Foundation For Allen Schools: 2013-14 Educational Grant Application
2013 - 14 Educational Grant Application
Deadline: Wednesday, March 20, 2013, by 4pm
Name of Grant: Owl Pellet Lab – Bringing Science to Life
Name of person(s) submitted by: (if submitted by a team of teachers, grade level, etc.
please list all names involved and select one individual to be the contact person for the grant.)
Christine Love – 3rd Grade Science Teacher contact person
Tamara Huffman, Tami Fee, J’aime Grey, Debby Zimmerman
Campus/Department: Green Elementary_____ Grade Level(s): 3
Total Dollar Amount Requested: $ 764
Number of students who would be involved/impacted by grant: Five 3rd grade classes of
22 students = 110 students. We will also be showcasing our bones and lab results to lower
grade students by having a walking gallery and it will be an item to brag about at Open House
so that the parents can see an example of how grant dollars can effect their child’s learning
Name of principal or who will approve submission: Kelly Campman
Project Purpose: What is the problem, need or opportunity that this grant will address?
What is the student need which the project will address? The purpose should explain what
students will know and be able to do as a result of this project. Please explain how a
problem will be addressed or a situation improved because of the grant. (200 words or less)
Our science curriculum on Habitats and Food Chains requires some excitement. We need to
engage our students to make investigations, defend reliable results and make real world
connections. We all can remember our 1st dissection. Barn Owl pellets are a wonderful tool to
accomplish this goal. The concepts of ecology and predator/prey relationships may all be
found in this mysterious fur ball. This Owl Pellet Lab can definitely bring “Science to Life”.
This Owl Pellet lab includes: 60 large Owl Pellets (enough for all 120 3rd graders to work in
pairs) 8 visual posters, 15 minute DVD video on the Barn Owl, 15 Owl Pellet Bone Sorting
Charts, 120 Neo/SCI Molded Plastic forceps (this will allow each student to have their own
dissecting tool) and 24 Delta Education Giant 6X folding Magnifier (enough for each pair to
enhance their view of the animal bones found in their owl pellet)
3rd grade introduces the concept of food chains and the importance of ecosystems and how it
is all connected. This lab would be an excellent learning tool for students to understand and
master this concept which is a building block for future science TEKS in 4th and 5th grade.
Foundation For Allen Schools: 2013-14 Educational Grant Application
Project Description: How will the project or program be implemented? Describe activities and
tasks.
Who is the target population and in what ways will they benefit? (200 words or less)
Every 3rd grade student will have the opportunity to perform hands on investigations to solve
the mystery of the fur ball (Owl Pellet) I have created a 5 E science lesson to maximize the
learning experience:
ENGAGE –Watch 15 minute DVD on barn owls and the students will use inquiry to determine
how they will find out more information about the owls habitat
EXPLORE – Students will become a special kind of scientist, an Ornithologist, which studies
birds. Their task is to determine as much information as they can about the diet of the owl that
regurgitated that particular pellet. Students will use forceps, a magnifier and the bone sorting
chart to label and categorize their animal bones.
EXPLAIN – Students will then study their findings and create a bar graph to illustrate their
results. They will also have to explain which bones they used to determine the animals the owl
ate (skull, beak, feet etc).
ELABORATE – Students will use the information collected during the investigation to research
and create a food chain or food web from the owls habitat.
EVALUATE – Have students take a survey on the lab as a learning tool – did they like, dislike
the investigation and most importantly what activity helped them understand the science
concepts
Allen ISD Goals/TEKS: Which Allen ISD goals/TEKS does this project support? Limit to top
two or three examples. (50 words or less)
The Owl Pellet Lab – Bringing Science to Life aligns perfectly to our ecosystem TEKS. This
hands on experience will allow students to: Research the habitat of an owl, Investigate their
inherited traits, Make inferences based on observations of what an owl eats which will illustrate
food chains and food webs, Categorize animals as herbivores, omnivores, or carnivores, and
describe how energy flows through an ecosystem.
Measurements: What specific measurements will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the
project? (100 words or less)
Each Student pair will be assigned to complete an O-W-L chart. (Measures understanding)
 O- students will record their observations in the first column.
 W- Students will write their wonderings about the mystery pellet in the 2nd column
 L – After the Owl Pellet Lab, students will record what they have learned.
Each student will be responsible for categorizing their bones and gluing them onto paper.
They then will explain their data by creating a bar graph of their results.(Measures the
accuracy of their data)
Foundation For Allen Schools: 2013-14 Educational Grant Application
Students will take a content mastery quiz to assess student learning (Measures student
content mastery)
Teaching Methods: What teaching methods will be used to implement this project? (100
words or less)
This lab integrates multiple teaching methods to creatively approach all students. It has a
video engage piece to excite the learner; it offers a variety of hands on activities to assist the
understanding of important science standards. All types of learners are reached through this
lab:
 Spatial learners enjoy visualizing- real life examples of animal bones
 Kinesthetic learners enjoy the physical nature of dissecting and touching the materials
 Interpersonal learners love the opportunities for sharing, comparing, and cooperating
 Intrapersonal learners love to focus on individual tasks of inquiry and investigation
 Logical and mathematical learners enjoy the measuring, sequencing and graphing
Timeline for project: Funds will be available after September 1, 2013. (50 words or less)
The Owl Pellet Lab will be taught in conjunction with the Science Pacing Calendar. This year
our Ecosystem unit was taught after Winter Break. This lab will take 3 days.
Curriculum/System Support: Explain how this idea or project enhances/supports Allen ISD
curriculum or existing systems. (100 words or less)
Owl Pellet Lab-“Bringing Science to life” provides connections to a variety of learners offering
an engaging, hands-on experience. Students will be given a chance to view science in a varied
and engaging manner. This lab will teach and reinforce the understanding of how an
ecosystem works. Students will learn about an owls habitat, inherited traits, and adaptations
by dissecting an owl pellet and collecting data of what an owl eats to illustrate a food chain
which describes how energy flows through an ecosystem.
Additional Comments: Include any additional comments or information. (100 words or less)
This lab can be easily replicated by other elementary schools and hopefully will be repeated
annually. Complete lesson plans will be shared with any school that asks, as well as the grant
application.
If the cost is a concern, our campus has hand lenses that the students could use to observe
the owl pellets instead of the 6X table magnifiers as requested. This would lower the dollar
amount requested for this grant to $454.
Foundation For Allen Schools: 2013-14 Educational Grant Application
Foundation For Allen Schools: 2013-14 Educational Grant Application
Grant Budget: specific product numbers, vendor addresses, etc. are not required on this
budget page.
The name of the product or the type of training or estimated cost of transportation is sufficient.
*Please round numbers to the nearest dollar amount.
Instructional Supplies or Resources:
(Books, Manipulatives, etc.)
Frey Owl Pellet Curriculum (includes DVD, 30 Owl pellets, 8
posters, and teacher guide)
Additional 30 Owl Pellets
120 Plastic forceps for dissecting
24 Giant 6X table top Magnifiers to categorize animal bones
30 Owl Pellet Bone sorting charts
$200
$100
$120
$310
$ 24
Total: $ 764
TOTAL AMOUNT REQUESTED
$ 764
Additional Funds: Are there any additional funds available for this grant? Campus or district
funds? PTA funds?
If you have or will be seeking funds from any other sources to help with this project, please
explain.
No, our PTA is experiencing a decrease in funding this academic year and we expect many
programs to be scaled down or cut.