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Fourth
Grade
By: Kayla
Scholl
Science Experiment: Predator
and Prey- Owl Pellets
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Knowledge and Skill Outcomes
Knowledge Outcomes:
Extend students’
understanding of the
vocabulary words “predator”
and “prey.” Students will also
learn about owl pellets and
some unique characteristics
about an owl’s digestive
system.
Skills Outcomes: Students
will think critically about food
chains and resources. They will
also learn to ask and answer
questions based on
observation of the owl pellet.
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Assessment
Formative: Teacher will monitor
student progress throughout the
predator and prey game and also
observe students as they dissect
the owl pellet. Teachers will also
use Venn diagram, science
notebooks
Summative: At the end of the
lesson, the teacher will discuss
with the students what they
discovered from the owl pellet
and ask them some questions
about the dissection process.
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Materials
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Mice and Owl Pictures
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Whiteboard and expo
markers
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Colored plastic chips
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Owl Pellets
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Trays
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Magnifying glasses
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Tweezers
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Rulers
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Science Notebooks
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Bone Chart
+ Hook: Predator and Prey
1. Pre-assessment questions: What is a
predator and what is prey? What are
some examples of a predator or prey?
2. Venn diagram of predators, prey, and
which animals can be considered both.
3. Game: Some students will be mice and
others will be owls. The teacher will
spread food (colored plastic chips)
around the room. The mice are trying to
avoid the owls, but also collect food. The
owls are trying to catch the mice. The
teacher will manipulate different
variables, such as the amount of food for
the mice, the amount of mice, the amount
of owls, etc.
4. Post-Game Questions: What different
things affected survival of the mice? Of
the owls? What resources were
important to the animals in this game?
What are some examples of resources
we need in our environment?
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Owl Pellet Dissection
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Owls, like many other birds, eat their food whole.
An owl slowly digests it’s meal by separating the
soften materials (such as the meat) from the
harder materials (such as the bones, feathers, fur,
etc.). It then regurgitates these harder materials in
an owl pellet. We have some owl pellets here
today to dissect. You don’t have to worry because
these owl pellets were treated in a special lab and
are now okay to touch with our hands. What do you
think are some things an owl might eat?
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The teacher will pass out the trays, owl pellets,
and tweezers to the groups of students. Students
will also receive rulers to measure the size of their
owl pellet. Students will be asked to identify at
least 3 different characteristics of their owl pellet
(size, color, smell, texture, etc.). Students will
record these in their science notebooks. They can
also reference the bone chart to see what kinds of
animals or bones they are finding in their pellet.
They can use this chart to create their own chart of
the bones that they found in their pellet. The
teacher will also ask them questions like: What do
you think is inside of the pellet? After you opened
the pellet, what kind of information did you learn?
What else can we use besides owl pellets to learn
more about animals or people?
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Differentiation
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ELL and IEP students can
work with native-English
speaking students or
students who have a good
understanding of how to
conduct hands-on science
experiments.
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Invite ELL students to
draw pictures of what they
observe in relation to
their owl pellets. They can
draw pictures of the
bones and label them
with simple words.
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5E Model Plan
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Engage: The teacher will pre-asses the students’ knowledge about predators and prey during the
initial discussion. She will ask questions like: What is a predator? What is prey? What are some
examples of each? The teacher will use the predator and prey game to engage students into the
idea of environmental resources, survival, ecosystems, and animal relationships. The hands-on
dissection of the owl pellet will also require “engagement” from the students.
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Explore: Students will explore the owl pellet through their dissection, observing all its different
characteristics. Students will record these findings in their science notebooks. They will be able to
build their own understanding of what an owl pellet is, what an owl’s digestive system does, what
you would find in an owl pellet, and what an owl typically eats.
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Explain: Students will measure the owl pellet and describe some of the characteristics of the owl
pellet. These will be direct observations the students make about the owl pellet during the
dissection.
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Elaborate: The teacher will ask students like: What do you think is inside of the pellet? After you
opened the pellet, what kind of information did you learn? What else could we use, besides owl
pellets, to learn more about animals or people? These questions will help students build on the
knowledge they’ve gained through their exploration and explanation.
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Evaluate: The teacher will monitor students’ progress throughout the game and owl pellet
dissection activities. She will take note of students’ answers to her questions. The homework
prompt asks students to find out more about their favorite animal. Is it a predator? Is it a prey? What
does it prey on? What preys on it? Where does this animal typically live (what kind of
environment/ecosystem)? Is there anything particularly special about this animal, for example,
does it have a special digestive system, can it camouflage into its environment, etc.? This will help
students make connections and further their understandings of these concepts.
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Formative Assessment Tools
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Students will use a Venn Diagram to
categorize animals into categories
of predator, prey, or both.
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Students will record observations
about their owl pellets in their
science notebooks.
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Students will use the bone chart to
create their own chart that shows
what kinds of bones they found
(what part of the body are they
from, what kind of animal are they
from, etc.).
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Data Collection
 Teacher, with
the help of
students, will create the
Venn Diagram to record
data about predator and
prey.
 Students
will use their
science notebooks to
record data on their owl
pellets and create their
own bone charts.
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Strategies to Include ELL Students
 ELL
students can be
grouped with native
English speakers, so they
can scaffold their
language.
 Invite
ELL students to draw
pictures of what they
observe in relation to their
owl pellets. They can draw
pictures of the bones and
label them with simple
words.
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Questions to Facilitate Discussion
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Opening Activity: What is a predator. What is a prey? What are some
examples of each?
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Owl Pellet Dissection Activity: What are some characteristics of the owl
pellet? (Size, shape, color, smell, texture, etc.). What do you think is
inside of the pellet? After you opened the pellet, what kind of
information did you learn? What else could we use, besides owl pellets,
to learn more about animals or people?
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Homework Prompts: Is it a predator? Is it a prey? What does it prey on?
What preys on it? Where does this animal typically live (what kind of
environment/ecosystem)? Is there anything particularly special about
this animal, for example, does it have a special digestive system, can it
camouflage into its environment, etc.?
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Incorporating Mathematical
Concepts
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Measurement concepts can be
incorporated into the investigation of
the owl pellet during dissection.
Students can use their rulers to
measure their owl pellets in
centimeters. They can convert these
centimeters into different forms of
measurement.
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Students can also look at population
numbers in different environments.
Students can use these numbers to
look at the different concepts
discussed during the prey and
predator activity, such as
overpopulation, under population, a
lack in resources (food, and other
resources), etc.