Audubon Adventures

owls

Getting Started with
Owl Prowl

  1. Read the Background for Teachers essay. It contains more in-depth information that will help you answer questions and guide students’ exploration.
  2. Familiarize yourself with the Student Adventures content for “Owl Prowl.”
  3. Review the Teacher-Led Activities and choose the ones suited to your curricular needs and classroom circumstances.
  4. Introduce the topic with a discussion. Here are some suggested discussion starters:
    • What do you know about owls?
    • How are owls similar to other birds? How are they different?
    • What do birds eat?
    • What do owls eat? How do they get their food?
    • What does it mean to say that owls are nocturnal? Are all owls nocturnal?
  5. Review these vocabulary words or have students define them as they discover them in context in the “Owl Prowl” student magazine:
    adapted
    bird of prey
    burrow
    cavity-nester
    crepuscular
    detect
    diurnal
    habitat
    mimic
    nocturnal
    owl pellet
    owlet
    predator
    rodent
    roost
    talons
    trill
    tuft
    whetstone
    Definitions for all vocabulary words can be found in the online Naturalist’s Glossary.
  6. With the whole class or in small groups, review the Audubon Adventures student magazine, “Owl Prowl,” and other student content that you’ve incorporated into your teaching or that students have explored on their own.
  7. Do the hands-on activities you’ve selected, and follow up with review and discussion.
  8. Download the Assessment questions and answer key for “Owl Prowl” to use as a tool for evaluating students’ learning experiences with Audubon Adventures.
  9. Extend learning with print, online, and video resources found in the Naturalist’s Bibliography.

Photo: Jennifer MaHarry/Audubon Photography Awards.