Lesson plan

Chickens, eggs and feathers

Look at live chickens, then their eggs and feathers.
Science content
Biology: Life Cycles (2)

Do the chicken observation to get students talking about them and discussing their features. Frame in terms of adaptations
Discuss why we keep chickens - for their eggs.
Discuss what chickens eat. Feed chickens (dig them worms if possible).

Do egg structure study.
Discuss why the eggs are not fertilized - as there is no rooster. Remind students that humans make eggs too.

Optional: weigh a chicken
Weigh a person holding a chicken, then weigh the person alone. Students figure out to do subtraction to find the weight of the chicken.

Do the feather study.

With extra time end with fun activities involving eggs:
Egg in the bottle activity.
Egg drop challenge. (Use any materials to wrap an egg so that it does not crack when dropped from a height.)

Grades taught
Gr 4
Teaching Site
ingridscience afterschool