Owl Pellet Evidence We have been learning about many different animal food chains. Now we are going to observe and investigate owl pellets. What kind of evidence do you think can be found in an owl pellet to help us know more about the food chain of which the barn owl is a part? Part 1 • Study the external features of the owl pellet. Based on your observations, make a prediction about what you think you might find inside your owl pellet. • Carefully open the owl pellet, gently pulling the bones away from the fur and other material in the pellet. • Sort the bones by type. Draw each type of bone and show the number of each type. Use a sorting sheet to identify the types of bones you found. Part 2 • Based on your findings in the owl pellet, draw a picture to show the food chain that consists of the owl and its prey. Be sure to include components that were a part of the food chain in the owl's natural environment. Owl Pellet Evidence Copyright 2007, Exemplars, Inc. All rights reserved. 1 of 16 • Infer what would happen to the population of mice, voles, shrews, etc., if a large number of owls were to disappear because their habitats were destroyed. Write a paragraph to explain how this might affect other animals and/or plants in the world, including humans. Owl Pellet Evidence Copyright 2007, Exemplars, Inc. All rights reserved. 2 of 16 Owl Pellet Evidence Suggested Grade Span 3–5 Task We have been learning about many different animal food chains. Now we are going to observe and investigate owl pellets. What kind of evidence do you think can be found in an owl pellet to help us know more about the food chain of which the barn owl is a part? Part 1 • Study the external features of the owl pellet. Based on your observations, make a prediction about what you think you might find inside your owl pellet. • Carefully open the owl pellet, gently pulling the bones away from the fur and other material in the pellet. • Sort the bones by type. Draw each type of bone and show the number of each type. Use a sorting sheet to identify the types of bones you found. Part 2 • Based on your findings in the owl pellet, draw a picture to show the food chain that consists of the owl and its prey. Be sure to include components that were a part of the food chain in the owl's natural environment. • Infer what would happen to the population of mice, voles, shrews, etc., if a large number of owls were to disappear because their habitats were destroyed. Write a paragraph to explain how this might affect other animals and/or plants in the world, including humans. Big Ideas and Unifying Concepts Cause and effect Form and function Interdependence Systems Life Science Concepts Populations and ecosystems Structure and function Owl Pellet Evidence Copyright 2007, Exemplars, Inc. All rights reserved. 3 of 16 Physical Science Concept Transfer and transformation of energy Science in Personal and Societal Perspectives Concept Population, resources, environments Mathematics Concepts Data collection, organization and analysis Diagrams Measurement Time Required for the Task Two hours or more. Context After studying numerous examples of food chains and plant/animal relationships, students investigated the contents of an owl pellet. This highly engaging activity can be used as an assessment of a student's ability to recognize and formulate a food chain from evidence collected from the pellet. Complete understanding of a food chain concept will be shown when the student is able to show the source of energy for the food chain (the sun) and the producers (plants) that were the food for the mice, voles and other creatures found in the pellet. If students have studied decomposers, then this component may be added to the completed food chain. What the Task Accomplishes In this task, students are given the opportunity to show the structure of a food chain based on evidence from the dissection of an owl pellet. Although they have only minimal information (based on what's in the owl pellet) they should be able to infer other components of the food chain (sources of energy, plants, decomposers, etc.) as they existed in the natural environment. Students will also be able to predict what would happen should owls be taken out of the food chain and how this might impact the natural world as a whole. How the Student Will Investigate Students will work in small groups of two or three to observe and investigate the contents of an owl pellet. Students will sort and identify the bones found in the owl pellet and create a food chain of the owl and its prey. Students will then infer what would happen if owls were not a part of the food chain and the impact this would have on the natural world. Owl Pellet Evidence Copyright 2007, Exemplars, Inc. All rights reserved. 4 of 16 Interdisciplinary Links and Extensions Language Arts Here are some related children's books, both fiction and nonfiction to share with students: • • • • • • • Everybody's Somebody's Lunch, by Cherie Mason Owl Moon, by Jane Yolan There's an Owl in the Shower, by Jean Craighead George Owls, by Sandra Markle The Wonder of Owls, by Amy Bauman Snowy, The Barn Owl, by Jane Burton Otus: The Story of a Screech Owl, by Robert McClung Science An important aspect of the scientific method is finding evidence to support a position or to answer a question. Often only partial evidence is actually found and the scientist must make inferences about the "big picture." The inferences are tentative until more evidence is found. This is the nature of science. Students can research and investigate other food chains during this unit so that they understand that all organisms are part of food chains. They can also begin to learn about the idea of food webs and their role in the natural world and how food chains make up these webs. Students can begin to recognize the human species' role in food chains and webs as well. Mathematics Students can measure and weigh the bones that they find if appropriate tools are available for this as some of the bones are quite tiny. They can also compare the size of these bones to other animals as well as to themselves. Teaching Tips and Guiding Questions Teachers may wish to design a checklist for observing science behavior during this task, such as using tools appropriately. Teachers can ask students to define what these behaviors look like in advance. Observe students carefully as they sort and classify bones, as this may not be apparent through the answers on the data sheet. Some possible guiding questions to ask students: • What do you observe about the pellet? Do you notice anything about its shape? the material it is made from? • What do you predict will be inside the owl pellet? Why do you predict that? • How will you open the owl pellet? Why do you think it might be important to open it carefully? • What do you observe about the contents of the owl pellet? • How will you sort the contents? What do the items have in common? How are they different? Owl Pellet Evidence Copyright 2007, Exemplars, Inc. All rights reserved. 5 of 16 • • • • How can you use this information to create a food chain with an owl and its prey? What are the important components of a food chain? How can you show these? Why is the owl important in this food chain? What happens if the owl is not in this food chain? Concepts to be Assessed (Unifying concepts and big ideas and science concepts to be assessed using the Exemplars Science Rubric under the criterion: Science Concepts and Related Content) Life Science – Structure and Function; Populations and Ecosystems: Students identify characteristics of organisms, categorizing living things as producers, consumers or decomposers. Students describe the interdependence of plants and animals in food chains and determine the role of plant producers, consumers and decomposers in the food chain. Science in Personal and Societal Perspectives – Populations, Resources and Environments: Students recognize that human activities have an impact on natural systems and that changing human behaviors can lessen the impact on ecosystems. Physical Science – Transfer and Transformation of Energy: Students recognize that the sun is the major source of energy in food chains and webs. Mathematics: Students use diagrams and precise measurements. Students collect, organize and analyze data appropriately. Skills to be Developed (Science process skills to be assessed using the Exemplars Science Rubric under the criteria: Scientific Procedures and Reasoning Strategies, and Scientific Communication Using Data) Scientific Method: Observing, predicting, sorting, identifying, recording observations and data, using tools, using data to construct a reasonable explanation, drawing conclusions, making inferences, communicating findings and challenging misconceptions. Other Science Standards and Concepts Addressed Scientific Method: Students describe, predict, investigate and explain phenomena. Scientific Theory: Students look for evidence that explains why things happen and modify explanations when new observations are made. Life Science – Structure and Function; Regulation and Behavior; Populations and Ecosystems: Students describe and group animals by what they eat and where they live. Students understand that living things are found almost everywhere in the world and are interdependent. Owl Pellet Evidence Copyright 2007, Exemplars, Inc. All rights reserved. 6 of 16 Communication: Students use verbal and nonverbal skills to express themselves effectively. Suggested Materials • • • • • • • One owl pellet per student or group of students Tweezers and/or probe Magnifying glasses Paper towels Egg carton for sorting (optional) Bone sorting sheet (usually comes with owl pellet kits) Data sheet Possible Solutions Food chain drawings will vary with the findings in the owl pellets. In all cases, the food chains should show the sun providing energy for the system; plants as food for the voles, mice, birds, or other small creatures that are found in the owl pellet; the primary consumer (based on evidence) found in the pellet; and the owl as the top predator. If the population of owls were to diminish, there would be an abundance of mice, voles, shrews, etc., which in turn would consume larger amounts of plant material and could become "pests" to crops. The number of primary consumers that could exist would depend on the availability of food. Some students may say that more small animals would be available for other secondary consumers, such as cats and hawks, which would increase their populations over time, thus reestablishing the balance in the environment. There are other explanations; and the important consideration is that the explanation should be logical and based upon whatever information is known by the student. Task-Specific Assessment Notes Novice The drawing of the food chain is inaccurate – arrows are reversed and relationships are not clear. The student uses tools appropriately, but does not separate all of the bones. The student does not use the sorting sheet or give any conclusions or explanations. No terminology is used to demonstrate an understanding of food chains and the relationships in a food chain. There is no evidence of understanding the concept of interdependence and what happens when one part of the system is removed. Apprentice The drawing of the food chain is basic, but clear and accurate. The student uses tools appropriately. A sorting sheet is used. A conclusion and explanations are given, but the student does not elaborate on ideas stated. A limited terminology is used to demonstrate an understanding of food chains and the relationships in a food chain. There is no evidence of understanding the concept of interdependence and what happens when one part of the system is removed. Owl Pellet Evidence Copyright 2007, Exemplars, Inc. All rights reserved. 7 of 16 Practitioner The drawing of the food chain is clear and accurate. It shows how components are connected, and each is well-labeled. The student uses tools appropriately. A sorting sheet is used. A conclusion and explanation are given and shows how balance is important in an ecosystem. The student uses appropriate terminology to demonstrate an understanding of food chains and the relationships in a food chain. There is some evidence of understanding the concept of interdependence and what happens when one part of the system is removed. Expert The drawing of the food chain is clear and accurate. It is a more complex food chain and is welllabeled. The student uses tools appropriately. A sorting sheet is used. The conclusion and explanations are thorough and show the impact on humans. The student uses appropriate terminology to demonstrate an understanding of food chains and the relationships in a food chain. There is evidence of understanding the concept of interdependence and what happens when one part of the system is removed. Owl Pellet Evidence Copyright 2007, Exemplars, Inc. All rights reserved. 8 of 16 Novice Owl Pellet Evidence Copyright 2007, Exemplars, Inc. All rights reserved. 9 of 16 Novice Owl Pellet Evidence Copyright 2007, Exemplars, Inc. All rights reserved. 10 of 16 Apprentice Owl Pellet Evidence Copyright 2007, Exemplars, Inc. All rights reserved. 11 of 16 Apprentice Owl Pellet Evidence Copyright 2007, Exemplars, Inc. All rights reserved. 12 of 16 Practitioner Owl Pellet Evidence Copyright 2007, Exemplars, Inc. All rights reserved. 13 of 16 Practitioner Owl Pellet Evidence Copyright 2007, Exemplars, Inc. All rights reserved. 14 of 16 Expert Owl Pellet Evidence Copyright 2007, Exemplars, Inc. All rights reserved. 15 of 16 Expert Owl Pellet Evidence Copyright 2007, Exemplars, Inc. All rights reserved. 16 of 16
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