Incubating Curiosity: Our Classroom Chick Project

Cell to Organism

This year in 7th grade science, we’ve been diving into our chapter on “Cell to Organism” — and what better way to see that process in action than with eggs in the incubator? That’s right, we’ve started our own classroom hatching project.

We began with chicken eggs, and now we’ve added duck and guinea eggs into the mix. Two incubators are humming away in the corner of the classroom, and the students are buzzing with excitement. Every day they come in ready to check, peek, and ask, “Do you think anything’s happening yet?”

Of course, science experiments aren’t always perfect. We’ve already had one casualty during candling (when you shine a light through the egg to see what’s developing inside). It was a tough moment, but also a real lesson in how delicate life is and why this process is so fascinating.

We’re on Day 5 today, which means it’s time to try candling again. The kids can’t wait to see if there are any signs of life — little veins forming, maybe even the beginnings of a heartbeat. The anticipation is almost as exciting as the eventual hatching will be.

I tried to time the project carefully so that hatch day won’t fall right on our three-day weekend (because who wants to come back to a classroom surprise that cheeps?). If all…