Teaching Homeschool Science: A Review of Owl Anatomy Floor Puzzle

I received a COMPLIMENTARY copy of this puzzle in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. This post contains affiliate links. Please see my Terms of Use and Disclosure Policy page for more information. Thank you.

Teaching homeschool science is such a daily joy! When we look at homeschool science curriculum and resources, there are so many great options and approaches available to us. From fun science experiments to interesting books, we can bring our homeschool science lessons to life. Another great option is floor puzzles. The Owl Anatomy Floor Puzzle lets our children see both the anatomical structure of a great horned owl and the feathered view of one, as the puzzle is 2-in-1 reversible. 

About the Puzzle 

This puzzle is from Genius Games Junior, featuring 100 pieces in a unique "turn-n-learn" approach. The puzzle pieces are very sturdy. As it is reversible, you will need to look at the pieces closely to pick the right side to match up. It is over 3 feet long when completed, definitely making it suited to completion on the floor.

The box itself is sturdy with a velcro closure. Inside, there is a laminated fact sheet which provides information about the great horned owl, allowing you to easily teach homeschool science. The anatomy side is drawn by a certified medical illustrator and shows the muscles, heart, crop, and more. 

Learning About the Great Horned Owl 

This large predator is native to the Americas. We are fortunate that we can hear one from our living room on many evenings. We haven't spotted it yet, though!  Share these facts with your child as you complete the puzzle together. 

• Life span of 20-30 years.
• 19 to 35 inches big.
• Over four feet wing span. 
• Large ear-like tufts give it the name great horned owl 
• Actual ears are holes under the feathers on its head. 
• Its call is one long hoot followed by two or three shorter hoots. Listen to different calls of the great horned owl at the Audubon Guide to North American Birds. 
• They eat mostly mammals such as mice, rats, and rabbits but will eat birds and reptiles, too. 
• Both parents take care of the young.

Science Fun 

Our children and I had a lot of fun putting together the Owl Anatomy Floor Puzzle. I made sure we had all the puzzle pieces flipped the correct way, and then we got started! We completed the anatomy side first, which was a bit easier because of the break up in color with the internal organs. 

It took less than an hour to put the puzzle together. The side showing the downy exterior did take a little longer. We tested pieces based on color, shape, and size. When the entire puzzle was put together, it was beautiful. The pieces fit together so well that it didn't really look like a puzzle. 

Our daughter really loved the puzzle. She has asked to complete it again almost every day since it arrived. So, not only is it educational, but it is fun and a winner. 

I highly recommend this series of puzzles from Genius Games Junior. The company has also produced a shark and a tiger. These are perfect for teaching homeschool science or just as a fun activity. They would make great gifts for the holiday season or a birthday. 

Interested in More Puzzles 

Please check out my review of other puzzles from Genius Games! 

Puzzles as Science Resources—a look at the Doctor Livingston JR. Human Brain floor puzzle

Puzzles are Great Fun! A Review of the Human Heart Floor Puzzle—a review of the Doctor Livingston JR. Human Heart Floor Puzzle

Anatomy Puzzle for Kids: A Review of the Dr. Livingston JR Human Body Floor Puzzle—a review of the Dr. Livingston JR Human Body Floor Puzzle

Puzzles in Our Homeschool—a review of the Dr. Livingston's Anatomy Jigsaw Puzzle: The Human Thorax

O is for Ornithology (Blogging through the Alphabet Link Up)

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When thinking about what to write for the letter O a lot of ideas came to mind but none that I would consider worthy of a blog post. I asked my husband for some help and "O is for Ornithology" was 'born.'

Ornithology is the scientific study of birds. I am going to include in my definition: the study, appreciation, and conservation of birds. I have several bird identification books, books about different types of birds of prey, and a few pairs of binoculars. I was also fortunate when I worked at the zoo to be able to handle many different types of birds for our education classes. Furthermore, my stepson has had the opportunity to bird-watch with his maternal grandmother several times over the years. Highlights for him include seeing cardinals and a bald eagle.

There are many great resources for people interested in Ornithology including:

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology
American Museum of Natural History

On my journeys, I have been able to see many different types of birds such as cormorants, pelicans, herons, mallards, blue jays, robins, house wrens, chickadees, and others. I think one of my favorite birds to spot would be those in the Picidae family: woodpeckers. We have northern flickers, pileated woodpeckers, and downy woodpeckers where I live.

I was able to handle many varieties of birds at the zoo, including chickens, ducks, a red-tailed hawk, burrowing owls, a great horned owl, macaws, and a Senegal parrot.

Great Horned Owl

I am holding a burrowing owl.

Owls have always been one of my favorite types of birds to study. They are such majestic birds ranging in size from the small burrowing owls to the large great horned owl which the education department used for its classes. I worked with both the nocturnal great horned owl and the diurnal burrowing owl.

Owls are mainly nocturnal predators with large eyes and large facial disks. Some owls have asymmetrical ear holes (with one ear hole higher on the skull than the other), which enable them to pinpoint where its prey is, beneath them as they fly. Other features of owls that add in hunting are the shape and position of the eyes and the extra vertebrae in their necks that enable them to turn their head 270º.

Guinea fowl in the children's zoo. 

I was also known as one of the few education staff members who would regularly request to exhibit guinea fowl for my classes. Most chose not to use them because the call of guinea fowl is quite loud (especially when in a carrier being transported in a vehicle). I just loved being able to introduce children to a unique bird that many locals actually raise on farms because they will eat ticks. Farmers in Africa like having guinea fowl because that loud call alerts them to dangers to their herd of cattle, sheep, or goats.

I am holding a Senegal Parrot. 

Another type of bird I enjoy are parrots including macaws, an African Gray parrot, eclectus parrot, and a Senegal parrot. They all had their own unique personalities much like people do. Our different macaws preferred some educators over others, our African Gray parrot definitely had favorites, and even our young eclectus parrot chose for whom she would behave while on program. This is one of the many reasons why I would not recommend a parrot to someone without their first doing lots of research of the pros and cons for parrot ownership.

Stuffed Snowy Owl and Cooper's Hawk
(both died of natural causes)

Resources 

The Owl Pages 

There are photographs of owls, skulls, sketches of their skeletal system, and more. 

Audubon.org

This site provides much of the information available in their field guides including bird sounds, articles, and ways to take action for bird conservation.  

Note: All photographs by myself or my mom.

I have copies of the following books (although I own the first edition of the Sibley Guide to Birds).
I particularly like the Beginners guide because it is actually organized by color.

 

Fall Crafts: Owl Puppet

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During the fall our son and I made an Owl Puppet together. With a few changes this puppet could easily be turned into a variety of different birds to fit the season you are currently in.

Materials

• Paper bag
• Paper plate
• Construction paper (for eyes, beak, and 'feathers')
• Bottle caps (for eyes) 
• Paper fasteners (to attach wings) 
• Paint 
• Paintbrushes 

Other materials you could use: 

• Feathers 
• Googly eyes 

Steps 

1. Our son painted the paper plate and bag with Grandmom helping him. 

2. We use a pom-pom and a clothespin to create the sponge effect.  (You can see the white one in the above photo and the purple one in the bottom photo.) 

3. We needed to let the owl dry before we could glue on 'feathers' and cut the wings in half. 

4. Almost completed.  Just gluing on 'feathers.' We used different shaped construction paper instead of real feathers. 

The project took about an hour to complete over the course of two days to allow for the paint to dry. 

Here are some sample materials to help you get started.

Here are a few owl related books that we enjoy.