Year Level: 1–2

  Learning area: Science

  General capabilities: Critical and creative thinking; literacy

  Tip: These worksheets include colour images to enhance the learning experience. To print without colour, you can select the grayscale or black and white option in your printer settings.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes

This full-colour worksheet bundle explores the unique features, life cycle and natural behaviours of chickens. Students will enjoy vibrant photographs of the different life stages of a chicken, and complete a variety of activities that compare natural life to life on an egg farm.

Students will:

• sort images of birds into groups based on external features
• represent the natural life cycle of a chicken and identify various life stages
• recognise some natural behaviours of chickens and understand why they are important for proper welfare and biological functioning
• understand how life stages differ for hens raised on egg farms in Australia.

Curriculum codes

• ACSSU017: Living things have a variety of external features
• ACSSU030: Living things grow, change and have offspring similar to themselves (representing personal growth and changes from birth and exploring different characteristics of life stages in animals)

  Vocabulary: life cycle, embryo, pullet, cockerel, egg tooth, domesticate, dust bathe, perch, incubator, battery hen

  Discussion: Did any of the statements about egg farms surprise you? Why/why not?

Answers

‘Natural Behaviours of Chickens’: true, false, true, false, true, true, false

‘Life Cycle of Chickens on a Farm’: all statements are true

Extension Activities (Optional)

‘Amazing Animal Mums’ lesson plan

Human mothers aren’t the only ones who form close bonds with their babies. Learn how cows, pigs, chickens and sheep love and nurture their offspring.

GO TO LESSON PLAN