Pellet Seasonality: What’s on the Menu Changes With the Weather

Activity: “Seasonality Without Labels”, Build the Dataset, Then Explain the Season

Big idea: You don’t need a pellet labeled “winter” to teach winter ecology. You need students to practice the real scientific move: compare patterns and propose explanations.

Time

1 class period (or 2 if you want strong CER writing)

Each group dissects 1, 2 pellets and records counts in simple categories:

• vole
• mouse
• shrew
• “unknown small mammal / unsure” (allowed, this is real science)

Teacher upgrade: add a confidence column (High / Medium / Low). Students learn accuracy matters more than guessing.

Now the class has multiple datasets: Dataset A, Dataset B, Dataset C… Not “winter/fall/spring.”

Give each group the same three cards:

Season Card 1: Deep Snow Winter

• Rodents travel under snow (subnivean)
• Access is limited; edges/openings matter
• Hunting favors what’s easiest to detect/catch

Season Card 2: Fall Edge Season

• Little/no snow barrier
• Edges, barns, and fencelines concentrate rodents
• Prey movement is high; access is stable

Season Card 3: Spring Ramp-Up

• Vegetation returns; hiding cover increases weekly
• Nesting season can increase demand
• Prey patterns shift as habitat changes

Each group chooses the season card that best fits their dataset pattern.

But they must include a scientist sentence:

“We can’t know the true season of this pellet, but our pattern is consistent with ____ conditions because ____.”

This is the “honesty clause” that makes the activity rock-solid for teachers.

Claim (choose one):

• “Our dataset is most consistent with ____ seasonal conditions.”
• “Seasonal conditions can change prey accessibility, which can change what Barn Owls catch.”

Evidence (numbers required):

• “We found ___ vole, ___ mouse, ___ shrew in our pellet(s).”
• “Our dataset shows higher/lower diversity than Dataset B.”

Reasoning (connect to a driver):

• snow cover changes access
• vegetation changes hiding/runways
• prey cycles shift abundance
• spring demand increases deliveries

CER sentence frame:

“Season affected prey because ____ changes ____ (access/cover/movement), which would lead to ____ in a Barn Owl’s diet.”

Groups post their season match + one-sentence justification.

Another group asks: “What other season card could also explain your data?”

Original group replies with a limitation statement.

That’s scientific thinking in miniature.