Second Grade Students Learn About Owls
December 16, 2009
Owls may not sound that exciting, but owls are truly amazing birds of prey. Lyon County Naturalist, Sherri Bootsma, presented a program about owls for the second grade students in Mrs. Snyders' classroom.
Mrs. Bootsma 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.
Sherri 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 and touch the mounts and learn a bit more about owls. 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.
