{"id":14950,"date":"2018-03-06T06:51:17","date_gmt":"2018-03-06T10:51:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/?p=14950"},"modified":"2018-10-02T10:54:06","modified_gmt":"2018-10-02T14:54:06","slug":"student-made-chicken-coops","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/student-made-chicken-coops\/","title":{"rendered":"How to build a better (student-made) chicken coop"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1><\/h1>\n<h1>Applying NGSS to&#8230; chickens?<\/h1>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-12094\" src=\"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/real_world_pbl-e1490374019144.jpg\" alt=\"Real World PBL\" width=\"153\" height=\"150\" \/>At the Dorset School, in Dorset VT, the 8th graders know that fresh, farm-raised eggs taste amazing. The problem: their cafeteria cannot afford local, free-range eggs. So they asked: &#8220;What would it take to raise chickens at the school?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>And they used a combination of design engineering, technology and community partners to find out.<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\">\n<div  style=\"display: block; margin: 0px auto;\"  id=\"_ytid_57808\"  width=\"525\" height=\"295\"  data-origwidth=\"525\" data-origheight=\"295\" data-facadesrc=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gNjkujT2dqI?enablejsapi=1&#038;autoplay=0&#038;cc_load_policy=1&#038;cc_lang_pref=&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;loop=0&#038;modestbranding=1&#038;rel=0&#038;fs=1&#038;playsinline=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;theme=dark&#038;color=red&#038;controls=1&#038;\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__ epyt-facade epyt-is-override  no-lazyload\" data-epautoplay=\"1\" ><img decoding=\"async\" data-spai-excluded=\"true\" class=\"epyt-facade-poster skip-lazy\" loading=\"lazy\"  alt=\"Building a chicken coop at The Dorset School\"  src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/gNjkujT2dqI\/maxresdefault.jpg\"  \/><button class=\"epyt-facade-play\" aria-label=\"Play\"><svg data-no-lazy=\"1\" height=\"100%\" version=\"1.1\" viewBox=\"0 0 68 48\" width=\"100%\"><path class=\"ytp-large-play-button-bg\" d=\"M66.52,7.74c-0.78-2.93-2.49-5.41-5.42-6.19C55.79,.13,34,0,34,0S12.21,.13,6.9,1.55 C3.97,2.33,2.27,4.81,1.48,7.74C0.06,13.05,0,24,0,24s0.06,10.95,1.48,16.26c0.78,2.93,2.49,5.41,5.42,6.19 C12.21,47.87,34,48,34,48s21.79-0.13,27.1-1.55c2.93-0.78,4.64-3.26,5.42-6.19C67.94,34.95,68,24,68,24S67.94,13.05,66.52,7.74z\" fill=\"#f00\"><\/path><path d=\"M 45,24 27,14 27,34\" fill=\"#fff\"><\/path><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Step 1: Define the problem.<\/h2>\n<p><i>Identify situations that people want changed as problems that can be solved through engineering (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nap.edu\/catalog\/18290\/next-generation-science-standards-for-states-by-states\">NGSS For States, By States<\/a>).<\/i><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-15057\" src=\"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/chicken_coop.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/chicken_coop.jpg 400w, https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/chicken_coop-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Students began by deciphering the terms that show up on egg boxes: &#8220;conventional&#8221;, &#8220;cage-free&#8221;, &#8220;free-range&#8221;, &#8220;organic&#8221;, and &#8220;pasture farmed&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>What makes all these types of eggs different? The conditions the chickens are kept in! After much discussion, students decided pasture farming is the best for chickens and the humans who eat their eggs. Happy chickens get to spend time outside doing what they love to do &#8212; namely eat bugs and grasses &#8212; and they produce eggs with higher nutrient values for us to eat.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their research led to other important considerations: the amount of space each chicken needs, the living conditions required for a flock of laying hens, and the basic needs farmers must provide to keep chickens happy and healthy. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But the research could only take them so far, hands-on experience would provide for the rest. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 2: Empathy for design<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Visiting a local farm helped them define the problem further.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15041 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/74029728.jpg\" alt=\"student-made chicken coops\" width=\"450\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/74029728.jpg 450w, https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/74029728-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On a chilly winter day, Dorset&#8217;s 8th graders visited the Brand Farm to learn more from both the farmer and the chickens. The Brand Farm is a pasture farm that doesn\u2019t even use fences! Instead, Great Pyrenees dogs guard the chickens day and night. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15042 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/74029722.jpg\" alt=\"student-made chicken coops\" width=\"450\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/74029722.jpg 450w, https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/74029722-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Students observed the chickens and fed them. They surveyed the coops and measured the nesting boxes, windows, vents, and other features. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They deepened their understanding of the problem by asking the farmer questions: <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How do you keep the water from freezing? \u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can you keep the chickens warm when it gets cold?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How do you clean the coop?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 3: Develop solutions<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Convey possible solutions through visual or physical representations (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nap.edu\/catalog\/18290\/next-generation-science-standards-for-states-by-states\">NGSS For States, By States<\/a>). <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once back in school students put their research to work. Stepping into the \u201cshoes\u201d of both chicken and farmer informed the students&#8217; chicken coop designs. In collaborative work groups, they created original blueprints in <a href=\"https:\/\/chrome.google.com\/webstore\/detail\/planner-5d\/gjfkgdpkecnmfcgfpfibpcnkeakahllc?hl=en\">Planner 5D<\/a> for chicken coops that met both the farmer&#8217;s and chicken&#8217;s needs. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[huge_it_slider id=&#8221;20 &#8220;]<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some things they had to keep in mind:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Square footage required for each chicken<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Insulation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ventilation<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nesting boxes<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food and water<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Safety<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Features that make it possible to clean the coop<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Materials<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blueprints led to models<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Students used basic materials to create a model of their coop that allowed them to show off their design features and share it with a larger audience. For some teams, names were also important: the Poultry Palace, Castillo de Huevos, and The Chick Magnet to name a few.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15046 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/chicken-1-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"student-made chicken coops\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/chicken-1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/chicken-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/chicken-1-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/chicken-1-619x464.jpg 619w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 4: Optimize<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Compare solutions, test them, and evaluate them (NGSS For States, By States).<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15047 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/chicken-2-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"student-made chicken coops\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/chicken-2.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/chicken-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/chicken-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/chicken-2-619x464.jpg 619w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each group demonstrated their model and explained their design to the entire 8th grade, along with teachers, parents, and community members. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-15048 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/chicken-3-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"student-made chicken coops\" width=\"660\" height=\"495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/chicken-3.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/chicken-3-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/chicken-3-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/chicken-3-619x464.jpg 619w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While they presented their work, students and adults captured \u201cWows and Wonders.\u201d <\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Wows<\/strong> are warm feedback: notes on things that are exemplary, interesting, or impressive. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Wonders<\/strong> are cooler feedback: notes on features that might be problematic or could be improved upon. The audience also captured any questions they had about the design.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Students were given time individually to reflect on the design process, their role in the group, and on the feedback they received. They were also encouraged to \u201csteal\u201d ideas from other group&#8217;s designs. Back in their small group, they planned to revise their design based on their reflections. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Step 5: To the build!<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Revisions are finalized, and students plan to build in the spring. The class will choose one design and improve it. They plan to write letters to local organizations and businesses seeking materials and donations. They will work with the custodian to find the best site for the coop. And they will collaborate with the school food services staff to include the eventual eggs in school meals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>How have you used design engineering to improve a build process?<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Applying NGSS to&#8230; chickens? At the Dorset School, in Dorset VT, the 8th graders know that fresh, farm-raised eggs taste amazing. The problem: their cafeteria cannot afford local, free-range eggs. So they asked: &#8220;What would it take to raise chickens at the school?&#8221; And they used a combination of design engineering, technology and community partners &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/student-made-chicken-coops\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;How to build a better (student-made) chicken coop&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":15041,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[505,667],"tags":[777,468],"class_list":["post-14950","post","type-post","status-publish","format-video","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-project-based-learning","category-real-world-pbl","tag-planner-5d","tag-the-dorset-school","post_format-post-format-video"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14950","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/54"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14950"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14950\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16822,"href":"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14950\/revisions\/16822"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14950"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14950"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14950"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}