Cherokee County 4-H has been busy this spring at our local elementary schools. A

portion of the 4-H program provided here in Cherokee County is to provide 4-H School Enrichment Programs to the local schools.  Second grade classes at Martins Creek, Ranger, Andrews, and Murphy Elementary Schools all participated in two 4-H school enrichment programs, Hatching Classroom Projects(Embryology) and Winged Wonders(Butterflies).

All four schools hatched chicks and butterflies through the 4-H School Enrichment Programs.  The schools received one to two incubators to hatch 12 eggs each.  Each teacher received curriculum guides and worked with the 4-H agent, Shannon Coleman, to follow the hatching process.  The eggs were candled to show the students the progress of their chicks.  Lessons on the development of chicks and the process of embryology were taught through the curriculum.  Students charted the progress of the the eggs and if they hatched.  Each classroom was able to watch the chicks hatch and observe the process from incubation to hatch.

All four schools also received butterfly larva(caterpillars) to hatch into beautiful Painted Lady butterflies. Students learned the process of metamorphosis that butterflies go through from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. Students were able to see them hatch out of the chrysalis to the butterfly and then release them at their schools.

Teachers received the 4-H curriculum, eggs, incubators, brooders, chick food, butterfly larva, and butterfly habitats from the 4-H office at no cost to the classroom. The teachers work with the 4-H agent to do a pre and post test with their students and to keep records of the progress of both the chicks and the butterflies as they hatched.

Please contact Shannon Coleman, 4-H Youth Development, Extension Agent, for questions regarding 4-H School Enrichment Programs in Cherokee County. Email shannon_coleman@ncsu.edu or call (828)837-2210 ext. 4.