UNIVERSITY EXTENSION BRINGS CHICKS INTO CLASSROOM

When nearly 2,000 Cape Girardeau County elementary students hear "cheep-cheep," they are gaining rich learning experiences from the University of Missouri Extension incubation and embryology project, better known as hatching chicks in the classroom.

"We have about 70 classrooms and 2,000 students that hatched chicks in the classroom in 1992, the most ever in Cape County," said university Extension Specialist Gene Haenni. "The embryology project enables classroom teachers to incorporate a university Extension project into their study plan that children K-6 thoroughly enjoy."

Project objectives include: observing the development of the chick within the egg, seeing the actual hatching of a chick, experiencing the birth of a chick, observing social behavior of chicks, experiencing a chick's need for and response to care given by people and relating the develop of the chick to the development of other living creatures.

"Besides all of this, its a truly fun and exciting learning experience for the students," Haenni said.

The elementary students also get some practical learning that was a common experience for many just a few generations ago. The practical learning includes how to operate an incubator, candle eggs and care for baby chicks.

They also study embryo development, conduct heartbeat experiments, learn how fertile eggs are produced, observe that chicks come in many colors, sizes and shapes, learn how eggs are produced, processed and distributed to their tables.

There are six other classroom programs available through the Missouri University Extension: Clover Leaf Gardening, Water Riches, Agriculture and You, Bacteriology, Junior Conserver, and Blue Skies Below My Feet.