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Who Layed THAT Egg?

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 13 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

Ranked #45 in Animals, #1278 overall

Rated G. (Control what you see)

Chickens Aren't the Only Ones

 

Everyone knows that chickens lay eggs. Most people know that all other birds do as well but have you ever thought about all the other animals that lay eggs?

This unit explores eggs and egg layers. You will find dozens of ideas for teaching about Oviparous animals across the curriculum from learning to read to math, science, art and writing.

Get out some eggs and crack the shells of learning...

Oviparous Animals 

Oviparous animals are animals that lay eggs. Most fish, amphibians and reptiles, all birds, most insects and arachnids and a few mammals such as the platypus are oviparous.

Math Manipulatives

I find that this unit works especially well after studying Frogs, Alligator Pie and fits in nicely with the units on Bluebirds and Purple Gallinules.

Chickens Aren't the Only Ones 

Reading Big Books

I like to start my Oviparous Unit Study by reading Chickens Aren't the Only Ones by Ruth Heller which talks about many animals other than birds that lay eggs. Ideally it is best to have a big book of this book so that all the children can see the words as you read.

Having several copies of the regular sized book means that several children can read the book during silent reading time.

Chickens Aren't the Only Ones (World of Nature Series)

Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 10/06/2008)

Chickens Aren't the Only Ones, Big Bk.

Amazon Price: (as of 10/06/2008)

A Platypus is an Egg Laying Mammal 

Oviparous Mammals

Platypus

Even though the female Platypus has a pair of ovaries only the left one actually produces eggs.

She usually lays two small, leathery eggs. They are slightly rounder than bird eggs and measure about 11 mm or 7/16 of an inch in diameter.

A chicken egg develops for 1 day inside the hen and 21days in the nest. A platypus egg, on the other hand, develops for 28 days inside the and only about 10 days outside.

Oviparous Poems 

Eggs

SalmonLots of animals come from eggs
Some with fins
And some with legs.

Some that chatter
And some that cheep
Some that fly
And some that creep.

SnakeSome that slither
And some that run
Some with feathers
And some with none.

Animal eggs can be quite small
Or just as big as a tennis ball.

They're quite a few
Hatch from eggs
And lay them, too.

Books about Eggs 

Eggs in a Nest

I love to read to children. Reading builds common understanding of any subject that we are reading.

Guess What Is Growing Inside This Egg 

Butterfly EggsButterfly Eggs

Guess What Is Growing Inside This Egg

Amazon Price: $11.96 (as of 10/06/2008)

An Extraordinary Egg 

An Extraordinary Egg

Amazon Price: $6.99 (as of 10/06/2008)

It Started as an Egg 

Geoboards
It Started as an Egg
Learn to Read Science Level 3, It Started as an Egg, 6 pack
16-page books that builds confidence and teaches reading strategies to young readers while stretching their abilities with more challenging text. Level III readers challenge emergent readers more with less repetitive, less predictable, but equally entertaining and motivating text and images. These sensational stories present science topics most commonly taught in the primary grades and cater to children's natural curiosity about the world around them. [CTP4166] - Teacher Supplies - Get Smart Super Stores Grade: K-2


It Started as an Egg
Lesson Plans, ideas, poems and activities to accompany It Started as an Egg for early childhood educators and parents from Hubbard's Cupboard.


Which Came First the Chicken or the Egg? 

Can we find an answer to this oviparous question?

the Chicken or the Egg

You knew I was going to have to ask it! Didn't you? So now you have to answer:

Which Came First the Chicken or the Egg?

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It must have been the Chicken.

Samantha K says:

It was the chicken because they evolved from and egg laying pteradactyl and one day that pteradactyl layed and egg and when it hatched it was a chicken. So the chicken came first.

alber alvez says:

for sure,chicken of course for there's nothing would lay and hatch egg without a hen.Secondly,egg is a product of a hen cannot vice versa.

hizkaye manieva says:

i must say CHICKEN because,according to the bible in the book of genesis 1:21 God created .......every winged flying creature according to its kind and God got to see that it was good.

On a lens like this I have to go with the Oviparous answer.

 
 
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Oviparous Writing Activities 

Classroom Activities for teaching about Eggs and Egg Laying Animals

Egg Book

Children create books with Pockets for stuffing with all sorts of neat "discoveries" related to eggs, birds and other oviparous animals.

Oviparous Math 

Teaching Math while learning about Oviparous Animals

Teach math by relating it to oviparous animals. In The Whole Language Kindergarten the "teacher places one unifix cube on the table for each egg-layer the children name."

The Whole Language Kindergarten (Early Childhood Education Series (Teachers College Pr))

Amazon Price: $17.95 (as of 10/06/2008)

Oviparous Math Centers 

Things that come in Dozens

Dozen Eggs

Eggs often come in dozens. We brainstorm things that come in dozens and eventually make a class book that is kept in the class library or used in a Literacy Bag.




Dozen RosesDozen Golf BallsDozen DoughnutsDozen Cats


Egg Carton Counting
Egg Carton Counting

This hands on preschool math activity is simple to make using recycled egg cartons. Preschoolers will practice their small motor skills, number recognition skills, and counting skills as they play this counting game.


Egg Pattern Center



Egg Patterns

1. Provide a basket of assorted colors of plastic eggs and a few empty egg cartons.
2. Cut construction paper egg shapes in the colors that match your plastic eggs.
3. Glue the eggs shapes in various patterns onto cardstock and laminate.
4. Have your students select a pattern card and then extend the pattern by placing plastic eggs in the egg carton.
5. They can self check by placing the pattern strip above the eggs in the carton.


Dissect an Egg 

One of the most exciting activities I have done with children is dissecting an egg.

First we look at the egg and describe the shape. You can feel the difference between a hard boiled egg and a raw egg. It is easiest to see a difference when spinning them on a table top. We pass the eggs around so that everyone can feel the difference.

Broken Egg

Then the children become absolutely silent as they watch me use a common pin to gently chip away the shell of the raw egg. Usually you can chip away quite a bit before you break the membrane. Carefully pass the egg around again.

Egg Diagram

"If you look carefully you should be able to see not only the yellow yolk, but perhaps also the white circle marking the germinal spot within it. This germinal spot is never well developed in unfertilized eggs, however, in a naturally fertilized egg of a wild bird it would be the beginning of the new baby bird. You should also be able to see that the 'white' or 'albumen' comes in two different forms. Some of it is thick and retains a certain amount of shape around the yolk and some is runny and flows all over the place. You may also be able to determine the two whitish, twisted, stringy 'chalaza', one on each side of the egg. Part of these may remain inside the egg shell after you have tipped the rest of the egg out."

Lab Report

Once the activity has been modeled, including how to clean up accidents, this can become a center during center time. Have lab sheets handy for recording observations.
The Bird's Egg
An introduction to the biology of the avian ova, or eggs
Hatching Chicks
Watching eggs hatch using an incubator in the classroom.
Diagram of an egg
Egg Structure diagrammed.

Green Eggs and Ham Literacy Bag 

Green Eggs and Ham Math

Green Eggs and Ham MathThese kids are serving up eggs and ham. The then take the number tiles to form the math problems such as 2+3=5. Where 2 eggs plus 5 slices of bacon equals 5 things to eat on the plate.

Green Eggs and Ham Graph

'Yum or Yuk' Graph Children can interview their family and collect data to make a 'Yum or Yuk' graph to show how many people like or dislike eating green eggs and ham. Include a sheet of paper and an oval shape to trace around. The children trace an egg for each member of the family, write the family member's name on the egg. ie: "Brian's Mom", "Brian's Dad" and then color it green if they like it, leave it white if they don't. Provide a ziplock bag to bring the eggs back to school and attach it to the inside of the journal. At school the child gets to add the eggs to the classroom graph. NOTE:The graph can be arranged in tens to help learn to count up to 100.

Egg Timers 

What can you do in a minute?

Children need to learn about time and what better way than to challenge them to one minute contests.

1. Tie your shoes
2. Line up
3. Write your full name, address and phone number

Egghead Timer

Amazon Price: $6.50 (as of 10/06/2008)

Which is your favorite oviparous animal? 

Oviparous Animals

Do you know of any other oviparous animals? Just add them to the list.

Chickens

1 point

Alligators

1 point

Salmon

1 point

Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle

http://www.nps.gov/pais/naturescience/kridley.htm
more...1 point

Crack the Eggs and Spell 

Crack the Code with this fun printable game.

CVC Word Practice

On each turn, players choose one each of three different egg card types: whole egg, just cracking egg, and VERY cracked egg. Keeping the cards in that order, the player flips the cards to reveal the letters on the other side. Do these letters make a good word? If so, a "chick" has hatched and the word is recorded on the handwriting lines on one chick on the player's game page. The winner is the first to make, read, and write four good short vowel words and fill their game page.
Get Crackin Printable Reading Game
Get Crackin' phonics reading game: printable game in full color. Practice reading and writing short vowel words. A FUN way to practice valuable language skills!

Egg Games 

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eBay

Oviparous Puzzle 

Life Cycle Sequences

Lifecycles

These life cycle puzzles are great for using in learning centers. The children can put them in the right order. I like to write words on the underside of the puzzle pieces so that the children can use them during Writing Workshop. I also make sentences about the life cycles so that the children can also put the sentences in order.

Chicken Family Theater 

Chicken Story

Set up a theater and let the children make up stories of that the rooster, hen and chick are doing. They might relate the story to The Three Bears. What porridge would they eat? Corn meal mush? Try writing the story as a class book and then turning it into a Literacy Bag.

Chick In Egg Finger Puppet

Amazon Price: $10.02 (as of 10/06/2008)

Plush Red Hen Puppet 15"

Amazon Price: $22.49 (as of 10/06/2008)

Plush Rooster Puppet 15"

Amazon Price: $18.78 (as of 10/06/2008)

Egg Related Coloring Pages 

Pastiche has made a lens with lots of egg related coloring pages. I like to use these to inspire writing about eggs, making book covers, or just the fun of coloring.

Egg Coloring Pages

Oviparous Literacy Bag 

Oviparous Literacy Bag

Cotton Tote bags are great for turning into Literacy Bags. Just add a couple of books; fiction and non-fiction, a stuffed animal, an activity related to the skills you are learning in class and a journal for recording thoughts.

I use literacy bags instead of homework because it makes homework individual to each child's needs and learning style. Literacy bags are fun for both the parents and the child. Parents are often surprised when their child comes home able to read some of the books included in the literacy bags.
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Oviparous Homework 

Eggs
The Adventures of Goose and Peanut: Do You Know What Oviparous Means???
The assignment was to choose an oviparous animal, draw a picture of it, hide it in a plastic egg, and write 3 clues to help your classmates guess the animal.

Using inventive spelling she was able to do the assignment all by herself. What an accomplishment!

Oviparous Lenses 

Learn more about the following oviparous animals:

Oviporus Thematic Studies 

Pre-Kindergarten Egg Unit
Pre-Kindergarten Egg Unit for learning about eggs and oviparous animals.
oviparous
Oviparous Theme

Math activities, charts, and learning games for K-3 classrooms.
Oviparous Animals
Mrs. Flanagan gave us pictures of animals. In the chart on the left, we predicted which ones would be oviparous (came from eggs) and which ones were not oviparous.

Lensmasters with Oviparous Animal Lenses 

Alligator Egg

Elizabeth Jean Allen has created dozens of lens about birds from Flickers to Owls she has a lens about almost any bird you could think up.

Editor Dave has made several lenses about reptiles as well as Fish.

Tell us about your favorite oviparous animal 

Eggs

Irenemaria

My goodness so much work here! Nice lens indeed! I lensrolled it to mine about the egg.
5* and thumb up from me.

Posted October 05, 2008

funwithtrains

Wow, lots of info! 5 stars and a Digg!

Posted September 25, 2008

lakeerieartists

No I do not like Green Eggs and Ham, no I don't Sam I am.

Posted September 24, 2008

boutiqueshops

Outstanding work as always! I love reading your lenses - they're fascinating! 5*'s and Dugg! Keep up the great work!

Posted September 24, 2008

mulberry

Eggsellent lens!

Posted August 18, 2008

 
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