Our Philosophy: We will foster a sense of wonderment of the natural environment and resources as an integral part of children’s learning and support children to become ecologically conscious and to understand the interdependence of all living things.
One of inquiry projects this term is ‘Growth’. We have been learning about how plants and animals grow. We have been particularly interested in birds and their life cycles after finding a nest in Grevillia Park.
Today we were very excited to receive ‘Living Eggs’.
Living Eggs is a two week comprehensive program providing us with all we need to successfully hatch chickens in our ELC.
Today we received:
Embryo eggs – we have 10 eggs. ready for hatching in 1-3 days.
An incubator – An electronic thermostat ensures accurate temperature control for a high hatch rate. The large viewing windows allow the children to see all stages of hatching.
A brooder box complete with heat light, bedding, feed and waterer is supplied which allows teachers and children easy observation and access to the chicks.
The children are very excited about our eggs and have been observing the eggs, sharing their knowledge and understandings, hypothesising and theorising about what will happen and asking lots of questions. What wonderful learning!
Nicole: What can you see?
Tavae: I see a flying thing (feather). That’s a chicken one. The wing is getting out. They going to cry.
Ellara: That egg can hatch. All the eggs can hatch.
Tavae: And then it can jump.
Arabella: They can’t jump.
Tavae: I can see a mummy one.
Arabella: They are baby ones.
Will: How do the feathers grow?
Nicole: What do you think will happen to the eggs?
Will: If that is too hot and they have to come out and I put them in my jacket so then they be all warm.
Tavae: It’s going to lay down on my jumper and it’s going to do it on my hand.
Arabella: They all go hatch.
Will: Are they going to hatch overnight?
Ellara: They can hatch.
Nicole: What does hatch mean?
Will: The eggs are breaking.
Ellara: Their shells are breaking
Tavae: And they eat the shell, the chicken. And it got that bit water in there (in the egg) and it going to crack out.
Liam: When there is a bruise they hatch.
Nicole: How do they hatch out?
Liam: They push themselves out.
Will: They push the egg and it breaks and then they come out
Tavae: They are going to get bigger when they eat they dinner
Nicole: Does anyone have any questions about the eggs, hatching and the chickens?
Liam: Why is there a feather on that egg?
Tavae: They don’t fly. Why they can’t?
William: How do the chicks squish themselves into the eggs?
EARLY YEARS LEARNING FRAMEWORK
Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world
Outcome 4: Children are confident and involved learners
Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators