With the help of local experts and parent volunteers, students will finish construction of a site on SK grounds that will house a small flock of hens. Applying their knowledge of what makes for a healthy chicken habitat, the students will finish building nesting boxes, doors, roosting poles and other unfinished components of the chicken coop. Informational posters will be created to display maintenance and safety procedures to ensure the proper function and well-being of the chickens and students. After the hens return, students will create instructional videos demonstrating the daily activities related to caring for the small flock. These videos will be posted on our blog to serve as a resource for other schools interested in raising chickens.
Shifting our focus from the practicalities of raising chickens, students will investigate the history and evolution of the chicken. Where did chickens come from originally? How did they arrive in America? How has our relationship with chickens changed over time? And more generally speaking, how do chickens “work”? Through the exploration of these questions students will imagine a possible history that describes the tale of the modern chicken, producing a stop-motion film that will serve as the introduction to our instructional videos. Related books include How to Speak Chickenand Why did the Chicken Cross the World.
Local Partners
Chelsea Lumber, Nick Durrie (Durrie Designs) Krista Dragun and Nick Reszetar, Tom Hohmann