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Chickenology

Provide your students with unforgettable STEM learning—all through chickens!

Chickenology is a free, comprehensive program that teaches Ohio life science standards to middle and high school students through engaging lessons and classroom activities.

Register for workshop Get curriculum

Deep science. Fun challenges.

Developed by teachers through a partnership with Ohio’s poultry farmers, the free Chickenology program leads students grades 6–12 through all the life science standards using:

  • Engaging, fun lessons and activities
  • E-learning modules
  • Games and simulations
  • Project-based engineering challenges

Teach diversity and independence of life, heredity, evolution, and cells through one extraordinary theme—chickens!

Getting started with Chickenology

Chickenology has been integrated into 200+ middle and high school science classrooms in Ohio—here’s how to teach it to your students!

Attend free workshops

Want to implement Chickenology in your classroom? Experience and learn the curriculum from a GrowNextGen teacher leader!

In our free, immersive workshops, you will:

  • Explore and receive our 20-lesson curriculum unit
  • Get hands-on experience with the games, simulations,
and engineering challenges
  • Receive a total of $350 worth of supplies to teach Chickenology in your own classroom


View upcoming workshop dates below and register today!

Check back soon for new and upcoming events!

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View curriculum units

Developed by science teachers, Chickenology curriculum is designed for middle and high school students to make connections, practice science, and ask questions. This program is known for:

  • Comprehensive and engaging lessons that cover Ohio life science standards
  • Practical classroom use: easy prep, fast clean up, deep science
  • Immersive learning experiences through games, simulation, and engineering challenges

View and download Chickenology lessons below.

Get middle school curriculum Get high school curriculum

“Every lesson correlates directly to one of the life science standards. Chickenology puts a new spin on learning mitosis, meiosis, and Punnett squares.”

Amanda Nothstine
Middle school science teacher

Chickenology is generously sponsored by

Ohio Poultry Association + Ohio Soybean Council

More free classroom resources

Use these supporting Chickenology resources to teach science through the lens of agriculture.

Share career videos

1 in 7 jobs in Ohio are part of the agriculture industry. Connect classroom concepts to careers in Ohio!

Agricultural engineering
Video

Agricultural engineering

Agricultural engineers explain their work and how they use biology and engineering to make farms energy-efficient and our food supply safe and plentiful. They describe what drew them to agricultural engineering and discuss their education and career…
Animal Science
Video

Animal Science

Learn about animal science and why it is important for egg production in Ohio. Animal science incorporates animal behavior, science, and data analysis to make egg production efficient and safe for hens and humans.
Information technology
Video

Information technology

Take a look an information technology (IT) role at Weaver Eggs! See how Zach uses communication, problem solving, and technology across the entire production process to make egg processing more efficient. Learn what drew him into information…
Mechanical Engineering
Video

Mechanical Engineering

Take a look a mechanical engineer’s role at Trillium Farms! See how he uses problem solving and engineering to make the hen’s housing safe and their egg production more efficient. Learn what drew him into mechanical engineering and about his…
Poultry processing
Video

Poultry processing

Take a look at a Machine Specialist that works in poultry processing at Cooper Farms! See how he uses anatomical knowledge, problem solving, and maintenance skills to oversee the harvesting machines and make processing turkeys more efficient. Learn…
Quality Assurance
Video

Quality Assurance

Learn how the poultry industry is keeping eggs safe for Ohio consumers. Safe Quality Food positions incorporate communication skills, data analysis, food science and management skills to ensure a safe, healthy product is delivered for food…
Veterinary Science
Video

Veterinary Science

Learn about veterinary science and why it is important for poultry and egg production in Ohio. Veterinary Science incorporates communication, nutrition, animal behavior, health and data analysis to make livestock and environments healthy and…

Assign e-learning courses

Click-and-go digital lessons to scaffold deep classroom learning. Share these links with students.

A turkey's best life
e-learning

A turkey's best life

Did you know that Ohio ranks #9 in turkey production? This course describes the life cycle of turkeys and the methods used in turkey farming across Ohio.
Breeding the best flock
e-learning

Breeding the best flock

Selective breeding (also known as artificial selection) is a breeding technique that farmers have used for centuries to grow more food and larger livestock or to produce higher quality products. Students will learn about selective breeding in chickens and turkeys and the ways farmers have been able to meet the changing demands of consumers.
Egg-laying environments
e-learning

Egg-laying environments

Chickens are raised in many environments. Complete this course to learn about each different type and the advantages and tradeoffs of each.
STEM in agriculture
e-learning

STEM in agriculture

Science, technology, engineering and math impact every career! Take this course to learn about innovations that are made by people with STEM careers and how those innovations are impacting how farmers produce our food.

Take your class on a virtual field trip!

See science in action with behind-the-scenes access on Ohio farms. 
Watch on-demand here.

Teach elementary science? View ChickQuest.

Learn about our ChickQuest program that brings phenomena-based science to grades 3–5 through hatching chicks in the classroom.

Chickenology in action

See how science teachers across Ohio find value in Chickenology that’s benefitting their students.
“I’m think about it from my students’ perspective. My 8th graders have probably never seen a chicken on a farm, let alone what their feeders look like. It involved a little research, presenting, and checking out everybody’s design. It was super doable and brought in the engineering aspect into our classroom. That was really cool.”
Erica Hitzhusen
Middle school science teacher
“I think a lot of kids are just going through the day. Nothing really makes connections to the real world. Chickenology makes the learning real, where kids can connect. If kids are connected, they’ll be engaged.”
Brian Ackert
High school science teacher
“They’re deeper lessons so you don’t have to keep repeating the information over and over again. You can get the content across in a very hands-on, visual, collaborative way, and they can take that knowledge to any state test question.”
Leah LaCrosse
Middle school science teacher

Latest stories

We're cracking up! Liquid eggs webinar
article

We're cracking up! Liquid eggs webinar

Liquid eggs!?! Cooper Farms partnered with Ohio Poultry Association and GrowNextGen to give students a tour of their egg cracking facility in the latest Chickenology virtual field trip. OPA’s Jenna Gregorich hosted the tour and relayed questions…
Sustainable egg production virtual field trip
article

Sustainable egg production virtual field trip

Producing eggs; protecting the environment. In a virtual field trip sponsored by the Ohio Poultry Association, Trillium Farms, and GrowNextGen, we learned how those two things are being done here in our state. Ohio is number 2 in egg production in…
article

"The voice you know...."

Ohio Country Journal’s Dale Minyo was at the Chickenology workshop to promote the value of educational outreach and teacher training. GrowNextGen’s funding comes from Ohio soybean farmers through the check off program, in which part of every bushel…
Happy homes for hens and their eggs
article

Happy homes for hens and their eggs

Did you know that over 10 billion eggs are produced every year here in Ohio? Our recent virtual field trip showed participants where those eggs come from—facilities that are conventional, cage-free, or organic. Ohio Poultry Association (OPA) bird…
A Turkey's Best Life Ever!
article

A Turkey's Best Life Ever!

What’s the best environment to grow a turkey? Dr. Elise Gerken, veterinarian at Cooper Farms, and Drew Bowman of Bowman & Landes, shared about the way turkeys are raised at their facilities. Jenna Gregorich, Ohio Poultry Association Bird Health…
First-ever Chickenology workshop!
article

First-ever Chickenology workshop!

Over 30 Ohio teachers gathered at the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center for all-day learning at the latest GrowNextGen workshop, Chickenology. This new workshop is sponsored by the Ohio Soybean Council and Ohio Poultry Association. It is…