The Skype Is Falling
by Theresa Farris
November 21, 2011
Service Valley Kindergarten students and Neosho Heights First grade students have been putting Skype technology to use over the past couple weeks to share information about their classroom projects.
The idea to share the classroom projects between the two schools just seemed to make sense because both projects revolved around the life cycle of birds.
SVCA had placed an order for 24 Buff Orpington chicks to restock their chicken coop, while Neosho Heights students were starting from the beginning stage, having ordered Jumbo Brown Coturnix Quail eggs to hatch.
On the first Skype session, SVCA students told Neosho Heights first graders about their chicks. The students shared how our chicks arrived through the mail in a small box with holes. The students discussed the type of breed, gender, and what it takes to care for their new brood. SVCA students transported their chicks to their classroom and placed them in a plastic container to allow the students to interact with the chicks. The students were allowed to pet the chicks but not hold them due to the chicks' young age. Neosho Heights students had a chance to watch the chicks and comment on their size.
Mrs. Gott shared with the kindergarten students about the expected delivery of 12 quail eggs and the fact that their eggs would be much smaller than a chicken egg.
In the second skype session Neosho Heights students were amazed at how SVCA’s brood had changed since their last viewing. Our chicks no longer had the down on their wings, they now had feathers. In only a week’s time our chicks had doubled in size. We had several chicks that were jumping up on the side of the plastic container just to sit and look around.
Mrs. Gott's class had received their quail eggs but there were more, a lot more, than 12….there were 50 eggs!!! Mrs. Gott reported that five of the eggs had broken during shipping. Mrs. Gott unwrapped the tissue paper surrounding one of the eggs to show SVCA students the size of a quail egg. It compares to the size of a malted Easter egg. One of the interesting things they noticed is that the eggs aren't all the same color but are supposed to be the same breed of quail, which is Jumbo Brown Coturnix. Mrs. Gott received information from the breeder in Florida (Lake Cumberland Game Birds) that the quail eggs would hatch in 16 days. The chicks would be due to hatch on the Friday of our Thanksgiving break. The breeder suggested that Mrs. Gott put ½ of the quail eggs directly in the incubator upon arrival and keep the other ½ of the eggs wrapped in the tissue paper and covered with a damp towel for up to a week. That would allow the other 25 eggs to hatch after the students return from Thanksgiving break in hopes of being in school to watch the quail eggs hatch.
We have had two Skype sessions and they both have been very successful. Neosho Heights first grade students will follow the chronicle of our chicks growth until they are moved to the chicken coop. SVCA Kindergarten students will be watching and waiting for the hatching of the quail eggs with as much patience as Mrs. Gott’s first grader students.
