The Digestive Sysytem

Have you ever wondered what happens to the food once it enters your body? When you eat food, it goes from your mouth through your digestive system. Digest means to 'break down." Your digestive system breaks down the food you eat, so your body can put it to use. This broken down food gives you the energy and nutrition you need to be healthy.

Students will be able to identify the various parts of the digestive system. Students will be able to identify the function of the various parts of the digestive system.

1.

• Tell your students that today they will be learning about the digestive system.
• Ask students the following questions:

1.    Where does digestion start? (mouth)
2.    Before entering the stomach food travels through the... (esophagus)
3.    Where is food broken up into smaller pieces? (stomach)
4.    Where does the food travel through before entering the colon? (small and large intestines)
5.    What is in charge of grinding our food? (teeth)
6.    Before being swallowed, what mixes with food to soften it up? (saliva)

2.

• A PowerPoint lesson will be provided, giving the students an overview of the most important themes of the unit. The lesson will be stopped periodically to check on student understanding. Explain that the digestive system consists of various parts that enables food to enter your stomach, be absorbed and distributed, and be released from your body in the form of waste.
• Hand out copy of “Digestive System” diagram.

3.

• Students will do the “Human Digestion Demonstration” activity.
• 1. Take 1 piece of bread per two or three students. Rip in half so each student has ½ of a slice.
  
  2. Obtain a small sandwich bag from the front of the room.
  
  3. Tear your ½ slice of bread into smaller pieces and place it into your sandwich bag.  Ask students, “What does this represent?” Food broken into smaller pieces by teeth.
  
  4. The teacher will come around now and pour a small amount of juice into the bag. Ask students, “What does this represent?” Food in stomach.
  
  5. Close your bag and squish the bread with your fingers until all of the pieces are really small.  Ask students, “What does this represent?” Digestion by stomach.
  
  6. Put all of the contents of the bag into the garbage.  Ask students, “What does this represent?” Waste is temporarily stored in the large intestine.

Responses to questions about digestive system

Conducting a hands-on activity at the end of the lesson.

Students have learned to identify parts of the digestive system. Plus, labelling the parts and what organs are involved.