From Egg to Chick: A Study in Development
Video by Ethan Klocek ’29
As part of their Developmental Biology Main Lesson Block with Dr. Rachel Taylor, WSP 10th graders recently incubated and hatched chicken eggs in the classroom.
Throughout the block, students observed the chicks’ development inside the egg through candling — shining a light through the eggshell — and used those observations to compare reproductive systems and developmental processes in chickens and humans.
This year, nine Bantam Cochin chicks hatched, giving students the opportunity to observe development up close from embryo to hatchling.
Two of the chicks emerged with splayed legs, a condition in which the legs spread outward and make it difficult to stand and walk. The class was able to help with a simple treatment, using bandage tape to brace the chicks’ legs in the proper position. After just one day of bracing, both chicks were walking normally!
The experience brought the concepts students were studying into direct view, combining close observation, biological understanding, and hands-on learning in a memorable way.
