Poultry sciences are part of our annual curriculum at Namaste. Our chickens laid fertile eggs, thanks to our not-so-friendly rooster, and the elementary children were able to incubate and raise three chicks this spring! The children were able to observe at every step of the process. They candled the eggs to see the embryos form, and watched them hatch and grow. The life cycle is more fascinating and memorable when you get to watch and experience it!
Montessori observed that engaging the children in real, meaningful tasks led to more inspiration to learn. While it may seem obvious, this is an often overlooked aspect of education. Our elementary students have regular, hands-on projects that engage their senses and create solid memories. These projects lead to greater interest in related curriculum areas. In this case, the students were tracking data, managing temperature, maintaining safe conditions, researching types of chickens and their needs, and budgeting costs for care.
The Namaste Friends 4H club supports poultry sciences as part of the school curriculum. The children learn how to care for animals and if interested, can even show animals at the 4H youth fair. Namaste partners with Cornell Cooperative Extension and 4H to provide several other integrated 4H projects including robotics, coding, natural fibers, and Namastea.