Owl Encounter and Solar System Freebie

I knew my parents had an owl in a snag tree in their backyard.  I had seen the top of its head a few days before, so when we heard the hooting, I had to go out to see if I could catch a peek.  My used his iphone to find an owl sound clip.  Once we found the clip for the barred owl, I took the phone on the back deck to see what would happen.  (My parents' deck it at tree top level because their backyard has a steep slope into the woods.)  I thought I would just hear the owl answer back... Instead, I saw this beautiful creature sail in from a distant tree and land on the tree in front of me.  We starred at each other.  I was in awe!  It was so magical!  I used the phone to call my mom and I whispered, "Get out here now!"  My family tiptoed out and the owl stayed put, just watching us, with is large black eyes.  I took some pictures and then he flew right past me, his wingspan an impressive four feet long!  He flew into a tree behind me where we saw ANOTHER owl.  The other one must have been watching us from behind.  Spooky, but cool!  I just had to share this with you! 

Missouri Barred Owl

Now for the freebie...

  We are learning about the Solar System in third grade.  To learn about the Earth's rotation (day and night cycle), we talk about shadows and how our shadows move and grow longer or shorter throughout the day.  To do this, we go outside 4 times throughout the school day.  The kiddos partner up and trace each other's shadows.  We make sure to trace around our shoes first so that we will stand in the exact same place each time.  We also label the time, so that we can compare later.



Download my Rotation and Revolution Quiz for FREE!

Enjoy friends!

Amy