Download Idea from: Instructor WEB http://www.instructorweb.com/ DIGESTIVE

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM PRE OR POST ACTIVITY
Materials
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Sentence strips with Digestive system facts
Digestive system visual aid
Piece of ribbon measuring at least 32 feet
Index cards, clothespins
Study Notes worksheet;
2 clear glasses
Water, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp cocoa
Coffee filter
Spoon
Coloring utensils for display project
Instructional Strategies
1. In order to help the students visualize the length of the intestine, have a piece of ribbon or yarn
attached to a stationary object. Pull this ribbon until it stretches across the classroom
measuring 32 feet. Advise students that this is the length of the intestine found in your body
if it was uncoiled. The teacher can further the instruction by writing a fact such as: "The
digestive system has a long tube that is made of muscle called the intestines". Attach the index
card to the ribbon with a clothespin.
2. The teacher will provide information about the digestive system including the following:
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The stomach mixes up food
The stomach is a muscle
The stomach is kind of like a "holding tank" for food
The tongue helps us swallow food
The food goes down the esophagus to the stomach after it has been swallowed
Your teeth grind up food into small pieces to be digested by the stomach
The stomach turns the particles into liquid
In the intestines some of the liquid is absorbed into the body to be used for fuel. The rest
continues through the intestines as waste.
3. The teacher will demonstrate the absorption process with the following activity:
A. Using a coffee filter, form a funnel shape. Place the funnel in a clear glass.
B. Using a different glass, mix together the following solution - glass of water, one tsp.
sugar, one tsp. cocoa. Stir together with a spoon until they are thoroughly mixed.
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C. Pour the mixture into the glass with the coffee filter. Be sure to hold the filter in place
with your fingers.
D. Watch the mixture drop through to the bottom of the glass.
The result that the students should see is that the filter holds back the particles of cocoa. Only
the liquid can pass through the coffee filter. Explain that this is the same function that occurs
in the intestines; the intestines absorb the nutrients which are represented by the liquid.
4. The teacher will pass out index cards to the class. After discussing the features of the digestive
system (including the intestines), the student will write a sentence with a fact about the
digestive system on the index card. The student will attach their index card to the ribbon using
a clothespin.
Instructional Considerations
This class is made up of students possessing a variety of learning styles and ability levels. This
lesson plan has been designed to accommodate kinesthetic and visual learners by incorporating
active learning strategies and visual aids.
Student Practice
The student will write a digestive fact and attach it to the "intestine ribbon". The student may
work on the Human body word search.
Closure
The student will work in cooperative groups on the display project.
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Name _________________________ Date _______________
STUDY NOTES – THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
Your _______________________ grind up food into small pieces
to be _______________________ by the ___________________.
The ____________________ helps us swallow the food pieces.
The food goes down the ____________________ to the
____________________.
The stomach is like a “____________________
____________________” for food.
The ____________________ is a muscle that
____________________up food and turns it into
____________________.
In the ___________________ some of the liquid is
___________________ into the body to be used for
____________________________.
The left over particles continue through the
________________________ as waste.
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