Teacher's guide
ISBE Standards
STATE GOAL 11: Understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments and solve problems.
A. Know and apply the concepts, principles and processes of scientific inquiry.
STATE GOAL 12: Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth/space sciences.
A. Know and apply concepts that explain how living things function, adapt and change
2.A.1a Identify and describe the component parts of living things (e.g., birds have feathers; people have bones, blood, hair, skin) and their major functions.
STATE GOAL 23. Understand human body systems and factors that influence growth and development.
A. Describe and explain the structure and functions of the human body systems and how they interrelate.
23.A.2 Identify basic body systems and their functions (e.g., circulatory, respiratory, nervous).
Common Core Standards
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects 6–12
Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects 6–12
Learning Objectives for the Digestive System Unit
Students will be able to describe the roles of various organs involved in the digestive system.
Students will be able to label the parts of the digestive system on a chart.
Students will be able to create a map of the digestive system using everyday objects.
Students will be able to apply the information they learned and use it to create a picture book on the journey of a cheeseburger down the digestive tract.
Big Ideas and Essential Questions
Digestion is necessary for our survival.
All of the organs in our digestion system work together to break down our food to be used by our body.
How do we digest food?
What organs are part of the digestion system?
What is each organ’s specific function?
Language Objectives
SWBAT demonstrate their understanding of specific content knowledge through learning vocabulary that is important to the digestive system.
SWBAT form sentences with emerging complexity about the digestive system
SWBAT use pictures and manipulatives to comprehend textual information they may not be familiar with.
SWBAT successfully navigate through the digestive system webquest.
Teacher Background Information
When students view the “Individual Activities” page and “Group Activities” page, all of the necessary websites and questions are provided. Students will be able to easily click on the provided link in order to be directed to the assigned activity. The individual activities are to be done alone and the group activities are to be done within groups of 3 to 4 students.
As students explore the website, they will learn that some of the activities focus on a specific organ of the digestive system, some of the activities hone in on the digestive system as a whole network, and some activities are related to how one needs to stay healthy by consuming nutritious foods. By the end of the web inquiry, students should have an understanding of how the various organs that comprise the digestive system work together to digest food.
Students will be able to explore different mediums of activities that range from watching videos, creating charts, completing research on the internet, hands-on experiments, and playing online games. Students will realize that there are different ways to learn new material.
For our web-based inquiry, we will have our students use The Learning Cycle Plan as our model for teaching/learning. This model encourages students to engage, explore, explain, extend, and evaluate. By using our website, students will explore in order to gain new knowledge about the human body systems. They will engage in online activities that will enhance their knowledge. Students will explain to their peers about what they have learned. Students will choose a specific human system that they would like to focus on. Within a group, students will extend their knowledge by creating a simulation of the system in a classroom using various materials. There will eventually be a human system fair were other students from the school can walk around from classroom to classroom and learn about each system. Students will explain to other students what they have learned. Students will evaluate their peers’ work.
All four strands of science will be addressed: understanding scientific explanation, generating scientific evidence, reflecting on scientific knowledge, and participating productively in science. Understanding scientific explanation will be covered when students learn about the different systems and understand how it applies to their own personal bodies. Generating scientific evidence will be addressed when the students learn about the process in which our body undergoes when digesting food, inhaling, exhaling, and fighting off bacteria. Reflecting on scientific knowledge will be utilized by students when they learn about a specific body system and then teach it to the rest of the class. They will be able to learn from others and reflect on how the different systems are similar and different and how they each undergo different processes. The fourth strand, participating productively in Science will be implemented when students create a physical model of a human body system. They will also participate productively when using the interactive website that we have created.
Assessment:
Before students begin the webquest, students will print out the checklist that is provided on the “Driving Question Page.” The teacher will briefly review each activity with the students. Students will mark which activities they plan to complete. Students should have the teacher look at the checklist in order ensure that students are on the right track. The teacher will then sign the bottom of the checklist. Students will put the checklist in a binder. The students will compile all of their work into one binder. If students complete an online activity, then they will print out the last page of the activity to show proof that they, indeed, completed the assignment. Once students have completed all of the activities, they will turn-in the binder to be graded. Teachers will use the following rubric to grade the binder.
Web-Based Inquiry Portfolio
STATE GOAL 11: Understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments and solve problems.
A. Know and apply the concepts, principles and processes of scientific inquiry.
STATE GOAL 12: Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth/space sciences.
A. Know and apply concepts that explain how living things function, adapt and change
2.A.1a Identify and describe the component parts of living things (e.g., birds have feathers; people have bones, blood, hair, skin) and their major functions.
STATE GOAL 23. Understand human body systems and factors that influence growth and development.
A. Describe and explain the structure and functions of the human body systems and how they interrelate.
23.A.2 Identify basic body systems and their functions (e.g., circulatory, respiratory, nervous).
Common Core Standards
Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects 6–12
- Key Ideas and details 3. Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.
Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects 6–12
- Text types and Purposes 2. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes
- Research to Build and Present Knowledge 9. Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research.
Learning Objectives for the Digestive System Unit
Students will be able to describe the roles of various organs involved in the digestive system.
Students will be able to label the parts of the digestive system on a chart.
Students will be able to create a map of the digestive system using everyday objects.
Students will be able to apply the information they learned and use it to create a picture book on the journey of a cheeseburger down the digestive tract.
Big Ideas and Essential Questions
Digestion is necessary for our survival.
All of the organs in our digestion system work together to break down our food to be used by our body.
How do we digest food?
What organs are part of the digestion system?
What is each organ’s specific function?
Language Objectives
SWBAT demonstrate their understanding of specific content knowledge through learning vocabulary that is important to the digestive system.
SWBAT form sentences with emerging complexity about the digestive system
SWBAT use pictures and manipulatives to comprehend textual information they may not be familiar with.
SWBAT successfully navigate through the digestive system webquest.
Teacher Background Information
When students view the “Individual Activities” page and “Group Activities” page, all of the necessary websites and questions are provided. Students will be able to easily click on the provided link in order to be directed to the assigned activity. The individual activities are to be done alone and the group activities are to be done within groups of 3 to 4 students.
As students explore the website, they will learn that some of the activities focus on a specific organ of the digestive system, some of the activities hone in on the digestive system as a whole network, and some activities are related to how one needs to stay healthy by consuming nutritious foods. By the end of the web inquiry, students should have an understanding of how the various organs that comprise the digestive system work together to digest food.
Students will be able to explore different mediums of activities that range from watching videos, creating charts, completing research on the internet, hands-on experiments, and playing online games. Students will realize that there are different ways to learn new material.
For our web-based inquiry, we will have our students use The Learning Cycle Plan as our model for teaching/learning. This model encourages students to engage, explore, explain, extend, and evaluate. By using our website, students will explore in order to gain new knowledge about the human body systems. They will engage in online activities that will enhance their knowledge. Students will explain to their peers about what they have learned. Students will choose a specific human system that they would like to focus on. Within a group, students will extend their knowledge by creating a simulation of the system in a classroom using various materials. There will eventually be a human system fair were other students from the school can walk around from classroom to classroom and learn about each system. Students will explain to other students what they have learned. Students will evaluate their peers’ work.
All four strands of science will be addressed: understanding scientific explanation, generating scientific evidence, reflecting on scientific knowledge, and participating productively in science. Understanding scientific explanation will be covered when students learn about the different systems and understand how it applies to their own personal bodies. Generating scientific evidence will be addressed when the students learn about the process in which our body undergoes when digesting food, inhaling, exhaling, and fighting off bacteria. Reflecting on scientific knowledge will be utilized by students when they learn about a specific body system and then teach it to the rest of the class. They will be able to learn from others and reflect on how the different systems are similar and different and how they each undergo different processes. The fourth strand, participating productively in Science will be implemented when students create a physical model of a human body system. They will also participate productively when using the interactive website that we have created.
Assessment:
Before students begin the webquest, students will print out the checklist that is provided on the “Driving Question Page.” The teacher will briefly review each activity with the students. Students will mark which activities they plan to complete. Students should have the teacher look at the checklist in order ensure that students are on the right track. The teacher will then sign the bottom of the checklist. Students will put the checklist in a binder. The students will compile all of their work into one binder. If students complete an online activity, then they will print out the last page of the activity to show proof that they, indeed, completed the assignment. Once students have completed all of the activities, they will turn-in the binder to be graded. Teachers will use the following rubric to grade the binder.
Web-Based Inquiry Portfolio
In order for teachers to grade students' cumulative projects, the following rubric should be used. This rubric can also be found on the "Culminating Activity" page.
Advance Preparations
Textbook
Buckley, Don. Interactive Science: Human Body Systems. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2011. Print.
Individual Activity Materials
Textbok
Printer
Provided worksheets
Poster board
Colored pencils
Markers
Loose-leaf paper
Computers
Group Activity Materials
Computers
Saltine crackers
Panty hose
Instant oatmeal
Newspaper
Cardstock
Glue
Tape
Pens/pencils
Cotton balls
Green balloons
Coffee filters
Ziplock bags
Pink construction paper
Various colors of yarn
Lemon juice
Water
Plastic balls
Sand
Glass jars
Whole Group Activity Descriptions
Your Amazing Mouth
Students will go to the front of the classroom and get one Saltine cracker per group member. They will take a small bite of the cracker, holding it in their mouth without chewing or swallowing. After two minutes, discuss the following questions and have students write their answers down in their science journal.
Small Intestine Simulation
Each group will get a tube of cut panty hose, a cup of cooked instant oatmeal, and some newspaper. They need to cover their table with the newspaper because this project has the potential to get messy.
Instruct students to pack the oatmeal into one end of the pantyhose, which acts as the small intestine. As they take turns squeezing the oatmeal from one end to the other end., the water coming out of the oatmeal will escape. Explain that the water that comes out of the oatmeal is the nutrients that are being distributed to the rest of your body.
When your oatmeal reaches the end of the pantyhose, there is just a small amount left. Ask students:
Why do you think that is?
What does this represent?
Mapping the Digestive System
Students use computers to access the website provided in the WBI. All material needed should be organized ahead of time to be distributed to each group. The instructions have students representing each organ with a different household item. Walk around the room and make sure they are explicitly following directions, and check their work before they glue down their final product. Prompt students with questions like:
Why do you think this particular item is used to represent this organ?
What other organs does this organ connect to?
What is the funtion of this organ?
Organ Glogster
Assign each group a different organ. If students are not familiar with Glogster, you might want to give a short 10 minute presentation on basic procedures regarding the website. If students do not have accounts, help them set up their own account. On the board, write the following criteria:
Your Glogster must have the following info:
Stomach Model
Students will come up to the front of the classroom to get Ziplock bags, lemon juice, and Saltine crackers. Have them follow the procedures on the website link in the WBI. The procedures are as follows:
Pour some lemon juice into the plastic bag. The juice will be the "strong liquid" that breaks down the food. It is an acid that works like the acids we have in our real stomachs. You'll need enough to cover the cracker. About a half cup should do it. Break the cracker into a few pieces. This is sort of like chewing it. Put the cracker into the bag and zip it up, while pushing out excess air. Now shake the cracker in the lemon juice. You can use your hands to squeeze it, too. This is like the action of the muscles that cause our stomachs to squeeze food during digestion. Describe what's happening to the cracker as your "stomach" digests it.
Other Stuff You Might Want to Know or Do:
Make sure to constantly check for understanding during this activity by asking individual students what each material represents
Peristalsis I
Ask students:
Have you ever laughed so hard that you had milk come out of you nose?
Have you ever swallowed something quickly and then had to cough it up because "it went down the wrong pipe.?"
Explain that this usually doesn't happen because under normal circumstances after you swallow your food, your epiglottis closes up over your windpipe/trachea that leads down to your lungs and your soft palate lifts up to block the way to your nose. Your tongue pushes your food back to your pharynx and then down your esophagus.
Ask students, “How does food travel down through your esophagus?” Explain that it's not gravity. Have each student go to the drinking fountain and get a mouthful of water. When they return to their seat, have them bend down and touch their toes, and swallow the water.
Ask students, “Why do you think you can still swallow the water when you are upside down?” Have them write down their guesses in their science journal.
Peristalsis II
Remind students that we just figured out that you can still swallow when you're upside-down! Now explain that food travels through your digestive system by peristalsis, which is wave-like muscle contractions. Have one representative from each group come to the front of the room to get pantyhose and some balls.
Instruct students to put the balls in the pantyhose and see what happens. Ask them, “Can the balls move through without your help?” Guide students to push the balls through together using their hands. Explain that they are simulating peristalsis! The waves that the balls are making are similar to the muscle contractions in your throat when you swallowed the water upside down.
Small Intestine Length
Explain that in the small intestine, the food is completely digested and passes through the villi in its walls into the blood stream where it is carried to all the cells in your body. Your small intestine is 18-23 feet long. Give each group representative a piece of string, scissors, and a ruler. Instruct them to cut a piece of string that is about 20 feet long, and have two people hold each end.
Prompt students:
How can something that long fit inside your body?
Grab a piece of paper and a glue stick and try to glue the string down in a single layer.
Investigate Your Kidneys
Have students come to the front of the room and grab a glass jar, water, a coffee filter, and some sand. Have them pour some sand in a glass of water and mix it up. Then have them put a coffee filter over the jar and pour the water through. Ask them, “What happened to the sand?” Instruct students to look at the clearness of the water in the glass.
Explain that kidneys work in the same way, cleaning impurities from blood. Once kidneys have filtered the blood, the waste is passed out of the body through the excretory system.
Jeopardy
Instruct students to split up their group into two teams. Have them click on the WBI link and play Jeopardy. Keep a list of which teams win, and give them one point of extra credit.
DIGESTION SONG
Explain to students that as a group, they are to prepare a presentation of the song found on the website. Make sure they incorporate a tune and some sweet dance moves. Remind them that they will be presenting the song to at least two other groups and yourself.
Individual Activity Descriptions
1. "Digestive System" Brain Pop Video and Vocabulary Sheet
Students will go to the following website: http://www.brainpop.com/health/bodysystems/digestivesystem/. They will click on the vocabulary worksheet and print it out. Then, they will watch the video and fill-out the worksheet while watching the video. After watching the video, students will choose an additional term from the video to define. Students may use a dictionary if necessary. Some students may need to re-watch the clip in order to obtain all of the definitions.
2. Label Parts of the Digestive System
Students will go to the following website: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/anatomy/digestive/labeleasy/. They will print out the diagram provided on the main page. Next, they will label the parts of the digestive system. Students may use their textbook or internet resources in order to complete this activity.
3. Review and Assessment Study Guide
Students will use their textbooks in order to complete this activity. They will turn to page 93 in their textbook entitled Human Body Systems: Interactive Science. They will complete the Review and Assessment Study Guide by writing their answers on a blank piece of paper.
4. "Your Digestive System" and Quiz
Students will go to the following website: http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/digestive_system.html#. They will read the provided article and take the quiz once they have completed the reading. Students should print out their quiz in order to show proof of completion.
1. "You are What You Eat"
Students are asked to record everything that they eat for one day. Next, they will record their eating habits. Then, they will compare their eating habits to the national health standards of the state. Next, students should be asked to write a paragraph or two about how they can improve their own eating habits in order to be a healthier person. Students may list various fruits or vegetables. They may also research specific brands that create healthy foods.
2. “How to Become a Healthy Person” Advertisement
Once students have learned about how to eat a healthy diet, they will create a poster that promotes healthy eating habits. The poster can be an advertisement for a specific food group, brand of food, or healthy eating habit that other students should consider. Hang the poster in the cafeteria in order for other students to become aware of healthy habits.
3. Good Food, Good Health
Students will go to the following website: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Healthy/5_Day/5_day_facts.pdf. They will read through the worksheet and answer the following questions on a blank sheet of paper. Students will then put their answers into their portfolio.
1. How many fruits and vegetables should kids eat each day?
2. Name some reasons why it's important to eat five or more fruits and vegetables each day.
3. Instead of fruits and vegetables, what is a big snack food for kids?
4. What is the average fruit and vegetable serving for 6 to 12 year olds
5. What are some of the troubling findings of this study?
4. Magic School Bus Video
Students will watch the Magic School Bus episode entitled “For Lunch” found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtulxCGMjdk. Once they have watched the video, they will write in their journal about their reactions to the movie. Ask students what surprised them, what they found most interesting, and what they think is the most important aspect of the movie.
5. Digestive System Roller Coaster
Students will click on the following link: http://www.mediaspin.com/bodysystems/digest_menu.html. They will watch the provided short videos on the website. Next, they will write a paragraph explaining their reactions to the videos. Students should be asked to share their reactions with other group members once they have completed their journal entry.
6. Lenny’s Digestive System
Students will click on the following link: http://e-learningforkids.org/Courses/Liquid_Animation/Body_Parts/Digestive_System/index.html and complete the interactive activity by clicking the arrow that says “EAT IT LENNY.” Once they have gone through all of the steps, they should be instructed to click “Take me to the exercise” on the right side. Students will print out the last page of the exercise in order to document their completion.
7. The Digestive System Crossword Puzzle
Students will click on the following link: http://bogglesworldesl.com/digestivesystem.htm. Next, they will click on “Digestive System Crossword” listed at the top of the page. Then, they will download the worksheet and print it out. They should complete the crossword puzzle.
8. The Digestive System Fill-In the Blank
Students will click on the following link: http://bogglesworldesl.com/digestivesystem.htm. Next, they will click on the “Digestive System Cloze.” They will download the worksheet and print it out. They will filll-in the blanks and turn-in the worksheet in order to be checked for completion and accuracy.
SIOP and CALLA Accommodations
In order to accommodate these lessons about the digestive system for ELL students, teachers should provide students with pictures of the parts of the digestive system. Because an ELL student may not know what a “liver” or “intestine” is, the teacher can provide labeled pictures of these organs. In addition, the teacher can find a labeled chart of all the organs in students’ native language. Moreover, teachers can use simulations for students such as the saltine and lemon juice simulation where one can visually understand how food is broken down in one’s body. Teachers can write definitions of specific bodily functions on the board. For example, a student may not know what “Peristalsis” is, but if a student has an easy to comprehend definition, then ELL students will be able to comprehend the general idea of the process. In addition, there are many interactive games and short clips about the digestive system. Students can watch these videos in order to see how food travels down one’s body. Teachers can additionally provide students with graphic organizers discussing each step of the digestive system. Teachers can have students present the process of the digestive system in their native language to other students in the classroom.
Textbook
Buckley, Don. Interactive Science: Human Body Systems. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2011. Print.
Individual Activity Materials
Textbok
Printer
Provided worksheets
Poster board
Colored pencils
Markers
Loose-leaf paper
Computers
Group Activity Materials
Computers
Saltine crackers
Panty hose
Instant oatmeal
Newspaper
Cardstock
Glue
Tape
Pens/pencils
Cotton balls
Green balloons
Coffee filters
Ziplock bags
Pink construction paper
Various colors of yarn
Lemon juice
Water
Plastic balls
Sand
Glass jars
Whole Group Activity Descriptions
Your Amazing Mouth
Students will go to the front of the classroom and get one Saltine cracker per group member. They will take a small bite of the cracker, holding it in their mouth without chewing or swallowing. After two minutes, discuss the following questions and have students write their answers down in their science journal.
- What happened to the cracker when it was in your mouth?
- Why did it start to get softer?
- What did you taste?
- After a few minutes, did the taste change? Did it become sweet?
- Did the cracker get soft in your mouth even if you were not chewing?
Small Intestine Simulation
Each group will get a tube of cut panty hose, a cup of cooked instant oatmeal, and some newspaper. They need to cover their table with the newspaper because this project has the potential to get messy.
Instruct students to pack the oatmeal into one end of the pantyhose, which acts as the small intestine. As they take turns squeezing the oatmeal from one end to the other end., the water coming out of the oatmeal will escape. Explain that the water that comes out of the oatmeal is the nutrients that are being distributed to the rest of your body.
When your oatmeal reaches the end of the pantyhose, there is just a small amount left. Ask students:
Why do you think that is?
What does this represent?
Mapping the Digestive System
Students use computers to access the website provided in the WBI. All material needed should be organized ahead of time to be distributed to each group. The instructions have students representing each organ with a different household item. Walk around the room and make sure they are explicitly following directions, and check their work before they glue down their final product. Prompt students with questions like:
Why do you think this particular item is used to represent this organ?
What other organs does this organ connect to?
What is the funtion of this organ?
Organ Glogster
Assign each group a different organ. If students are not familiar with Glogster, you might want to give a short 10 minute presentation on basic procedures regarding the website. If students do not have accounts, help them set up their own account. On the board, write the following criteria:
Your Glogster must have the following info:
- A picture of your organ
- A description of what your organ does
- Other organs associated with your organ
- What happens if your organ stops working/is not working right
- Three interesting facts about your organ
Stomach Model
Students will come up to the front of the classroom to get Ziplock bags, lemon juice, and Saltine crackers. Have them follow the procedures on the website link in the WBI. The procedures are as follows:
Pour some lemon juice into the plastic bag. The juice will be the "strong liquid" that breaks down the food. It is an acid that works like the acids we have in our real stomachs. You'll need enough to cover the cracker. About a half cup should do it. Break the cracker into a few pieces. This is sort of like chewing it. Put the cracker into the bag and zip it up, while pushing out excess air. Now shake the cracker in the lemon juice. You can use your hands to squeeze it, too. This is like the action of the muscles that cause our stomachs to squeeze food during digestion. Describe what's happening to the cracker as your "stomach" digests it.
Other Stuff You Might Want to Know or Do:
- Even though kids are GREAT at pretending that bananas are phones or blocks are cars, they sometimes have trouble understanding the relationships between models and real things. Although our plastic bag stomachs are very simple models of stomachs, we can help children understand them better by being clear about the relationships between our real and pretend stomachs. Be sure to repeat that the bag is a pretend stomach sort of like the stomach in our bodies, the lemon juice is like the very strong liquids in our stomachs, and our hands work like the muscles that squeeze our real stomachs
Make sure to constantly check for understanding during this activity by asking individual students what each material represents
Peristalsis I
Ask students:
Have you ever laughed so hard that you had milk come out of you nose?
Have you ever swallowed something quickly and then had to cough it up because "it went down the wrong pipe.?"
Explain that this usually doesn't happen because under normal circumstances after you swallow your food, your epiglottis closes up over your windpipe/trachea that leads down to your lungs and your soft palate lifts up to block the way to your nose. Your tongue pushes your food back to your pharynx and then down your esophagus.
Ask students, “How does food travel down through your esophagus?” Explain that it's not gravity. Have each student go to the drinking fountain and get a mouthful of water. When they return to their seat, have them bend down and touch their toes, and swallow the water.
Ask students, “Why do you think you can still swallow the water when you are upside down?” Have them write down their guesses in their science journal.
Peristalsis II
Remind students that we just figured out that you can still swallow when you're upside-down! Now explain that food travels through your digestive system by peristalsis, which is wave-like muscle contractions. Have one representative from each group come to the front of the room to get pantyhose and some balls.
Instruct students to put the balls in the pantyhose and see what happens. Ask them, “Can the balls move through without your help?” Guide students to push the balls through together using their hands. Explain that they are simulating peristalsis! The waves that the balls are making are similar to the muscle contractions in your throat when you swallowed the water upside down.
Small Intestine Length
Explain that in the small intestine, the food is completely digested and passes through the villi in its walls into the blood stream where it is carried to all the cells in your body. Your small intestine is 18-23 feet long. Give each group representative a piece of string, scissors, and a ruler. Instruct them to cut a piece of string that is about 20 feet long, and have two people hold each end.
Prompt students:
How can something that long fit inside your body?
Grab a piece of paper and a glue stick and try to glue the string down in a single layer.
Investigate Your Kidneys
Have students come to the front of the room and grab a glass jar, water, a coffee filter, and some sand. Have them pour some sand in a glass of water and mix it up. Then have them put a coffee filter over the jar and pour the water through. Ask them, “What happened to the sand?” Instruct students to look at the clearness of the water in the glass.
Explain that kidneys work in the same way, cleaning impurities from blood. Once kidneys have filtered the blood, the waste is passed out of the body through the excretory system.
Jeopardy
Instruct students to split up their group into two teams. Have them click on the WBI link and play Jeopardy. Keep a list of which teams win, and give them one point of extra credit.
DIGESTION SONG
Explain to students that as a group, they are to prepare a presentation of the song found on the website. Make sure they incorporate a tune and some sweet dance moves. Remind them that they will be presenting the song to at least two other groups and yourself.
Individual Activity Descriptions
1. "Digestive System" Brain Pop Video and Vocabulary Sheet
Students will go to the following website: http://www.brainpop.com/health/bodysystems/digestivesystem/. They will click on the vocabulary worksheet and print it out. Then, they will watch the video and fill-out the worksheet while watching the video. After watching the video, students will choose an additional term from the video to define. Students may use a dictionary if necessary. Some students may need to re-watch the clip in order to obtain all of the definitions.
2. Label Parts of the Digestive System
Students will go to the following website: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/anatomy/digestive/labeleasy/. They will print out the diagram provided on the main page. Next, they will label the parts of the digestive system. Students may use their textbook or internet resources in order to complete this activity.
3. Review and Assessment Study Guide
Students will use their textbooks in order to complete this activity. They will turn to page 93 in their textbook entitled Human Body Systems: Interactive Science. They will complete the Review and Assessment Study Guide by writing their answers on a blank piece of paper.
4. "Your Digestive System" and Quiz
Students will go to the following website: http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/digestive_system.html#. They will read the provided article and take the quiz once they have completed the reading. Students should print out their quiz in order to show proof of completion.
1. "You are What You Eat"
Students are asked to record everything that they eat for one day. Next, they will record their eating habits. Then, they will compare their eating habits to the national health standards of the state. Next, students should be asked to write a paragraph or two about how they can improve their own eating habits in order to be a healthier person. Students may list various fruits or vegetables. They may also research specific brands that create healthy foods.
2. “How to Become a Healthy Person” Advertisement
Once students have learned about how to eat a healthy diet, they will create a poster that promotes healthy eating habits. The poster can be an advertisement for a specific food group, brand of food, or healthy eating habit that other students should consider. Hang the poster in the cafeteria in order for other students to become aware of healthy habits.
3. Good Food, Good Health
Students will go to the following website: http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Healthy/5_Day/5_day_facts.pdf. They will read through the worksheet and answer the following questions on a blank sheet of paper. Students will then put their answers into their portfolio.
1. How many fruits and vegetables should kids eat each day?
2. Name some reasons why it's important to eat five or more fruits and vegetables each day.
3. Instead of fruits and vegetables, what is a big snack food for kids?
4. What is the average fruit and vegetable serving for 6 to 12 year olds
5. What are some of the troubling findings of this study?
4. Magic School Bus Video
Students will watch the Magic School Bus episode entitled “For Lunch” found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtulxCGMjdk. Once they have watched the video, they will write in their journal about their reactions to the movie. Ask students what surprised them, what they found most interesting, and what they think is the most important aspect of the movie.
5. Digestive System Roller Coaster
Students will click on the following link: http://www.mediaspin.com/bodysystems/digest_menu.html. They will watch the provided short videos on the website. Next, they will write a paragraph explaining their reactions to the videos. Students should be asked to share their reactions with other group members once they have completed their journal entry.
6. Lenny’s Digestive System
Students will click on the following link: http://e-learningforkids.org/Courses/Liquid_Animation/Body_Parts/Digestive_System/index.html and complete the interactive activity by clicking the arrow that says “EAT IT LENNY.” Once they have gone through all of the steps, they should be instructed to click “Take me to the exercise” on the right side. Students will print out the last page of the exercise in order to document their completion.
7. The Digestive System Crossword Puzzle
Students will click on the following link: http://bogglesworldesl.com/digestivesystem.htm. Next, they will click on “Digestive System Crossword” listed at the top of the page. Then, they will download the worksheet and print it out. They should complete the crossword puzzle.
8. The Digestive System Fill-In the Blank
Students will click on the following link: http://bogglesworldesl.com/digestivesystem.htm. Next, they will click on the “Digestive System Cloze.” They will download the worksheet and print it out. They will filll-in the blanks and turn-in the worksheet in order to be checked for completion and accuracy.
SIOP and CALLA Accommodations
In order to accommodate these lessons about the digestive system for ELL students, teachers should provide students with pictures of the parts of the digestive system. Because an ELL student may not know what a “liver” or “intestine” is, the teacher can provide labeled pictures of these organs. In addition, the teacher can find a labeled chart of all the organs in students’ native language. Moreover, teachers can use simulations for students such as the saltine and lemon juice simulation where one can visually understand how food is broken down in one’s body. Teachers can write definitions of specific bodily functions on the board. For example, a student may not know what “Peristalsis” is, but if a student has an easy to comprehend definition, then ELL students will be able to comprehend the general idea of the process. In addition, there are many interactive games and short clips about the digestive system. Students can watch these videos in order to see how food travels down one’s body. Teachers can additionally provide students with graphic organizers discussing each step of the digestive system. Teachers can have students present the process of the digestive system in their native language to other students in the classroom.