Developed By: Bruce Cardin

Liberty Elementary
Tillamook, OR

Title of Lesson: What’s Inside an Egg____________________________________

Academic Subject: Science/Reading_______________________________________

Theme: _____________________________________________________

Grade Level: Grade 5_______________________________________________

CIM/CAM Standards:

1. Life Science/5th Grade Benchmark/Recognize that new organisms are produced by living
organisms of similar kind. (S-22)

2. Life Science/5th Grade Benchmark/Identify, from a series of drawings, the life cycle of common
organisms. (S-22)

3. Unifying Concepts and Processes/5th Grade Benchmark/Identify particular structures in animals

with the function they serve. (S-10)

4. Reading Comprehension/5th Grade Benchmark/Identify sequence of events, main ideas, facts,

supporting details, and opinions in literary, informative, and practical selections. (E-6)

Learner Objective: (The student will)

1. Partner read the story, “The Inside Story of the Egg”, by E.A. Schano.

2. Dissect a fertilized chicken egg and look for similarities between the story and the dissection.

3. Make a drawing of the chick as viewed through the window of an egg.

4. Identify various stages of the embryo using transparency “C” and worksheets “L” from The
Incredible Egg 4-H Classroom Curriculum Guide.

5. Put cards identifying various stages of chick development in sequential order.

Vocabulary:

1. Embryo-an animal that is in the earliest stages of development.

2. Shell-outside protective layer of the egg.

3. Shell membrane-There are two thin membranes inside the shall, the inner and the outer shell
membranes. These membranes stick to the inside of the shell when a raw egg is cracked open.

4. Air Cell-The air cell is found at the large end of the egg. This is why a fresh egg will sink and
older eggs will float when placed in water.

5. Albumen-The clear white of an egg that makes up over half of the egg’s weight. This provides
food and water for the growing embryo.
 6. Chalazae- (kuh-LAY-zee) The thick strands of inner thick albumen at each end of the yolk. These
strands anchor the yolk in the center of the egg.

7. Yolk-The yellow of the egg that comprises about 1/3 of the egg’s weight. The yolk is the first part
of the egg that is formed inside the hen. The yolk provides food for the growing embryo.

8. Term-the white spot on the yolk where an embryo can begin to develop if the egg has been
fertilized and incubated.

Anticipatory Set/Introduction/Motivation/Interest Approach: Read “Hector’s 21st Day”. Ask students

if they remember incubating and hatching eggs when they were in kindergarten. Discuss what they
remember from the story and their experience in kindergarten.

Instructional Outline Strategies

(Teaching Content) (What to do, explain or have students do)

A. Discuss the transparency with students (List any 1. Place the transparency B2 on
important points/points to remember here.) overhead.

B. Discuss what a photo essay is prior to handing out 2. Hand out “A Natural Wonder”
the “The Inside Story of the Egg” (List points of that Worksheet, Section G.
discussion. May have to include enough information
that a substitute would know what to say.) 3. Have students fill in answers in
preparation to looking for real items
C. Have students Partner Read in the egg during discussion.

D. Have students Partner Read or Individually? 1. Hand out “The Inside Story of the
Egg”
E. Discuss comparison of developing embryo packet
and photo essay. (May need to include some 2. Have students read the essay with a
information so a substitute would know what points partner, while paying close attention
you wanted to emphasize). to the photos that accompany the
story.
F. Sequential Ordering Activity
1. Hand out the developing embryo
G. Discuss good laboratory skills and clean up for this packet from “The Incredible Egg 4-
activity. (I would list step of procedure or important H Classroom Curriculum” Section
points.) L.

H. Demonstrate how to break into top of egg using 2. Have students read through the
tweezers. packet and discuss how it compares
to the photo essay.
I. Dissection activity
1. After whiting out the day of
; Break through the shell development on each section of
; Comparison of egg with story “What’s Inside”, cut up the section
; Draw what is seen to make cards. (Were they supposed
; Identify parts of egg and embryo to get 2 copies of this, one in the
packet with days, and one cut up
without the days?)
 1. Have students place the stages of
development into sequential order
using the photo essay as a guide.

1. Have fertilized eggs available from a

local farm. Tweezers and hand
lenses are required for this activity.

2. Put students together in cooperative

groups of four. Give each group a
set of fertilized eggs (2 each, various
stages of development).

3. Have students begin dissecting egg.

4. Have students compare what they

see with the story, “The Inside Story
of the Egg”.

5. As students are dissecting the egg

have them draw what they see. Try
to identify various parts of the
embryo and egg make up.
Closure:

Students will then be able to identify the various stages of development. Given a
blank Natural Wonder “G” students will label the egg sections with a vocabulary
word list available. They will also draw a rough depiction of the 3 stages of
embryo development.

Resources:

1. Eggs- A Natural Wonder Transparency B2- The Incredible Egg 4-H Classroom Curriculum Guide

2. Worksheet- “A Natural Wonder” Section G- The Incredible Egg 4-H Classroom Curriculum
Guide

Materials, Equipment, Audio-visual aids:

1. Story, “Inside Story of the Egg”, by E.A. Schano.

2. Story, “Hector’s 21st Day”, by Alma Whitney.

3. Fertilized eggs from a local farm, feed store or extension office.

4. Hand lenses (one per student)

5. Tweezers (one per student)

6. Drawing Paper (two sheets per student)