1. Owl Pellets
Fifth Grade Science

2. Vocabulary Ecosystem – Community of living organisms
Food Chain – How each living thing gets food – begins with plant life and ends with animal life
Producer – Living things that produce their own food, such as plants
Consumer – Living things that eat other animals or plants for food, such as animals
Dissect – To open something up with the intent to examine it
Owl Pellet - ???

3. Is the Owl a Producer or a Consumer?

4. What is an Owl Pellet? Owls swallow their food whole.
Imagine an owl swooping down on a mouse and snatching it up for dinner.
The owl will digest parts of food but the rest forms into a pellet which they cough up and spit out.
Think of a hairball with bones!

5. Materials Needed Owl Pellets Laminated maps of bones Tweezers Forceps
Probes
Magnifying glass
Trays to put the findings and collect pellet remnants
Gloves to dissect
Baggie to collect owl pellet bones
Sharpie to mark bags

6. What Objects Can You Find in an Owl Pellet?
Bone
Observations
How Many?
Skulls
Jaws
Legs
Other

7. Bone Chart

8. Recap and Clean-up