The chicks have flown Mrs. Flores’ coop but not before freshman Kylie Smith shared some thoughts on her experience.

How is the chick project different from other experiments?

The chick project is different from other experiments because you get to watch and monitor the growth of the chicks and every stage you can see what’s happening to them every step of the way.

What surprised you about the process?

Nothing surprised me about the process because I have hatched out chicks for so many years that all of this just comes naturally to me.

What skills do you think students had to have to fully engage with the process?

I think the skills they would need would to be able to have the pure dedication and the ability to check the eggs everyday and make sure that the temperature and humidity are at the right levels and after they hatch you would also need to know how to change the water, food, and bedding.

The F.A.Q.’s on the chicks answered by Mrs. Flores

Who donated the chicks?

This year the custodian Tracey Smith gave us two dozen eggs and then Kylie brought 6 eggs.

How many years has the project been underway?

I’ve done the project for the past 7 years but only about 12 eggs at a time.

What concepts in your curriculum are addressed through the project?

Performance indicator 4.1  Explain how organisms reproduce their own kind.

We discuss reproduction and development.  The students get to observe the development by candling the eggs and then watching them hatch and finally interact with them when they emerge.

Yesterday your room had fetal pigs being dissected on lab tables and baby chicks tweeting away in the back…what do you think this illustrates for our students?

The circle of life. Student get motivated by various things.   Some get so pumped about live chicks but some need to get right inside them and figure out life from the inside out.