It has been pondered for centuries by multiple generations, and Mrs. Oen’s first grade class at Nevin Coppock Elementary searched for the answer to the question– “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?”
Some heavy evidence was collected when a few of the chicks hatched. For 21 days the students had observed the eggs in an incubator, waiting for the big day to arrive. Finally cracks began to form in the eggs and soon they became witness to the birth of new life.
“We were all thrilled and became proud parents. E-mails went out all through the school announcing their birth,” laughed Oen.
The project was sponsored by the Miami County 4-H Extension Office, which supplied the eggs and all the needed materials. The children were given a vast amount of learning possibilities as they studied the life cycle, diet, habitat, movement, purpose of the beak and other areas of a chick’s life.
“The embryology element is above standards and expands the students to a higher level of thinking,” said Oen.
While the eggs were in the incubator the students graphed the results by checking the temperature and humidity on a daily basis, maintaining an active role in the chicks’ birthing process.
A representative from the 4-H Extension Office also contributed a hands-on explanation about egg formation and how the chicks break free of the shell.
By examining the start of a chick’s life, the first graders were able to make some comparisons to humans. One observation made was that the chicks were not all born the same color. The color of the chicks differed as did the color of the eggs they came from, which were green, brown, and white.
Beyond the joys of birth, came also the sad realities of loss. “Not all the eggs will hatch, just like in real life when a baby isn’t born,” said student Seth Shuchat.
However, the chicks that do receive the gift of life resemble the ways of humans as well. “They are exhausted when they are hatched. They just lay around for awhile to rest and get strong,” said student Alicia Miller.
As proud parents the students voted on names for the chicks; deciding upon Brownie Buckeye, Banana Split, Banana Jr., and Chicken Little.
To further investigate the life of a chicken, each student took home a stuffed animal named ‘Henny’ for a night and wrote a paper from a chicken’s point of view about what the day was like.
The entire first grade studied the life cycles of different species, using tadpoles and lunar moths in the other classes. The students were able to take the moths home for a timely Spring release.
Mrs. Oen’s class will have to watch their chicks leave the coop soon, as they will be taken to a chicken farm.
Doubts may still linger over whether the chicken or the egg comes first, but the first graders definitely gained an appreciation for the circle of life.
