Homeschool Lesson Planning
Wise As An Owl
In preparation for our thematic unit about owls, I knew I had to do some preening to get all my ideas in order. There is quite a lot of fun to be had with a topic like owls, and I didn't want to miss out on any of it. From their fascinating eyes to rotating necks, these creatures have such interesting characteristics and adaptations, that I wanted to be wise when teaching my kiddos all about them.
Start The Hunt
So building a lesson plan around owls began with the hunt. Hunting for great stories, fun facts, and ways to explore the science behind these incredible birds. With as much information about them as they have feathers, I pieced together a lesson plan that highlighted it all.
Get your owlets flying with this soaring start.
Birds Of A Feather
Flock these books together to get inspiration and information all about owls.
"Owl Boy" by Brian Schatell
A humorous story about a boy who is obsessed with owls, that is until offered to sample what an owl eats. Your child will love the illustrations and silly ending, while also getting to know an owl's diet.
"Amazing Animals: Owls" by Valerie Bodden
Learn about different types of owls, their appearance, and behaviors in informative read. Includes stunning images of a variety of owls.
"Otis the Owl" by Mary Holland
Read about the first few months of an owl's life by following along a baby owl named Otis. Learn how Otis eats, learns to fly, and how he even gets along with his sister. A fun perspective for kids to learn more about owlets.
"An Owl At Sea" by Susan Vande Griek
A heartwarming true tale of a lost owl who made its way to an oil rig. Once discovered, follow along the path of rescue and a refreshing release.
Take Flight
Make your lesson plans take flight by including engaging owl themed learning activities.
I tied the owl theme into our spelling by having them dissect paper owl pellets in search of missing spelling word letters. Owl feathers greatly attributed to fun math games involving estimation and language topics like verb tenses. Sorting and counting the feathers in these activities provided entertaining manipulatives while reinforcing the learning material. Another great math topic of course, was furthering understanding of the times of day. Being that owls are nocturnal, this topic worked well with activities that practiced A.M. vs. P.M. times of day.
Include the science by dissecting an owl pellet and identifying the owl's diet. Their reactions to this project is worth the price of the kit alone, but the information included is greatly appreciated too.
Review an owl's anatomy by labeling a diagram of an owl. As the parts are labeled discuss their functions and how they benefit and give an advantage to this predator bird.
Have A Hoot!
Where there's fun, there's learning- so have a hoot of a time! Include all the extras into this lesson plan with an easy and sweet kitchen creation. Make an owl face snack with just a few goodies and graham crackers. Incorporate writing prompts with this activity by having them sequence the steps involved with making their tasty snack.
Introduce the weekly theme by crafting or buying fun owl masks for them to wear. Set off onto a nature trail in search for owls and to get some always appreciated fresh air. Learning happens in all types of ways, but in my experience the fun way is always the most impressionable.
DON'T FLY AWAY JUST YET!
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