Owl Pellet Dissection and Writing Activity

Earlier this year my 5th grade class and I finally managed to dissect owl pellets.

First the weather got in the way a lot. Then testing got in the way. Eventually we accomplished the task we were all eagerly awaiting!!

Here are a few snaps from the day.

This duo was so excited to find a feather in their pellet!

I must admit, some students were frustrated by the amount of ribs they found. They are a lot trickier to identify!

 Hard at work matching up those bones!

This crew was amazed by how much fur they found in their pellet.

Then, this pair scored two skulls in their pellet!

My class came to conclude that the pellets packed with dirt were harder to dissect due to the texture and density of the pellet. The ones filled with feathers and fur were easier to take apart, so those groups ultimately found more bones.


I wanted to assess their prior knowledge a few day prior to the experiment. I knew several students had dissected owl pellets in the past. However, I wanted to see if the others knew what they would encounter during the dissection.

We used graphic organizers and worksheets for pre, during and post dissection.

The pre dissection sheets are available in two different forms: one is a graphic organizer that is scaffolded for students who are new to this concept. The other is an open response writing template.

The during dissection sheets are available in three different forms: two are graphic organizers that are again scaffolded to assist students who need direction on what to look for as they dissect. The other is an open response writing template.

The post dissection sheets are available in two different forms as well: one is the scaffolded graphic organizer and the other is an open response writing template.

Have you tried dissecting owl pellets with your class? Did they enjoy it?