Name: Madison Shaft
Owl Pellet Investigation: Two Class Periods
I. Contextual Factors
This biology lesson is for a 10th grade class that is a mixed group of learners. Students will have
an understanding of different relationships in nature (ex. Predation and mutualism).
 List of necessary materials:
 Owl pellets
 Toothpicks and tweezers
 Disinfectant and gloves
 Construction paper for mounting bones
 Bone chart (print out)
II. Learning Goals
A listing of significant, challenging, varied and appropriate learning goals. In this section,
include a brief listing of:
 Identify bones in pellets
 Explain predation and commensalism relationships between owls and other organisms
 Hypothesize what species would be present in a seagull pellet
 Construct a food web
TEKS:
(12) The student is expected to know the interdependence and interactions that occur within an
environmental system.
(A) The student is expected to interpret relationships, including predation, parasitism,
commensalism,
mutualism, and competition among organisms.
(B) The student is expected to compare variations and adaptations of organisms in different
ecosystems.
(C) The student is expected to analyze the flow of matter and energy through trophic levels
using various
models, including food chains, food webs, and ecological pyramids.
III. Assessment Plan
Use of multiple assessment modes and approaches aligned with learning goals to assess student
learning before, during (formative), and after instruction (summative).
Pre-Assessment
 Pre-assessment questions are listed in warm up day 1.
Formative
During the lesson, students will be:
 Dissecting of owl pellet (see procedure). In the groups students will take turns finding
bones in the pellet.
 Filling out bone chart and identifying bones found.
 Teacher will visit each group to check on progress of lab and ask clarifying questions
to see if the students understand the lab. If students do not understand the lab, teacher will
provide individual help.
Summative
Students will create a food web (depiction of feeding connections) between 5 organisms with
the owl being the uppermost level. Students will have a post-lab worksheet with
Name: Madison Shaft
questions about an owl’s digestive system, the ecosystem of an owl pellet, and a
hypothetical situation about what is present in a seagull’s pellet.
IV. Design for/Delivery of Instruction/Activities/Actions (of teacher and students)
Describe in detail instructional activities designed to meet specific learning goals, and student
actions. In this section, include:
Day One- Dissection
Warm-up:
 Open the lesson by talking about owls. What do students know about owls? What do
they eat? Are owls considered predators or preys? What is different about owls’
digestion? What is a pellet and what is it made of? Write answers on the class white
board. Try to have every student participate in discussion. (7 minutes)
 Break students into small groups (2-3 students) and have them each go to a lab table. (1
minute)
 Explain the dissection process and the main goal of the lab. (7 minutes)
Dissection (30 minutes):
 (Note: dissection stations will already be set up including pellet, tools, gloves,
magnifying glass, and handouts)
 Students will follow lab procedure to dissect the owl pellet and its contents.
 Teacher will walk around to each lab group to question students on what they are
finding in their pellets and to provide additional instruction as needed.
 Students will record bone types and how many of each type.
 Using handouts, students will identify what animal is present in their pellet.
Clean up: Students will turn in their results and bone/fur discoveries to the teacher and
clean up dissection station. (5 minutes)
Day Two- Going over results and final questions
 Give results and discoveries back to groups. As a whole class, make a graph of each type
of animal found. (15 minutes)
 Have students work in their groups to mount their discoveries on construction paper and
answer extension questions. Students will also create a food web to show flow of
matter/energy. (30 minutes)
 Any leftover time will be used to answer any questions and clarify any concept questions.
Students will hand in work at the end of the period.
Make-up Lab
 Students that miss day one will do an online version of a dissection. (Link below)
 http://www.kidwings.com/owlpellets/flash/v4/index.htm
Name: Madison Shaft
V. Design for/Delivery of Differentiated Instruction
For the more advanced students, I will have them attempt to reconstruct the skeleton of the
animal by gluing the pieces they found together. Also, have the students compare how an
owl’s digestion differs from a wolf’s. Have them answer: how could we learn what
wolves eat?
For the students who struggle with the lesson, I will provide personal instruction on how to
dissect pellet and guide the group through the first few steps of dissection. I will ask
questions to make sure they understand what they are looking for and what the bones
look like.
Reflection and Self-Evaluation
The activity (dissection) represent a constructivist way of teaching because students’ “knowledge
reflects competency in some valued activity.” (O’Donnell and Smith)
The lesson plan referenced Kizlik (2009) to avoid common lesson plan mistakes. More
specifically this lesson plan avoids “student activities described in the lesson plan do not
contribute in a direct and effective way to the lesson objective”.