Owl pellet dissection made easy
December 4, 2008
I can vaguely remember dissecting owl pellets in the 5th grade. My 10 year-old self was ecstatic to find all those tiny bones and assemble them into the mouse they once were. But to be completely honest, if I were learning about owl pellets today, I would probably opt for a less hands-on approach.
KidWings — a site dedicated to teaching us all the wonders of birds — has created a Virtual Owl Pellet Dissection website. Your students can remove the fur from their virtual pellet to uncover the bones inside. Then, each time they drag a bone to match the rodent skeleton, they get a new fun avian fact. When your students complete the dissection, they receive a certificate in which they can fill in their names and print out for posterity!
I firmly believe that no student should be without the precious memories gained only through owl pellet dissection. So, this is the perfect alternative to an actual owl pellet dissection, whether you’re lacking the resources or a student has an aversion to handling animal excrement. So, go and start dissecting! — LAUREN FROHNE
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Photo credit: Stevie-B on flickr
