Kindergarten
Whitlow’s Schoolwide Driving Question:
How do changes in our environment affect the living systems around us, and how can we engineer sustainable solutions to protect them?
Kindergarten’s Driving Question:
How can we create a happy and healthy home and environement for our chickens and local birds so they lay more eggs?
Grade Level TGAL
Kindergarten students take part in an exciting investigation to learn how to make the chickens happier so they can lay more eggs. This is our (Think Global Act Local) TGAL goal in Kindergarten. Through this hands-on experience, students become young scientists as they observe, ask questions, and explore what chickens need to live healthy and comfortable lives.
Throughout the investigation, students learn about the basic needs of chickens, including food, water, shelter, space, and gentle care. They discuss questions such as: What helps chickens feel safe? What kinds of food do chickens eat? How can we take care of them every day? Students observe the chickens closely and share ideas about ways to improve the chickens’ environment so the chickens stay healthy and happy.
What it looks like in the classroom?
Kindergarten is working with our Whitlow chickens and determining whether happy chickens lay more eggs. Students gather eggs every day, graph the data and weigh the eggs. They analyze the data and look for similarities and differences in the information they gathered. Students observe egg collection variations during warm vs. cold months, give chickens special activities to keep them active, and look at whether chickens who are given room to wander are happier overall.
Students discuss, compare, contrast, observe, analyze, and graph data about the world around them. They use the information they gather to provide the best possible environment for our Whitlow chickens. The gathering and tracking of egg production directly ties into our Math standards and TGAL focus.
Community Partners
Kindergarten works in partnership with Future Farmers of America (FFA). We are working in community with students from Forsyth Central High School and its FFA members. In previous years, Kindergarten worked with our wonderful music teacher, Mrs. Kirkland, who owns and cares for chickens at her home.
FFA Reading with Students
Our kindergarten students were excited to welcome members of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) from our local high school as special visitors and community partners. The FFA students spent time reading with our class and sharing their love of agriculture and learning. Our kindergarteners enjoyed listening to the stories and interacting with the high schoolers who served as wonderful role models.
This partnership helps our students build connections with members of our community while also learning about agriculture and where our food comes from. We are so thankful for the FFA students who took time to visit our classroom, read with our young learners, and help inspire a love of reading and learning. It was a special experience for everyone involved!
TGAL Lesson with Mr. Hawlk
Our students eagerly engage in a hands‑on lesson about chickens taught by our science teacher, Mr. Hawlk! During this lesson, Mr. Hawlk introduces students to the basic needs of chickens, including food, water, shelter, and space to roam, helping them understand how living things depend on their environment to survive. He also explains how we can best take care of the chickens here at Whitlow, encouraging students to think about responsibility, routines, and the importance of treating animals with kindness. Students learn about the different predators chickens may face—such as foxes, raccoons, and hawks—and discuss how farmers and caretakers keep chickens safe. Throughout the lesson, students ask curious questions, share their own ideas, and make real‑world connections to what they see in the school’s chicken coop. The experience not only builds their science knowledge but also fosters empathy, problem‑solving, and a sense of community as they learn to care for the animals around them.
Egg Rams with Mrs. Kirkland
Students worked together to create egg ramps to help our community partner Mrs. Kirkland safely collect her chickens’ eggs at her farm. Using tape, paper towel rolls, ping pong balls and cups they designed and built ramps that would allow the eggs to roll gently without cracking. As they tested and adjusted their designs, students practiced problem‑solving, teamwork, and early engineering skills. This hands‑on STEM challenge not only connected to real‑world needs but also encouraged creativity and critical thinking as students experimented with angles, stability, and speed to make the most effective ramp.
Student Impact and Engagement
Each day, students help take care of the chickens by checking their food and water, making sure their space is clean, and treating the animals kindly. They also have the special responsibility of collecting the eggs from the coop. During this process, students practice being careful and respectful while handling the eggs.
Students keep track of how many eggs the chickens lay by counting them and recording the numbers. Over time, they organize the information by keeping a monthly record of the eggs collected. This allows students to notice patterns and changes, such as whether the chickens lay more eggs during certain weeks or months. They use simple charts, drawings, or graphs to help represent their data.
Through this project, students develop important skills in science, math, and responsibility. They practice counting, recording data, and observing changes over time. They also learn about caring for living things and working together as a class to solve problems. By the end of the investigation, students better understand how thoughtful care and a healthy environment can help animals thrive.