Chicks, chicks and more chicks! One of the most delightful signs of spring is the chicks!

 

 

Fourth-grade students in Patricia Van Leuven and Lauren Nemeth’s classes at EJR recently learned just about everything about chicks.

Ms. Nemeth got the newly laid eggs from Carol Shields Laskos at Amelia Acres Farm in Goshen. The students studied what’s happening inside the egg when they are developing. They talked about the life cycle of a chick – what happens each week inside the egg before they emerge. They do a chick check, keeping a journal about the humidity levels inside the space and the temperature. The students take turns journaling and give a presentation each day to the class, including a fun fact about the chicks.

 

 

At about the 15th day, they do candling, a process where they hold a special flashlight to the egg to see if it is fertilized and viable.

 

While the chicks are developing, they absorb the yolk for 21 days. An ‘egg tooth’ forms, which is what they use to crack their egg.

 

The kids learn that the developing chick is protected by both the shell and a paper-like lining. Outside, there is a clear coating to protect it. Different breeds of chicken determine the color of the chick and the eggs they produce.

As the time goes by and they anticipate their chicks, the students start suggesting names for the soon-to-arrive chicks. They are so creative! This year Shrek was the first to arrive in Ms. Van Leuven’s class. She was followed by Average Guy, Pumpkin, Albert Eggstein and James Taylor, to name a few.

 

 

The lessons also included the importance of farming – the students learn that their food doesn’t just come from a grocery store!

When the lessons are over and the chicks happily chirping, most go back to Amelia Acres Farm, but a few stay with Ms. Van Leuven who raises chickens at her home. They will always have that connection to the fourth-graders at EJR!