WHO COOKS FOR YOU?
WHO COOKS FOR YOU?
Learn About Four New York Owls
Introduction
We are blessed with acres of fields and forests surrounding PQ. Many different plants and animals share these two habitats with us. Their lives are woven into webs of prey and predator relationships. Our dissection of owl pellets shows us that owls are some of the top predators in these food webs.
The Task
Your group will learn about common properties of all owls and differences between four species that might live near our school. After you analyze the contents of your owl pellet you will be able to apply information from this webquest to predict which species of owl produced your pellet. You will also use what you have learned about owls as predators to determine how some of their prey species might adapt to avoid being eaten by owls.
Working together to search for information, each group member will take their own notes. Your group will then make one chart with a picture of a barn owl, barred owl, great horned owl and screech owl. Your chart should describe at least five ways all four species are different from one another. Each group member should write his/her name under the picture of the kind of owl that probably produced the pellet he/she dissected in class.
Each group member will create a drawing of a vole, snake or a skunk to show how that animal might evolve to make it less probable that it would be eaten by an owl. Your drawing should show at least four adaptations.
This should be your best work.
Resources
Tally chart from your owl pellet dissection
Use this link review about owl pellets. Pellets
Process
You will use seven pages in your science notebook. Copy each essential question at the top of a page.
- What do owls need to survive?
- How are these four species the same and different? - BARN OWL
- Same/different - BARRED OWL
- Same/different - GREAT HORNED OWL
- Same/different - SCREECH OWL
- How could animals adapt or evolve to avoid being eaten by owls?
- “Everything is connected to everything else.” How does this apply to owls and you?
Page 1. - What do owls need to survive?
- List at least five specific needs. Owl Facts Owl Habits
Pages 2 - 5
- Same/different Species info
- You could set up each of these four pages like this:
TYPE OF OWL:
| | SAME | DIFFERENT |
| DESCRIPTION |
| VOICE |
| NESTING |
| HABITATS |
| RANGE |
Page 6. Choose a vole, snake or skunk.
- Write the name of your choice.
- List which of the four owls we are studying might prey on this animal.
- List at least four adaptations the owls have that allow them to prey on this animal.
- Describe at least four ways the animal could adapt to avoid being eaten by owls.
Page 7. Discuss this topic within your group.
- Write at least one paragraph telling how your life on earth is connected to the lives of owls.
- Each paragraph should be at least five sentences.
- Underline each topic sentence.
Evaluation
- Are all seven pages in your science notebook complete?
- Does your group's chart show all of the information asked for in an elegant manner?
- Have you drawn, labeled and colored your newly adapted prey species?
Conclusion
You have compared and contrasted four species of owls that might be observed in our area. You have used the results from your owl pellet dissection to predict whch kind of owl it came from. As you thought of ways an animal might adapt to avoid being eaten by an owl maybe you remembered that "everything is connected to everything else".
Visit a barred owl study in progress. See and hear what's going on!
Nest Box Adventure
This WebQuest was designed by
Steve Fuller from the North Salem Central Scool District, North Salem, New York and Ronnie DeSalvo from BOCES Lower Hudson Regional Information Center.
Last updated July 22, 1998