Dissecting owl pellets is a hoot
Catholic Consortium of Lake County Schools find that pellets regurgitated by owls offer a unique - and gross - way to teach science, that students, teachers and parents equally enjoy. At St. Mary, the Parent Association funds the opportunity for special projects like dissecting the pellets to be implemented in the classrooms, and many parent volunteers look forward to helping in the classroom during these exploratory units at every level.
Fourth-grade students at St. Mary peeled open silver foil to reveal a thumb-sized chunk bearing an resemblance to a moldy chicken nugget.
But when the students plucked away at the pellets with tweezers and tiny fingers, what they found filled them with curiosity. Students sorted through the compressed fur and bones of what soon was to be compiled as tiny rodents.
Owl pellets are popular science projects in grade schools because they act as tiny tombs for the shrews, rats, birds and moles that owls consume. Dissecting the owl pellets allows students to explore the complexities of animal anatomy and the distinctions of the food chain. At St. Mary, the owl pellet project is only one part of a unit on the food chain and food webs among animals and species.
Depending on where they live, students may find owl pellets around the base of trees where owls nest. Since these owl pellets have not been sterilized, they contain bacteria. Students are encouraged to ask an adult to help them collect the owl pellet. Never dissect unsterilized owl pellets.
"It's scientific!" said Cole, a fourth-grader at St. Mary. When asked what the best part of learning about the food chain, food webs and dissecting owl pellets was, Cole said, "finding a vole (or so he thinks) and putting its bones together." Cole had yet to assemble his vole, but was excited to do so. He mentioned other students had uncovered skulls of other small rodents and animals that the class believes are from mice and small birds.
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