What is your earliest memory of seeing a chick for the first time? Were you at your home, visiting a local farm or at a local feed store? How old were you? That memory may still be with you.
You can likely pinpoint where you were and your age when you first experienced seeing that tiny bird. Many of today’s youth are at least three generations removed from the farm. Hatching eggs and raising chickens may be foreign to many of them. We must introduce and inspire youth through experiential learning opportunities such as 4-H Embryology.
The 4-H embryology curriculum meets the standard course of study for second grade and teaches youth about the life cycle of a chick from embryo to the hatchling. The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction approves this curriculum.
The 4-H agent provides technical assistance to teachers and supplemental class instruction. Youth gain knowledge not only on the life cycle of the chick but also about farming and the importance of the poultry industry. They learn how to turn eggs and its significance, how to check humidity and temperature in the incubator, how to candle eggs to check for viability and the importance of eggs in their diet.
In addition to the life cycle development of the chicken, students learn to distinguish the three states of matter and the use of sound as a scientific tool. Students learn math by reading Fahrenheit thermometers and recording results.
Healthful living is learned by discussing the prevention of germs spread through touch, as well as how foods provide nutrients that maintain and promote health. Students learn to gather, organize and use information and data.
Mitchell County 4-H provides incubators and curriculum support for all second-grade teachers in the county.
During March, we started incubating 188 eggs in nine second-grade classrooms at Greenlee Primary and Gouge Elementary. This project is made possible through funding support from the Mitchell County Farm Bureau and the donation of eggs from Self Farms in Bakersville.
Kaley Lawing is Extension Agent for 4-H Youth Development at NC State Extension.