IOWA AEA MIDDLE SCHOOL (4-9) SCIENCE PROJECT
TEACHER GUIDE for: OWL PELLETS Janet Hass
Edited by Marlene Gaston
ECOLOGY.580 Grades 5-8
CONCEPT OBJECTIVE:
Through this activity, students will be able to construct a simple food chain by discovering
the contents of owl pellets.
PROCESS OBJECTIVES:
Students will be using observing, investigating, and recording skills.
TEACHER NOTES:
Owl pellets offer a variety of topics to study including rodent bone structure and
the interdependence of animals in ecological systems. Owls swallow their prey whole
and regurgitate the fur and the bones. These pellets are found on the floors of
abandoned buildings or in tree groves or can be purchased through a scientific supply company.
The emphasis of this activity is for students to dissect their pellets very carefully
and to construct a food chain from what they discovered. The many small bones are easier to see if the pellet is dissected in black construction paper. It is possible
for a pellet to contain more than one boney frame of an animal.
MATERIALS:
For each group of two or three:
Owl pellet
Hand lens
Black construction paper
Probe
Tweezers, or other dissecting equipment
Coffee stir straws work well for dissecting
Various containers for dissection equipment and findings
Activity guide
Materials for students' food chains (construction paper, string, tagboard, etc)
EXPLORATION:
Start with brainstorming on what students know about owls (nocturnal, eat rodents,
etc.). After you have talked about the importance of careful dissection and accurate
recording of observations, allow students to begin their exploration with the pellets.
Using the activity guide, students must describe what they think the pellet is and
what role it plays in the owls food chain. After they have answered these questions
they may begin their dissection. Direct the students to keep records of whatever
they find like hair, teeth, seeds, bones, and etc.
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT:
Discuss and list on the board or overhead the students' findings. Include the number
of items found, the similarities and differences. Discuss where the items came from
and their connection to the owl's food chain. The key concept question to ask here
is "How do owls fit into a food chain? What is the role they play in their environment?"
Other possible discussion questions are, "What would happen if the owl did not
eat the rodents?" "What do you think would happen if the owl population suddenly
went down?" "What could cause the owl population to go down?"
APPLICATION:
Challenge the students to show a simple food chain in a creative way. If you have
a poster of small rodents and their bones or other information, make it available
for the students to see what animals their owl ate.
An alternative application to this activity would be to have the students create a
piece of art using the bones and other things found in the pellets.
EVALUATION:
The evaluation of this activity can be done by having the students explain their model
of the owl's food chain to the class.
OWL PELLETS- THE FOOD CHAIN
STUDENT ACTIVITY SHEET
NAME___________________ DATE________________
1. Describe the object that is part of the owl's food chain.
Explain what part of the owl's food chain you think the object comes from.
3. Write down all observations you make while dissecting. What are the things you
found?