This is a fun project for the end of the school year – after testing is over, but before you’re allowed to start showing movies and having all day recess. You know the days….the grade book is closed…you’re working on make up work…and administration still wants you to be doing something academic.
Student engagement usually dwindles down to an all-time low (especially if you’re busy chasing down missing assignments or having kids redo work), but dissecting owl pellets in my room almost always guarantees I have 100% participation. Even from the kids that never want to participate.
The most practical thing about this unit, from a teacher's point of view, is how little you HAVE to be involved. You'll need to give instructions, obviously, but since you've taught students how to find the physical properties of matter (mass, measurement, etc), you don't have to stand over them as they do this. When it comes to opening the pellet, I start out with a video so the students get background on exactly what a pellet is and how it's formed. (This is a good one from You Tube, if you decide not to order the DVDs.)
You may consider writing a grant through Donors Choose, especially to get the DVD and posters. In the past, I’ve had students bring in a couple of dollars for their pellets, but I’ve found that writing a Donors Choose grant to pay for the grade level makes it easier to guarantee that everyone gets to participate.
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