Last week the K-1 students had the opportunity to participate in a true interactive science activity - dissecting owl pellets. Over the past two weeks the children have been enthusiastically learning about owls. We've discussed various characteristics and types of owls, including where they live and what they eat. The children learned that owls swallow their prey whole and cannot digest all of their food. They subsequently cough up a small pellet with the contents of their last meal. The pellet resembles a small, packed fur ball and once opened, reveals clues about what the owl last ate. The children found various small skulls, leg and hip bones, jaws, and other tiny bones from the unlucky creatures that happened to be dinner.
At first some of the children were unsure, wondering if the contents of the pellets might be "yucky." Quickly, they all became mesmerized as they began discovering the bones and determining what animals the owl may have eaten. Students became nature detectives, attempting to unravel the mystery of an owl's dinner.
This was a perfect illustration of the importance of "hands-on" science. Children were doing the discovering themselves - which is always the most memorable and meaningful kind of learning. I have no doubt they'll remember this activity for quite awhile.
