petri dishes (NOTE: there is an additional charge of $0.50 cents per Petri dish)
- 7 sets of the "Outrun the Owl" board game
- Books: "Wild Guide: Owls" by Cynthia Berger; "Animal Skulls: A Guide to North American Species"; "Barn Owls: Predator-Prey Relationships and Conservation" by Iain Taylor; "Owl Moon" by Jane Yolen; "See How They Grow: Owl" by Mary Ling;
- DVD: "Backyard Barn Owls"
Activities
Owl Pellet Dissection: Have an unforgettable science experience as you discover the common prey of barn owls, learn how to use a dichotomous key to identify skulls, and test your own hypothesis about what barn owls eat.
Outrun the Owl: Learn about a food web involving barn owls and their prey, explore the resources animals need to survive, discover the impacts of natural and human activities on animal populations, and learn some fascinating trivia, all while playing this exciting board game!
Next Generation Science Standards
Click the link below to view a list of connections to the NGSS and other standards.
