{"id":1822,"date":"2018-09-20T12:27:48","date_gmt":"2018-09-20T16:27:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.birds.cornell.edu\/k12\/?p=1822"},"modified":"2025-10-06T15:03:37","modified_gmt":"2025-10-06T19:03:37","slug":"white-owl-barn-owl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.birds.cornell.edu\/k12\/white-owl-barn-owl\/","title":{"rendered":"White Owl, Barn Owl"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

White Owl, Barn Owl<\/em> by Nicola Davies, illustrated by Michael Foreman<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"White<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Topic:<\/strong> Barn Owls<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Description:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mysterious and beautiful, barn owls can be found all over the world – but their silent flight and dwindling numbers mean spotting one is reserved for the lucky and the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enter the nighttime world of this graceful, ghostly hunter through the eyes of a young child and her grandfather. Night after night, the two wait and watch for an owl to appear in the nest box Grandpa put in an old oak tree. One night, their patience is rewarded when they see a distinctive, heart-shaped face peeking out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interspersed within the gentle story of a grandfather sharing the wonders of the natural world with his grandchild are interesting facts about the elusive Barn Owl, making this a pleasant read-aloud as well as a source of factual information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buy White Owl, Barn Owl<\/em> on Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Questions for Discussion:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. The girl and her grandpa had to patiently wait for the owl. Have you ever had to wait patiently for something? What was it, and what was waiting like?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Have you ever closely observed a bird? What kind of bird, and what did it do? (Follow up by taking kids outside to observe a bird!)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Do you think it is good to have Barn Owls nesting in an area? Why or why not? (Be sure to mention the fact that the owls eat lots of mice!)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Activity 1:\u00a0 Building Vocabulary<\/span><\/a>
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    Read the story to students and ask them to\u00a0point out important or confusing\u00a0words. Make a list on the board. When you have finished the book, help students define each word on the list and write their definitions down or draw a descriptive picture. Then, reread the story, this time emphasizing\u00a0the words as you go to make sure students have a better understanding of their meaning and importance. Can students point out where the words are in the illustrations? (Examples: tussocky, nest box, pellet, predator, prey, talon, etc.)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Activity 2:\u00a0 Dissect Owl Pellets<\/span><\/a>
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    Owl pellets offer students a window into the eating behaviors and diets of owls. Students can explore both how and what owls eat by dissecting the pellets and examining small bones, fur, and even exoskeletons found inside. Our Dissecting the Food Web: An Owl Pellet Investigation kit<\/a><\/strong><\/em> provides students the opportunity to interactively apply what they read about!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Activity 3:\u00a0 Visit the Lab’s\u00a0Bird Cams\u00a0Site<\/span><\/a>
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    Learn more about owls by watching up-close footage of their nests. Depending on the time of year, there may\u00a0be live\u00a0Bird Cams<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>or archived footage available to\u00a0watch on the Bird Cams website. Click on a species of owl listed under the\u00a0“All”\u00a0tab for access to information about the species, the nest or nest box,\u00a0frequently asked questions and answers, highlights from the species’ Bird Cam footage, and much more. Additionally, download our free\u00a0Life in a Nest: Exploring Life Cycles with Bird Cams<\/strong><\/em><\/a>\u00a0lesson to engage students in learning about birds and science as they observe the Bird Cams.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Activity 4:\u00a0 Become an Adaptations Expert<\/span><\/a>
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    Reread White Owl, Barn Owl<\/em> aloud to students. On chart paper or the board, make a list of the specific Barn Owl adaptations and behaviors mentioned in the story. For example,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Barn Owls:<\/p>\n\n\n\n