University of Illinois Extension
4-H Incubation and Embryology 2015 Results
Teacher – Regional Report
Grades K-2
Introduction
The 4-H Incubation and Embryology project is designed to provide teachers with background
information and exciting experiential activities dealing with life science for use in the classroom.
Children have a natural sense of curiosity about living things in the world around them. Building on this
curiosity, students can develop an understanding of biology concepts through their direct experience
with living things, their life cycles, and their habitats. Students also get the opportunity to develop life
skills related to science processes such as teamwork, recordkeeping, planning, and organizing.
Participants
One hundred sixty-four (164) teachers teaching grades K-2 from schools in ten counties in Northeastern
Illinois responded to the 2015 Incubation and Embryology survey. A reported 8787 students from those
schools were involved in the program in 2015. Fifty-seven percent (57%) of the teachers taught
kindergarten. Twenty percent (20%) of the teachers were participating in embryology for the first time
while 47% reported being involved for five-plus years. Ninety-five percent (95%) of the 137 teachers
who answered this question reported that they would participate in the program again.
Incubation Process and Hatch Rate
Teachers reported setting an average of 31 eggs and had an average hatch rate of 13 eggs (42%) . (Fifty
percent hatch rate is considered excellent.) Nearly 70% of the teachers candled eggs during the
incubation period and candled an average of 15 eggs during the program. Teachers reported on average
that 3 chicks pipped the shell but did not hatch. Thirty-five percent (35%) of the teachers reported
opening the eggs that did not hatch while 65% reported that they did not open the eggs.
Eighty-one percent (81%) of the teachers used an automatic egg turner. For those classrooms that did
not have a turner, the eggs were turned on average 3 times per day (eggs should be turned three times
per day) and 84% of the teachers reported turning the eggs on the weekends. All of the teachers
reported keeping water in the incubator for humidity while the eggs were being set.
Impact of the Incubation and Embryology Experience on Students
In response to two questions, teachers were asked to share their perception of the impact of the
incubation and embryology experience on eight (8) different life skills and five (5) science abilities of
their students. Increases in at least one of these skills or ability areas were reported by 120 (86%) of the
140 teachers who answered these questions.
With respect to life skills, more than one-half of the 140 teachers reported perceived increases in their
students’ skills in:
 Empathy—100 (71%)
 Keeping records—97 (69%)
 Concern for others—86 (61%)
 Planning/organizing—83 (59%)
 Self-responsibility—83 (79%)
 Teamwork--76 (54% )
Forty to fifty percent (40-50%) of the teachers reported perceived increases in the following life skills:
 Cooperation—66 (47%)
 Learning to learn—45 (43%)
In total, 120 (86%) of the 140 teachers who answered this question indicated a perceived increase in at
least one of these eight (8) life skills.
With respect to science abilities, more than half of the 120 teachers who answered the question
reported perceived increases in their students’ ability to:
 Observe—108 (77%)
 Compare/contrast –101 (72%)
 Hypothesize—94 (67%)
 Organize/order/classify--93 (66%)
 Predict—90 (64%)
In total, 120 (86%) of the 140 teachers who answered this question indicated a perceived increase in at
least one of these five (5) science abilities.
Students were asked to hold up their hands in responding to six science-related statements. More than
90% of the teachers sharing the information indicated that more than half of their students 1) would
like to do more activities like this Incubation and Embryology project in the future (100%, 2) like science
(99%), and feel they are good at science (92%). In addition, more than 80% of the teachers reported
that that more than half of their students feel that science is useful for solving everyday problem (89%)
and feel science will be important in their future (85%). Seventy-three percent (73%) of the teachers
reported that more than half of their students would like to have a job related to science.
Success Stories
 My students absolutely loved studying the chick eggs!!! It was such a wonderful experience and
something they looked forward to everyday. I had parents telling me that all their child talked
about were facts about chicks and their life cycle.
 We hatched 4 yellow chicks, 1 golden and 1 all black chick. Multicultural chicks for our
multicultural classroom.
 Over the years we have many success stories. Our hatch this time was a success even though
we only had two chicks. The children named them. They learned lots of new vocabulary words.
They observed the chicks and created books that gave lots of facts about chickens. We weighed
the eggs and learned about how scales work.
 We had a webcam set up so families could watch chicks hatch from home! It made the whole
process much more exciting. The students are over the moon. They love our chicks! A mom and
her baby came in and shared about human development in the womb and we compared and
contrasted this to our chick development. We kept observation journals where we recorded what
part of the chick was developing each day.
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Students loved learning about embryology and holding a chick for the first time. We had a great
hatch. Students did not want them to leave.
We were really hoping to have at least 2 chicks hatch (after hearing at the training that the past 2
years people had low to no success). We ended up having 16! They are all colors, which is fun.
It didn't take chicks long to hatch once pipped. It was a great project!
One of our teachers found an APP for iPads that was very helpful/informational. It is called
iHatch. The cost of the APP was 99 cents. It gave day-by-day illustrations of what the chick
should look like and what you should be doing. It was well worth the money.
Students actually witnessed the hatching of a chick. After the experience even the lowest literacy
equip students were able to dictate the stages of development in the life cycle of the chick.
This was a fantastic experience that was contagious throughout our school. Teachers are amazed
by the children's enthusiasm. My students watched eagerly as we counted down each day. I even
came in on the weekends to check on my feathered babies. The chicks are approximately 8 days
old. Their pin feathers are coming in and they are growing so fast! The children are amazed by
this as well. Two of the chicks are starting to get their tail feathers. I have had help from other
teachers and even our school board president with providing items for the chicks. I love teaching
science to my students and this program is fantastic. My principal has requested that this become
an annual event. Yeah! I have 21 budding scientists!
It was one of the most rewarding experiences; to watch the baby chicks emerge from the eggs we
took much care for. My students, families, and school were overjoyed and so engaged in this
project. With my preschoolers, we were able to explore deep scientific concepts, learn new
vocabulary, and become responsible citizens as we learned about embryology. We will most
definitely be doing this again! Thank you!
Summary
University of Illinois Extension 4-H offers teacher training for a fee in Incubation and Embryology in the
spring of each year. Teachers participate in hands-on activities; receive educational materials to use in
the classroom, chick feed, a list of homes for baby chicks, and access to a website of teacher resources.
Teachers may also earn CPDU’s. In return, the teachers provide their own incubators, brooder box, and
heat source as well as follow the principles of incubation. In 2015, 232 teachers in grades K- 12 and
12,290 students shared their experiences and what they learned while participating in the programs
conducted in classrooms throughout Northeast Illinois.
8/3/2015
University of Illinois • U.S. Department of Agriculture • Local Extension Councils Cooperating
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