So, you want to jump into the world of owl pellets! This is not meant to be a comprehensive unit designed to get your class ready for a test. 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.
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.
All of my Literature in the Lab activities include a book to read aloud. In this lesson, "Owl Puke" serves to spark students' interest and teach them about owls. Included are a simple journal (print as many or as few pages as you wish) and a flip book option for students to record their findings. My favorite part is the reflection - where students write their thoughts about this project. In future years after their adult has tossed the old pellet, I hope they look back and can fondly remember the activity after reading their thoughts from that week.
What's Included:
- 5 Day or 3 Day Lesson Plan Option
- Materials list with links.
- Two tabbed flip books (updated 2024, older version is still included)
- A larger booklet/journal that can be printed on standard computer paper
- An Owl Art Activity
- 12 Vocabulary Cards
No comments:
Post a Comment