Project Wild: Quick Frozen Critters (#4)

On Wednesday last week we took a D.P.A. break to engage in some conversation on adaptation. The students are very interested in owls and, especially the barred owl. The adaptations that a barred owl has are:

Ears strategically placed on head
Head that can turn more than ours for a wider viewpoint
A strong beak that is attached to the skull
A tree-like pattern on feathers
Lots of feathers to make him/her look larger
Thin feathers on wings to make for a quiet glide
an adapted digestive system to be able to swallow rodents whole
Strong talons to grip prey
An eyesight to hunt in the night

(recorded from student discussion - WOW these guys an girls are smart)

Mice have different adaptation that help them to hide from predators like the barred owl.

Photo scanned from Project Wild, Canadian Wildlife Federation, pg. 148

In this activity, two children were owls and had to capture two mice in order to survive

The mice traveled across the gym to collect grains. They had temporary shelters to help them cross owl territory

Mice simulated adaptations by being able to freeze if an owl got within 2 meters from him/her

If there were fewer owls vs. mice, the predator-prey dynamic would change significantly