Last week, we continued our year long study of life cycles. Over the kindergarten year, students learn about how both animals and plants change over time. We have focused on the life cycle of a variety of things - beginning with butterflies, apples, and pumpkins in the fall, then to seasons, frogs, and now we will be looking closely at the life cycle of a chicken and its cycle from egg to chicken. Last week, students made observations of all the eggs being housed in an incubator in our classroom. They acted as a scientist, asking questions and making predictions. We will continue tracking the data and making observations and noticing changes throughout the next few weeks. As they learn about how to best care for the embryo and to help it develop into a chick, they have important jobs - watching the temperature of the incubator, turning the eggs, and making sure other students do not disrupt the growing process. Students are being careful around the eggs and doing important work, thus acting like a mother hen - caring each day for the chicks!
As we read more nonfiction books about chickens, we are also learning about other oviporous animals. Students are learning the difference between oviporous and viviporous animals and reading and writing about these animals. INQUIRE with your child what the difference is. As students continue to engage in books to learn, we are beginning to understand and look closely at how fiction and nonfiction books are similar and different, and are thinking and talking about books across this topic.
Students are watching the development of the chick with visuals - and learning what is happening inside of an egg, This is allowing children to have a visualization of the growing embryo - without having to crack open the egg. Below you will also see an observation journal that is being kept next to the incubator to help students record their observations and results each day. Students are using the scientific process as they ask questions, make hypothesis, make observations, and record their results in an ongoing journal. INQUIRE with your child how long the process will take? How are they like a mother hen? What questions does your child have about the life cycle of a chick?
