Palmerton students incubate and hatch ducks

Each year at Palmerton Area Senior High School, Mr. Justin Petersen and his Biology II students get fertilized duck eggs to incubate and hatch. Each lab group is assigned an egg, and they candle their egg each week. They hold it under a light to see the development of the embryo. They keep notes on their observations and catalog them throughout the process. Prior to the eggs hatch date, the students prepare the pen for the ducklings. Once the ducks are hatched, the students keep track of the growth for the couple of weeks. Once the ducks are old enough, they are placed in the high school’s courtyard when it is warm outside. This provides an opportunity for the entire student body to enjoy the ducklings as well. At the end of this school year, one of the high school teachers took the ducks home to live on her farm.