Tell children to gather around on the carpet. Introduce owls to students by first giving them hints on what they are about to learn about and have them guess what they are learning about. Read a book about owls to students. Ask questions during reading in order to keep students engaged. Show students the two toy owls to show them the difference between mother and father owls. Show students how the owls might build their nest inside the tree with the sticks. Demonstrate to students how the owls keep wind noise off with their wings by breathing in and closing your mouth, and then have the students do this too. Have students move their eyes around to demonstrate that owl eyes are different and cannot move their eyes around. Have students turn their head from side to side to demonstrate that we cannot move our heads all the way around like owls can.

1. We are about to start learning about a specific type of land animal, what do you think it is?(give hints as they guess)
2. What kind of bird do you think it is?
3. Has anyone ever seen an owl before?
4. Why do you think owls have big eyes?
5. Why do you think owls have such large wings?
6. Why do owls have such sharp claws?
7. Why do think an owl's head can turn and face backwards?
8. What does the word nocturnal mean?

1. Insects, snakes, bats, dogs, cats, horses, [birds]
2. Cardinal, Blue Jay, Hummingbird, Eagle, Flamingo, Penguin, [Owls]
3. No, Yes
4. So they can see better. [so they can see at night and they are farsighted]
5. So they can fly faster. [so they can keep the sound in]
6. So they can cut things. [so they can cut and tear things apart]
7. [So they can see what is behind them]
8. To turn around. [sleep during day and awake during night]

Demonstrate how students will make their paper owl and show them a finished product. Pass out owl patterns to students and tell them to get out a black marker, a glue stick, and scissors. Show students a model of how their owl should look. Get out stuffed owls and have students compare their paper owls with the stuffed owls. Pass out paper bags to students. Show students a model of the paper bag tree home for the paper owl. Tell students to open their bags and fold over the opening of the bag and tape it down. Show students how they are going to make a hole in the bag with their scissors. Pass out sticks and have students build their nests and put their paper owls in their home.

1. What characteristics do the paper owls and stuffed animals have in common?

2. Can you tell me which adaptations your paper owl has?

3. What do you think owls use to build their nests?

1. The paper owls and stuffed animals both have eyes, ears, feet, wings, and a nose. [They both have talons, eyes that don't move, large wings, tufts, and a beak]

2. They have big eyes that do not move.[They have big eyes, tufts, large wings, and a beak.]

3. [They use sticks to build their nests.]

Have students get in a circle on the floor. Put toy mouse and toy snake on the floor. Get out stuffed owl and tongs. Hold tongs with owl talons with one hand and the top of the owl with the other hand. Use hands to make owl fly down to the floor and grab the mouse with its talons to show students how the owl grabs its food. Have students go back to their desks. Put students in pairs of two or three and walk around giving each pair a paper plate, paper clip, and owl pellets. Tell students to use the paper clips to tear through the owl pellets.

1. What do you think I am going to use these tongs for?
2. What part of the owl looks like the tongs?
3. What does the owl use to  tear apart it's food?

1. To grab stuff. [The tongs will be used to grab small animals.]
2. The claws look like tongs. [The beak is the part of the owl that is like the tongs.]
3. The owl uses its beak. [The owl uses it's sharp claws to tear apart its food.]

The teacher will ask the students to look at the other habitats in trees that we have learned about. The teacher will then ask the students how they think the owls fit in with these other animals living in the trees.

1. What characteristics do the owls and the other animals in the trees have in common?

2. How do the owls adapt to the other animals in the trees?

1. They both sleep in the trees. They both live in the trees. [They each have their own spot to nest or rest in on the tree. The tree is their home.]

2. They stay in their hole. [Owls tend to just keep to themselves because the other animals in the tree are not nocturnal like the owls.]

Ask the students questions about what each student learned. Give students small packet about owls for students to do on their own.

1. When do owls sleep?

2. What do owls eat?

3. Why do owls have such sharp claws?

4. What do owls use their beaks for?

5. Why do owls have large wings?

6. How do owls see what is behind them if they can't move their eyes?

7. How do owls eat their food?

1. [Owls sleep during the day.]

2. [Owls eat small animals.]

3. [Their sharp claws help them tear apart their food.]

4. [They use their beaks to grab small animals.]

5. [Their large wings help them take in noise when they fly.]

6. [They can turn their heads around.]

7. [They tear it with their sharp talons and beak.]