Students will be introduced to the idea that energy is passed from one organism to the next in a food chain. Many middle school students have difficulty understanding the concept that energy flows from one organism to another. Students understand that animals eat each other or plants. They also understand that animals need non-living things like water, space, and shelter to survive. More challenging is the idea that when an organism dies, this energy is transferred back to the ecosystem to be reused or that some of it is lost in the process.

 This lesson will serve as proof that owls eat rodents and use this energy to survive. Owls excrete the parts of the rodent that they are unable to digest, leading students to infer that they are recycled in the soil. Using commercial owl pellets, students can try to identify the type of rodent eaten by the owl. Students are capable of creating a food chain based on prior knowledge: Owl-vole-grain or seeds-sun.

 Before students work with the owl pellets, they will conduct some research on owls to gain more knowledge about them.

Specific Questions:

What is the common name of the owl?

What is the scientific name of the owl?

What is the physical appearance of owl?

How are the nesting habits of the owl different from other birds?

Where do owls migrate?

Is the diet of an owl typical?

Can you estimate the number of small mammals an owl might eat in one day? 

How about in one week?

Can you reproduce, construct, and name the mammals the owl ate?

What roll do the Owls play in the food chain?

What impact does the Owl have on rodent population?

Illinois and CPS Learning Standards and Performance Assessment Plan:

Grade Level 7:

Unit Prerequisites:

• Students must know to conduct research topics and use other forms of media.

• Students must possess knowledge of ecosystems.

• Students should know the importance of endangered animals.

• Students should be familiar with Food Chains.

Access:

Explore different North American Owls.

Research the physical characteristics of the Barn Owl.

Investigate the Food Chain.

Interpret:

Analyze Food Web.

Compare Food Chain with Food Web

Compile a report on The Owl Experience.

.

Produce:

Draw a Barn Owl.

Reconstruct a Field Mouse.

Encase the reconstructed Field Mouse.

Communicate:

Display completed project.

Share projects with classmates.

Discuss the information learned.

Evaluate:

Evaluate individual research projects.

Judge completed Owl Pellet Projects.

Rate projects in order of greatness.

Teacher Resources:

 Teacher guide for Owl pellet reconstruction with student activity sheet

http://www.aea10.k12.ia.us/instruct/sci4-9/Ecology/Ecolo580.html

 Visit the amazing world of Owls and Owl Pellets

http://nova.bsuvc.bsu.edu/home/smransom/owls.html

 Game: Food Chain Tag

http://www.nps.gov/olym/teafood.htm

 Alternate lesson on Owl Pellets

http://www.richlandone.org/teachers/connections/grade6/owl_pellets.htm

http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/CITE/owls_pellets.htm