Agricultural WebQuests

This WebQuest is intended to complement a classroom embryology project. However, realizing that some districts no longer allow embryology projects due to health or other reasons this unit may also be used in lieu of actual incubation by the use of virtual resources.

From Egg to Chick is the study of part of the life cycle of a chicken. Only birds have life cycles that begin with growth inside a hard shelled egg. Baby birds can hatch at different stages of development. When a baby Robin hatches it is naked (no feathers), is blind, cannot walk, and it's parents must feed it so it will live. A baby chick hatches with downy like feathers, is able to see, and it is able to walk, eat and drink by itself shortly after hatching.

2. Create Graphic Organizers. This organizer is provided for students. Be sure they identify the day number of each of the 7 stages they draw and describe.

3. If your students break eggs or touch any part of the egg they must wash their hands with soap and water. The risk of salmonella is small but let's not take any chances. We suggest that only the teacher break the eggs. Label fresh egg parts . You need to print these two pages because the key will print as page 2. Then make copies of the diagram on page 1 for each student.

4. Label a 10 day old embryo. This is the answer key to the printout that students have.

5. Print these two pages about a thermometer. Make copies of the first page for students and the second page is the key.

6. Print these two pages for thermometer comparison. Make copies of the first page for students and the second page is the key.

7. The written report must use embryology terms correctly, include the importance of temperature for incubation and mention the parts of an egg.

National Education Standards

English

Communication Strategies

Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purpose.

Life Science

Life Cycle of Organisms

Plants and animals have life cycles that include being born, developing into adults, reproducing, and eventually dying. The details of this life cycle are different for different organisms.
Plants and animals closely resemble their parents.
Many characteristics of an organism are inherited from the parents of the organism, but other characteristics result from an individual's interactions with the environment. Inherited characteristics include the color of flowers and the number of limbs of an animal. Other features, such as the ability to ride a bicycle, are learned through interactions with the environment and cannot be passed on to the next generation.

Resources

Graphic Organizers

Hatching Eggs

It Started as an Egg

Non-fiction Books:

Eggcyclopedia. American Egg Board. 1460 Renaissance Drive, Park Ridge, IL 60068.

Johnson, Sylvia. Inside an Egg. New York: Lerner Publications. (A Lerner Natural Science Book) . Reprint October, 1987.

This page was developed by Barbara Irwin, reviewed by Lyndon and Barbara Irwin and is maintained by Missouri Farm Bureau.

Please address questions to Diane Olson at Missouri Farm Bureau or Dr. Lyndon Irwin at Southwest Missouri State University.

Competency	3 pts.	2 pts.	1 pts.	0 pts.
Life Cycle Graphic Organizer	Organizer includes and/or answers all the stages of the life cycle of the chicken accurately.	Organizer includes and/or answers most of the life cycle stages accurately.	Organizer includes and/or answers few life cycle stages accurately.	No attempt at including life cycle stages.
Fresh Egg	Diagram uses all embryology terms appropriately.	Diagram uses most embryology terms appropriately.	Embryology terms are used inappropriately.	No evidence of terms.
10-Day Old Chick	Diagram uses all embryology terms appropriately.	Diagram uses most embryology terms appropriately.	Embryology terms are used inappropriately.	No evidence of terms.
Read Thermometer	All questions completed correctly.	At least 2 questions answered correctly.	Only 1 question answered correctly.	No attempt.
Compare Thermometers	All questions completed correctly.	At least 5 questions answered correctly.	At least 3 questions answered correctly.	Two or fewer questions answered correctly.
Written Report	Well organized, clearly written with no spelling or grammatical errors.	Organized, clearly written with some spelling and/or grammatical errors.	Unorganized, poorly written with numerous spelling and/or grammatical errors.	No attempt.