Second grade students at Township Three Elementary School were able to witness the life cycle of a chick beginning when the babies began developing in the eggs up until they made their big debut.

The kids helped turn the eggs to ensure they developed properly and monitored them in the classroom for three weeks as they stayed warm in a special incubator provided as part of the 4-H Embryology Program.

A celebration was held once the chicks hatched and the children did a chicken dance, made a clucking cup and had a chick birthday party.

Charlie Godfrey, 4-H Youth Development Agent for Cleveland County, said the goal of the embryology in the classroom project is to teach students the stages of development and growth in chickens from fertilized egg through full development and hatching.

He said the program has been in place for many years and is one of the staple school programs completed every year.

Its one of our flagship or main projects, he said. It's well established.

Godfrey said it gives the students direct, hands-on experience with living things and their life cycles.

The classrooms are provided with a curriculum notebook, incubator, brooder box and other necessary supplies and are given assistance throughout the project.

Godfrey said the program focuses on second grade because it aligns with the grades life cycles curriculum.

Case Farms provides the eggs, and they are then distributed around to the local elementary schools. The program was recently completed at Township Three, Washington, Bethware and Pinnacle Classical Academy.

Godfrey said they bring the equipment back to the extension office, get it cleaned up and ready for the next round of schools.

He said they are preparing to kick off the chick program at Springmore, Boiling Springs, Casar and Union elementary schools.

It takes approximately 21 days for the eggs to incubate and hatch.

Once the chicks emerge from their eggs, the kids usually have a couple of days to observe and hold them. The chicks are kept in a special box with a heat lamp and food. Then the students get to celebrate the end of the project with a birthday party, and Godfrey and one of the members from Greene Family Farms answers questions.

Typically teachers hold a birthday party for the babies in their classroom as a end of project celebration.

Godfrey and Sherri Greene from Green Family Farms were available at Township Three to answer any questions the kids might have, and then Greene took the chicks back to the farm to raise.

The kids have all kinds of questions, Godrey said. We want the kids to know where they go from here. She takes them and raises them all.

Kids asked how to tell the difference between boy and girl chicks, their lifespan and what kind of chickens they were.

Godfrey said they get the whole trajectory of the life of a chick from egg to farm.

For most of the kids, and even many of the teachers, it is the first time they get to witness a chick hatching.

If other teachers are interested in offering this project at their schools, they can contact Charlie Godfrey with Cleveland County 4-H at charlie_godfrey@ncsu.edu or call 704-482-4365.

Rebecca Sitzes can be reached at 704-669-3339 or rsitzes@shelbystar.com

Read more:
Learning lessons from the farm - Gaston Gazette