swarthmore-rutledge school
description
of the school
lesson plans
and student work
essays
and reflections
summerbridge cambridge
description of
the program
lesson
plans and student work
resume
view in browser
download
pdf file
contact me
by
e-mail
Embryology - Hatching Chick Eggs
|
Introduction: During the time I worked at Swarthmore-Rutledge Elementary School, each of the fourth grade classrooms received fertilized chicken eggs to incubate in the classroom. The classes received the eggs one week before they hatched and had the responsibility of maintaining proper conditions for incubation. The chicks stayed in the classroom two days after hatching. While my cooperating teacher introduced the unit on Embryology we did with the students, I led subsequent lessons, as well as managed the incubator turning schedule for the students, and supervised the students' interaction with both the eggs and chicks. |
Plumpino and Phyllis, two of three chicks that hatched in my classroom. (Plumpino is the chick on the bottom). |
Structure and Functions of the Egg
Instructional Objective:
Students will be able to label the yolk, albumen, shell and air sac of the fertilized chicken egg on a diagram and identify the function that each part has in the embryonic development of the chicken.
Materials:
One raw egg and bowl per group.
One hard-boiled egg.
Overhead transparency of parts of the fertilized egg.
4-H Handbooks on Embryology
Procedure:
Each cluster of students (about 5 students) will be given a bowl with a raw egg cracked into it. Students will be asked to describe what different parts of the egg they see in their science notebooks.
Students will then share what they observed with the large group. The names of the various parts they can see (chalazae, shell, white, yolk) will be written on the board. Students will be asked to think about what part of the fertilized egg is missing in their eggs (the embryo), which should highlight the idea that supermarket eggs are unfertilized.
Students will read out loud from their 4-H project book about the various parts of the egg. Students will make a chart of the part and its function in their science notebook. The teacher will model this activity on the board. Examples of Student's Charts
Finally, have students label the various parts of the egg on the activity sheet inside their 4-H manual.
Evaluation:
Students will be evaluated on their discussion during the lesson and on their ability to fill in the diagram of the egg. Evaluation will also come in the form of seeing student retention for the next lesson.
Day 2: Embryonic Development of the Chick
Instructional Objectives:
Students will be able to describe the general embryonic development of the chick in their own words, highlighting that the chick actually grows from the various parts of the egg they have been studying.
Materials:
Overhead transparencies of the fertilized egg, stages of embryonic development (3 day intervals), labeled image of egg at four stages, cartoon of hatched chick
Photographs of daily embryonic growth (in electronic form)
Slide projector (to be used as an egg candler)
4-H Handbooks on Embryology
Procedure:
Warm-up:
Remind students that we have been talking about parts of the fertilized egg. Briefly, allow students to identify major parts of egg and their function. Pose the question: "How do all these parts of the egg become a chick?" (Juxtapose an image of the egg and a hatched chick).
Exploration:
Show students the overhead of the stages of embryonic development at 3-day intervals. Ask students to describe what they see in these images. Facilitate a discussion of the changes in the embryo and surrounding structures. Have students read aloud a one-page description of changes during the incubation period from their 4-H handbooks. Show students an overhead with the different structures of the embryo labeled. Discuss what their functions are. Have the students fill in an unlabelled diagram from their 4-H handbooks of these embryonic structures.
Show actual photographic images of the daily development of the embryo using a computer-to-television hook up. Have students comment on what they see in these more detailed and graphic images.
After going through each image, have students gather on the floor by a slide projector. Using the slide projector as a candler, hold the actual developing eggs in the classroom to the light of the slide projector. Students can describe the structures they can see from the shadows inside the egg, and hopefully, will see movement of the chick.
Evaluation:
Students will be evaluated on the basis of their discussion during the lesson. Students should be able to begin using vocabulary they have used and make connections between the two lessons.