Fifth graders at Essex Elementary took part in dissection day during their program with the CT Audubon Society.
They spent part of the class picking apart and looking closely at something called owl pellets.
"It’s pretty much owl throw-up," said Hunter, one of the students.
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He explained that analyzing the pellets helps to understand the owl's diet.
As a primer for the dissection, the class also learned about different types of owls we may see in Connecticut, the sounds they make and what they eat as a predator in the food chain - and therefore, what may be hidden in their pellets.
Things like small "skulls, pelvises, leg bones and a bunch of different animals like mice and moles," were discovered by the students, according to Ellianna, another student in the class.
At first, Ellianna wasn’t too sure about this project, but had changed her mind by the end.
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"I thought it was gonna be really gross, but it's actually very fun. So it's not that gross at all," she said.
The pellets were dried and sterilized before class time.
This is only half of the fifth grade lesson. Heather Kordula of the CT Audubon Society notes that the second part will take place in a different location, "later in the spring, we'll do our field session, an ethics land trust property to talk about the different habitats there and the different animals that may live in that habitat."
The indoor portion of classes take place in a new space, which was made possible by the Essex Elementary School Foundation.
Fifth grade teaher Erin Pumerantz explains what the area is and what it's used for.
"This is our STEM lab that we are so fortunate to have. We absolutely love coming in. It's fully stocked with for our science experiments. We do math problem solving classes, we'll do social studies writing, we try to incorporate it as much as we can," Pumerantz said.
The STEM lab is used by all grades at Essex Elementary.
For more information on the Essex Elementary School STEM lab, click here.
I'm looking for my next STEM in Schools spotlight! Please nominate a passionate teacher, outstanding student or a cool program like this via email to rachael.jay@nbcuni.com.
