The preschool and kindergarten classes at the Key School may be on the brink of a scientific discovery that finally solves the age-old debate of which came first—the chicken or the egg.

These are no average kids—they’re scientists-in-the-making—working hands-on with chickens in their school. From the egg stage to hatched chicks, the entire process has taken place in Key's preschool building, with an incubator, a baby's playard (for the hatched chicks) and lots of eager little learners loving every part of the process.

"Incubation provided the exciting opportunity for the children to study and think about the life cycle and the development inside each egg for the 21-day period," said Susan Rosendahl, division head of Key's preschool.

She said the students monitored the eggs, studied information about the chicks’ development daily, made observations and formed hypotheses, and kept a scientific journal with drawings and captions. 

"Each class is now studying the growth of the chicks with weekly weigh-ins that tie directly into their math studies and they will begin graphing information about the rate of development to compare, class to class," Rosendahl said. "They are also highly invested in categorizing the various breeds of chicks.  ...As they are activating skills in language arts, math and science, they are learning about empathy and responsibility."

All those educational benefits aside, last week came the moment everyone was waiting for. For those who couldn’t be there to witness it, the "breaking" news of the first hatchings was posted on Key’s Facebook page and promptly met with a lot of "likes."

What do the preschoolers think? All that waiting during the incubation stage had big rewards, albeit in a very small size.

"We got to hold the chicks,” said preschooler Maya Glass. "Chicks are so sweet.”

On one of the first interactions between chicks and kids, there was delight in the discovery the chicks would fall asleep, sometimes instantaneously, once safe and cozy in tiny hands, which mimic the egg.

The chicken unit originally began as a show-and-tell demonstration.

Rosendahl said they were inspired by the interest the children showed in learning about chickens when Key parent Leslie Kudner set up an outdoor coop around the Pre-K 3 garden for hens to visit Key during the fall of 2009.

“My favorite part about working with chicks and children is the children's incredible enthusiasm for learning about, and of course, holding chicks,” said Kudner. “They will learn anything if they know they get to hold a chick afterwards. It's also nice that two families are going to take three of the pullets (a chick that is 2 months old) each after their Key school experience.”

Kudner, who lives in Hillsmere, said one of the chicks will be going to another family in Hillsmere. She said hens, but not roosters, are allowed providing the neighbors don’t mind.

Now that all of the chicks have hatched, it seems parents are lingering around Key’s preschool a little longer than usual. Really, who can blame them—kids are cute, chicks are cute and when you put the two together, well, there’s a lot of cuteness.

“We're obsessed with the chicks,” said Key parent Regina Verow. “We have to check on them every morning and on the way home or there is panic.”

Key's Head of School Marcella Yedid explained.

"Indeed, adults and children are equal opportunity learners," Yedid said. "For me, observing the life cycle of young chicks has been truly fascinating as is the opportunity to see the awe in children’s faces huddled around the chick pen. Education means taking pleasure in discovery; and this preschool unit is emblematic of the experiences from which we want children to learn and to construct meaning of the world around them."

Back to the question at hand—the chicken or the egg? Verow’s daughter explained.   

“The chicken, because the chicken has to lay the egg,” said preschooler Teaghan McLaughlin. “Because the egg just doesn't come from the ground. You need a momma or a dadda to lay it."