EXPLORATION
UPPER ELEMENTARY | SCIENCE
Dissecting Owl Pellets
Students will dissect owl pellets to collect evidence that they will use to reconstruct the owl’s food web and energy pyramid.
Time
45 Minutes
Setting
InsideCollection Group
ENERGY FLOW IN THE GARDEN ECOSYSTEM
Standards
- S4L1. Students will describe the roles of organisms and the flow of energy within an ecosystem.
- a. Identify the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in a community.
- b. Demonstrate the flow of energy through a food web/food chain beginning with sunlight and including producers, consumers, and decomposers.
Materials
- Owl Pellet Bone Chart
- Owl pellet (1 per small group)
- Paper bowl (1 per small group)
- Forceps (1 per small group)
- Journals or 8.5×11 copy paper (1 per student)
- Coloring supplies (enough for each student)
Procedures
- Explain to students that they will act as science detectives, using evidence to discover what an owl ate and what it’s prey ate – in order to reconstruct the owl’s real-life food web and energy pyramid.
- Display the Owl Pellet Bone Chart and distribute an owl pellet, paper bowl, and forceps to each small group.
- Direct students to dissect the owl pellet, compare the contents to the bone chart, and determine what species the owl ate. Record findings in science journals.
Explorations in this Collection
Reconstructing the Owl’s Food Web and Energy Pyramid
