Second Graders Learn About Owls
Owls may not sound that exciting, but owls are truly amazing birds of prey. Lyon County Naturalist, Emily Van't Hul, presented a program about owls for the second grade students in Mrs. Snyders' classroom. The program was held at Lyon Manor where the kids were able to interact with some of the residents there.
Mrs. Van't Hul shared some interesting facts about owls. She explained why most owls are nocturnal. At night, there is less activity, and it is quieter. We learned that an owl can hear a mouse breathing one hundred feet away. The kids learned that an owl's eyes are so large, that they take up most of the space in their heads. There isn't even room for muscles that would move the eyes around in their sockets. Due to the lack of muscle, the owls have to turn their head if they want to see something. If our eyes were as big as an owl, we would have eyes the size of softballs! The kids learned that the ears on an owl are crooked. One ear is higher than the other. This allows the owl to hear better and tell the exact distance of where their food is. The children learned that an owl's claws are called talons, and they can squeeze ten times harder than we can. They have three toes in the front and one in the back.
Launch the media gallery 2 playerEmily shared numerous facts with the children about owl pellets, how owls eat their food, and special adaptations that help an owl sneak up on their prey. After going over all of the cool stuff that make the great horned owl a great predator, everyone had a chance to see the mounts and learn a bit more about owls. Emily had a machine that made the sounds of several owls that are native to this area. It was a fun way to learn a lot about an animal in a short amount of time. Ask your second grade student to share what they learned about owls with you at home.