This egg theme unit teaches elementary students what an egg is, what some parts and characteristics of a chicken egg are, the steps of the chicken life cycle, and what animals lay eggs. Develop students' observation skills by ending with some simple egg science experiments.
Begin these elementary science lesson plans by building background about eggs. Pass around a hard-boiled chicken egg for children to touch. Invite children to share any prior knowledge they have about where eggs come from and what their purpose in the animal kingdom is. Discuss how an egg is the way that some animals reproduce, or make baby animals.
Elementary Science Lesson Plan – Parts of an Egg
Crack open a raw egg and point out the parts:
- the yellow yolk is the food the growing chick embryo would eat.
- the white/clear albumen provides additional food and water, as well as a protective cushion for the growing chick.
- the hard shell also protects the chick embryo.
Then, have elementary students make models of the three parts of an egg. They might:
- draw a labeled cross-section diagram on a piece of paper.
- glue down and label construction paper parts on paper.
- wrap layers of white (albumen) and tan (shell) clay around a yellow clay yolk, slice their clay eggs in half to reveal the layers, and then name each part with a paper label wrapped around a toothpick.
Once students have completed their models, have them demonstrate understanding of the parts of an egg and the purpose of each by writing a sentence or two to explain the parts or by presenting their models orally to the class.
Elementary Science Lesson Plan – Chicken Life Cycle
Provide children with clear nonfiction information about eggs and the chicken life cycle by reading aloud the trade picture book Where Do Chicks Come From? by Amy E. Sklansky [HarperCollinsPublishers, 2005]. Discuss how a cycle is a circle of actions that repeat. Have students use information from the book to draw and label the steps of the chicken life cycle.
Elementary Science Lesson Plan – Animals That Lay Eggs
To introduce Kindergartners and younger students to the concept of egg-laying animals, read The Golden Egg Book by Margaret Wise Brown [Golden Books, 2004], perhaps as part of an egg theme unit elementary reading lesson. Identify the animals the bunny imagines might be inside the egg and discuss whether each animal does actually hatch from an egg or not.
To introduce older primary students to oviparous animals, read Guess What Is Growing Inside This Egg by Mia Posada [Millbrook Press, 2006]. Have students examine picture clues and solve short verses to guess what animal baby is inside each egg.
Next, share information from Chickens Aren't the Only Ones by Ruth Heller [Putnam Juvenile, 1999] and Animals Born Alive and Well by Ruth Heller [Putnam Juvenile, 1999]. With younger students, discuss the pictures without reading all the text. Identify and talk about egg-laying animals such as amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish, octopuses, snails, spiders, and insects. Then talk about mammals and how they differ from animals that lay eggs.
For assessment, provide children with pictures of different animals and have them sort the pictures according to whether each animal lays eggs or does not lay eggs.
Egg Science Experiments for Kids
Have children practice observation skills by performing the following simple egg science experiments (with teacher supervision). Provide them with charts for recording their observations.
- Spin hard-boiled eggs and raw eggs on a flat, hard surface. (The hard-boiled egg should spin well, while the raw egg should wobble.)
- Place raw eggs in a glass of regular water and a glass of warm salt water. (The egg will sink in regular water and float in salt water.)
An egg theme unit works well in spring when new life is hatching everywhere. Use these elementary science lesson plans to increase primary students' understanding of information about eggs and animals.
Renee Carver - Renée Carver has an Elementary Education degree and over ten years of experience writing and editing children's educational products.
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