Adam’s Science Project

Yes, that time of year has come again! The excruciating moment, when you have to think of a theme for your science project.  The moment all kids (and parents) dread.  including my third-grader, Adam.  You ask yourself, “What can I come up with that will be different and exciting?”

Many thoughts came to his head, magnets, electricity?  Hmmm, what can he use that we have here at home?  Running out of ideas of how this would work and finding this lacked originality, he gave the whole magnet/electricity thing up.

Then he said to me, “I always wanted to do something with animals.”  That is when I asked him, “Why don’t you do something with my pigeons?

He asked me, “Why don’t we do a project to find out how the pigeons find their way home?”  But I told him that it was too early in the season and the birds of prey are all over the place and many of our birds would be lost.  I told him to come up with an idea about breeding (since it is breeding season).

My little scientist visited the breeding section of the loft and watched the hens sitting their eggs.  He asked me, “Dad, what do you think would happen if I took an egg away from the hen?  “I don’t know,” I said. “The egg needs its mother’s warmth to hatch.  Adam was now intrigued and delighted that he had come up with an original idea.  Does the egg need its mother to hatch?  And so came about the title to his project, “Do you need your Mama?”

His hypothesis was that if he simulates the warmth obtained from the hen, the egg would hatch in a different setting.  In order to do this, he needed a temperature reading.  Adam delicately placed a thermometer in the nest while the hen was sitting on its egg and measured the temperature.  It read 99.8 F degrees.  He then had to come up with this same temperature in a different setting.  He knew that the light from a light bulb gives off heat.  He used a big lamp as his source of heat and placed a thermometer in an empty nest. He brought the light bulb close to the nest until it read 99 F degrees Fahrenheit.  He then brought the egg over to its temporary home.  All he needed to do now was wait and hope that this little egg would hatch without any separation anxiety.  So he waited with anticipation.

Each day, when he came home from school, Adam anxiously ran down to the basement to observe his little egg, which he named Susie He was not only concerned about the results of his experiment, but about  Susie’s well-being.  He was now attached to his little egg.

On day 2 of his experiment, he noticed some shadows on the egg.  On day 3 he noticed a tiny crack.  On day 4 more cracks.  On day 5, Adam was lucky enough to witness the birth of his little hatchling.  His excitement was beyond words. His face literally lit up.

He quickly reunited the little hatchling with his mother, who happily accepted him under her wings.  The other egg, Susie’s sibling had not even hatched yet.

Adam has formed a bond with Susie and takes care of his little experiment.  Soon Susie will be ready to race and maybe another hypothesis and experiment will come into play.