In early April an incubator and seven fertilized eggs arrived at Princeton Montessori School. The incubator was kept in the Ecology classroom along with a display of books and learning materials explaining what was going on inside the eggs. Students from all levels stoped by to see the eggs. They were able to witness one of the greatest miracles of nature: the rapid transformation of a seemingly lifeless egg into a new living organism.
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Egg hatching provides a rare opportunity to study the stages of embryonic growth during the 21 days of incubation, and gives students a chance to relate the stages of a chick development to that of other embryos. The countdown began on April 2. Our first egg hatched on the 23rd at 4:00 pm and the rest were all born by the morning of the 24th. The timing was very fortuitous. Our After School children, from Toddlers to Middle School were able to witness many of the eggs hatch, truly amazing. During a Lower Elementary biology class, the chicks were moved from the incubator to the brooder. Here they will stay, and we will care for them and watch them grow, until they are returned to the farm in two weeks.
Toddler children observed the eggs and read a book about “Where Chicks Come From”.
The beautiful display gives a clear view of how the chicks are developing inside the egg. The excitement builds as the chicks begin to hatch!
