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Bird Life Cycle (Chicken)

Bird Life Cycle (Chicken)

TEKS Objective

The student is expected to observe and record life cycles of animals such as a chicken, frog, or fish.


Essential Understanding

The student knows that organisms resemble their parents and have structures and processes that help them survive within their environments.

Science Background

Parenthood: Public Broadcasting System (website) - Bird parenting is described as part of a PBS program on The Life of Birds by David Attenborough.

Parenthood
Public Broadcasting System, www.pbs.org

What Is a Chicken? University of Illinois Extension (website) - Basic facts about domestic chickens.

What Is a Chicken?
University of Illinois Extension, urbanext.illinois.edu

Signature Lesson

Hatching Chickens: Science NetLinks (website) – Students learn about the chicken life cycle by observing and discussing a video segment of a chick hatching from an egg.

Hatching Chickens
Science NetLinks, www.sciencenetlinks.com

Supporting Lessons

Bringing Up Birdy: PBS (website) - This lesson uses the eagle to model avian life stages. Students observe and record eagle development through the stages of egg, chick, fledgling, juvenile and adult using online videos segments.

Bringing Up Birdy
PBS, www.pbs.org

Hatching Eggs in the Classroom: Texas Agriculture Extension Service (PDF) - Hatching chicken eggs in the classrooms gives students first-hand opportunities to observe and record the life cycle of chickens. This guide provides complete instructions.

Hatching Eggs in the Classroom
Texas Agriculture Extension Service, agrilifeextension.tamu.edu

Elaboration Lessons and Extensions

NestCams: Cornell Lab of Ornithology (website) - Live and archived video footage of egg laying, nesting behavior and fledglings of a variety of birds. Visit one of the live video feeds over several days to engage your students in the hidden behaviors of wild birds and their young.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology NestCams
watch.birds.cornell.edu/nestcams/home/index

Welcome to Life Cycle (Hatching Chicken Eggs): Reach Teach Grow (PDF) - Learn the steps of a life cycle using a chicken as an example. This lesson plan integrates the concept of life cycle throughout the content areas and includes learning center ideas.

Welcome to Life Cycle (Hatching Chicken Eggs)
Reach Teach Grow, reachteachgrow.com

From Egg to Chick: Chickscope, University of Illinois (website) - Basic information about chicken incubation procedures from obtaining hatching eggs to how the chick emerges from the shell.

From Egg to Chick
Chickscope, University of Illinois, chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu

Assessment Ideas

Life Science Worksheets and Printables: Education.com (website) - Assess the life cycle of different animals using the worksheets and printables found on this website.

Life Science Worksheets and Printables
Education.com, www.education.com

Literature Connections

A Chick Grows Up. Zollman, Pam (ISBN-13: 978-0516249445)

An Egg Is Quiet. Ashton, Dianna (ISBN-13: 978-0811844284)

From Egg to Robin, Kottke, Jan (ISBN-13: 978- 0516235080)

Starting Life Series - Duck. Llewellyn, Claire. (ISBN-13: 978-1559718783)

Chickens Aren’t the Only Ones. Heller, Ruth (ISBN-13: 978-0698117785)

Where Do Chicks Come From? Sklansky, Amy (ISBN-13: 978-0064452120)

Related Science TEKS

(1.1A) Science Safety
The student is expected to recognize and demonstrate safe practices as described in the Texas Safety Standards during classroom and outdoor investigations, including wearing safety goggles, washing hands, and using materials appropriately.

(1.1B) Importance of Safe Practices
The student is expected to recognize the importance of safe practices to keep self and others safe and healthy.

(1.2A) Ask Questions
The student is expected to ask questions about organisms, objects, and events observed in the natural world.

(1.2B) Plan and Conduct Descriptive Investigations
The student is expected to plan and conduct simple descriptive investigations such as ways objects move.

(1.2C) Collect Data
The student is expected to collect data and make observations using simple equipment such as hand lenses, primary balances, and non-standard measurement tools.

(1.2D) Record and Organize Data & Observations
The student is expected to record and organize data and observations using pictures, numbers, and words.

(1.2E) Communicate Observations
The student is expected to communicate observations with others about simple descriptive investigations.

(1.3A) Identify, Explain and Propose a Solution to a Problem
The student is expected to identify and explain a problem such as finding a home for a classroom pet and propose a solution in his/her own words.

(1.3B) Make Predictions
The student is expected to make predictions based on observable patterns.

(1.3C) Explore Scientists
The student is expected to describe what scientists do.

(1.4A) Tools for Collecting Information
The student is expected to collect information using tools, including computers , hand lenses , primary balances, cups, bowls, magnets, collecting nets, and notebooks; timing devices, including clocks and timers; non-standard measuring items such as paper clips and clothespins; weather instruments such as demonstration thermometers and wind socks; and materials to support observations of habitats of organisms such as terrariums and aquariums.

(1.4B) Non-Standard Measurement Units
The student is expected to measure organisms and objects and parts of organisms and objects, using non-standard units.

Related Math TEKS

1.8A The student is expected to order three or more events according to duration.

1.9A The student is expected to collect and sort data.

1.9B The student is expected to use organized data to construct real object graphs, picture graphs, and bar-type graphs.

1.12A The student is expected to explain and record observations using objects, words, pictures, numbers, and technology.

1.13A The student is expected to justify his or her thinking using objects, words, pictures, numbers, and technology.

Additional Resources

Poultry Science Fertile Egg Orders: Texas A & M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (website) - Order fertilized Single Comb White Leghorn chicken eggs from Texas A & M University.

Poultry Science Fertile Egg Orders
Texas A & M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, agrilife.org

Bird Life Cycle: Exploring Nature Educational Resources (website) - Birds are born inside hard-shelled eggs. For many days to weeks they are protected and kept warm by their parents. Learn more about the life cycle of birds as you read this link.

Bird Life Cycle
Exploring Nature Educational Resources, www.exploringnature.org

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Comments

Nancy

The live "nestcams" currently is featuring a Great Horned Owl here in Houston!

January 31, 2012, 11:29 AM
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