Kindergarteners at East Elementary School recently took part in an egg-citing science project that gave them a front-row seat to new life hatching – literally! Over the course of several weeks, four classrooms became chick incubators, offering students the chance to study the life cycle of a chicken from egg to fluffy hatchling.

The young scientists learned that it takes 21 days for a fertilized egg to hatch and that the eggs must be kept at a consistent 99.5°F inside an incubator. To help the chicks develop properly, the eggs need to be gently rotated several times a day, just like a mother hen would do in a nest.

Students also experimented with a fascinating technique called candling – using a bright light behind the egg to observe the growing embryo inside. Through this process, they could see veins, movement, and even the shape of the chick forming before it hatched.

Though the project took place in just four classrooms, it sparked excitement throughout the entire school. By the time the eggs finally hatched, the whole building was buzzing with curiosity and newfound knowledge about life cycles, animal care, and the miracle of birth.