Sunday, May 14, 2017

Chick Embryo Development

Our class has watched this video several times over the past couple of weeks as our chicks develop inside their eggs. It is a great digital artist's rendition of the development of a chick inside the egg. Check it out!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PedajVADLGw&feature=youtu.be

Turning and Candling Eggs

We have been studying the life cycle of a chick all month and we are now about halfway to the hatch! Everyday two students are our "official egg turners," turning the eggs in the incubator to help ensure proper embryo development inside the eggs. At the end of last week we candled the eggs so we could have a look at what's happening inside them!

To candle the eggs we turn out the lights in the room and shine a bright light through the eggs one at a time (parents you will will recognize the overhead projector that I have saved for this sole purpose -- the kids see it as an "egg candling machine"). We have the egg sitting on a piece of cardboard with a hole in it to concentrate the light and rotate the egg slowly to look inside. In the photos below you are able to see a round glowing spot at the end of the egg which is the air space. The day before hatching the chick will peck through the membrane inside the shell and take its first breath from this space! In the next few hours it begins to hatch. You may also be able to tell in the photos that there is an area of the egg that is clearer (the egg white/albumen) and a darker area (where the embryo is). In some of the eggs we were even able to see blood vessels and an even darker spot which is the embryo's eye! These don't show up in our photographs.

Stay tuned for more as we get closer to the hatch!









Chick Celebration

You are invited!!!!

What:  Classroom chick celebration

When:  Friday, May 26th from 2:15-2:50 p.m.

Where:  Our classroom


Why:  Come to see and hear all that your son/daughter has been learning about during our embryology unit as well as meet our ‘guests of honor’…the chicks!

Please email me if you plan to join us so I know how many family members to expect.

Monday, May 8, 2017

Eggs!

Last week first graders started our final science unit of the year! Every May we do month-long project where we hatch chicks and learn about the life cycle of a chick. Below are some photos of us setting the eggs.

Last Tuesday our school nurse came to class and talked to the students about cleaning and setting the eggs in the classroom incubator and on Wednesday students started taking turns with the "official egg turner" job. Each day we have two egg turners and three times a day those students rotate the eggs to help the embryos develop properly. Those students wear the "official egg turner" badge for the day and take home a card that says, "I turned an egg today. Ask me how" to remind them to share about their experience!

As we take care of the eggs in our incubator we are learning lots about the life cycle and development of a chick! Students know the life cycle, the parts of an egg, the fact that it takes about 21 days for the egg to hatch, and much more already. Ask them about it at home!

The chicks will likely hatch around May 23 and we will keep them through Friday May, 26. That afternoon we will have a Chick Celebration where family members may come to school to meet the chicks and see the works students have done during our unit. After school I will be bringing the chicks back to the farm (UVM extension/4H)! We hope you can join us on the 26th.









Monday, May 1, 2017

Art Show

Our Art Show is coming up!

It runs next Tuesday through Friday and is located in the CHS gymnasium. 
Open daily 8am-4pm

The reception is Thursday , May 11 from 6-8pm at the high school gym.

Students whose artwork have been chosen for the show by our art teacher will have notices coming home today to let families know.