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2nd Graders Ask, “Hoo Hoo” Did the Owl Eat?

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The Maywood second graders have taken on the role as ornithologists for the past few weeks.  What is an ‘ornithologist’ you might ask?  Any second grade student will tell you it’s a scientist who studies birds!  The second grade students have learned all about birds and what makes them unique.  For example, birds with very long legs are made to wade in shallow water.  Birds with short, thick beaks eat seeds because their beaks are strong and can break seeds apart.  Water birds have webbed feet for swimming.  Did you know that a loon cannot walk on land?  Its legs are too far back on its body; therefore it must stay close to the water. 

The class got the opportunity to study owls at the close of the unit.  They learned that owls are nocturnal birds of prey that are found all over the world.  When the owl eats, it is unable to digest the fur and bones of its prey, and coughs up an owl pellet.  Our students got the chance to dissect an owl pellet, and with the use of a bone sorting chart, discover what kinds of animals the owl had eaten.  There was hesitancy at first, but when the kids got started, they were hooked immediately!