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Digestion Detectives

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Tanisha Quintyn

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Digestion Detectives Lesson Plan

Students will be able to identify the main organs of the digestive system, describe their basic functions, and explain how nutrients are absorbed into the body. They will connect this understanding to the importance of a balanced diet.

Understanding how our bodies break down food and absorb nutrients helps us make informed choices about what we eat. This lesson highlights the incredible journey food takes and empowers students to appreciate the link between nutrition and their overall health and energy.

Audience

5th Grade Students

Time

50 minutes

Approach

Interactive game-based learning and visual aids.

Materials

  • Journey Through You Slide Deck, - Digestive Dash Game, - Track the Nutrients Worksheet, - Digestive Reflection Cool-Down, and - Markers or Pencils

Prep

Teacher Preparation

15 minutes

  • Review all generated materials: Digestion Detectives Lesson Plan, Journey Through You Slide Deck, Digestive Dash Game, Track the Nutrients Worksheet, and Digestive Reflection Cool-Down.
    - Print one copy of the Track the Nutrients Worksheet per student.
    - Prepare any physical materials or setup required for the Digestive Dash Game as outlined in its instructions (e.g., labeling stations for different organs, preparing food item cards).

Step 1

Warm-Up: Food Fuel

5 minutes

Begin with a quick warm-up. Ask students: "What's your favorite food? Why do you think your body needs food?" Allow a few students to share their responses. Connect their answers to the idea of food as fuel.

Step 2

Introduction: The Body's Food Factory

5 minutes

Introduce the lesson by asking, "Have you ever wondered what happens to your food after you swallow it? Today, we're going to become 'Digestion Detectives' and follow the incredible journey of food through our bodies!" Display the title slide of the Journey Through You Slide Deck.

Step 3

Exploring the Digestive System

10 minutes

Use the Journey Through You Slide Deck to guide students through the main organs of the digestive system: mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine. Briefly explain the primary function of each organ, emphasizing where the most nutrient absorption happens. Encourage questions and discussion.

Step 4

Digestive Dash Game

20 minutes

Divide students into small groups. Explain the rules of the Digestive Dash Game. Each group will 'trace' a food item through the digestive system, simulating its journey and identifying where key nutrients are absorbed. Circulate to facilitate and answer questions.

Step 5

Track the Nutrients Worksheet

5 minutes

Distribute the Track the Nutrients Worksheet. Instruct students to complete it individually, recalling what they learned from the slides and the game. They should identify specific nutrients and where they are absorbed.

Step 6

Cool-Down: Digestive Reflection

5 minutes

Conclude the lesson with the Digestive Reflection Cool-Down. Ask students to write down one new thing they learned about digestion or one healthy eating choice they might make based on today's lesson. Collect these as an exit ticket.

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Slide Deck

Digestion Detectives: Journey Through You!

Your Food's Amazing Adventure!

Welcome students and introduce the exciting journey we're about to take into the human body. Explain they will be 'digestion detectives' today.

What is Digestion?

Breaking Down Food for Energy!

Ask students what they think digestion means. Guide them to understand it's the process of breaking down food into smaller pieces so our bodies can use the nutrients.

The Mouth: Where it Begins

Chew, Chew, Chew!
Saliva Starts the Magic!

Discuss the two ways food is broken down in the mouth: mechanical (chewing) and chemical (saliva enzymes). Ask students why chewing is important.

Esophagus: The Food Slide

A one-way ticket to your stomach!
Muscles push food down.

Explain the esophagus as a muscular tube. Introduce the term 'peristalsis' – the wave-like muscle contractions that push food down. Keep it simple and visual.

Stomach: The Grinder & Mixer

Acid and muscles turn food into a soupy mix!

Describe the stomach as a strong muscle that churns and mixes food. Mention stomach acid helps break down food even further, turning it into a liquid mixture called chyme.

Small Intestine: Nutrient Highway

Where your body grabs the good stuff!
Tiny fingers (villi) help absorb nutrients.

Emphasize that the small intestine is where most of the nutrient absorption happens. Explain that its inner surface has tiny finger-like structures called villi, which increase the surface area for absorption.

Large Intestine: Water Recycler

Soaks up water!
Gets rid of what your body doesn't need.

Explain the primary role of the large intestine: absorbing water from the remaining indigestible food matter and transmitting the useless waste material from the body.

Nutrient Absorption: Fuel for You!

Carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals!
These give you energy, help you grow, and keep you healthy!

Summarize the main types of nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals) and their importance for energy, growth, and overall health. Connect this back to eating a balanced diet.

Your Body: An Amazing Machine!

Treat it well with healthy foods!
It works hard for you every day!

Conclude by reminding students how amazing their bodies are and how important it is to fuel them with healthy foods to help their digestive system work efficiently.

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Game

Digestive Dash: The Food Journey

Objective: Students will correctly identify the path of food through the digestive system and match specific functions and nutrient absorption points to each organ.

Time: 20 minutes

Materials Needed:

  • Organ Station Signs: Label large sheets of paper or posters with the following organs: "Mouth," "Esophagus," "Stomach," "Small Intestine," "Large Intestine."
  • Food Item Cards (5-10 per group): Create cards with pictures and names of various food items. Under each food item, list 2-3 main nutrients found in it (e.g., Apple: Carbohydrates, Vitamins; Chicken Breast: Protein, Fats; Bread: Carbohydrates; Water: Hydration; Orange: Vitamins, Carbohydrates).
  • Action Cards (1 per station):
    • Mouth: "Chew & Salivate! Begin breaking down carbs!"
    • Esophagus: "Slide Down! Muscles push food to the stomach!"
    • Stomach: "Churn & Acid Mix! Break down proteins!"
    • Small Intestine: "Absorb Nutrients! Grab carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals!"
    • Large Intestine: "Water Recycler! Absorb water and prepare waste!"

Setup:

  1. Create Stations: Place the 5 "Organ Station Signs" around the classroom to create a clear path for students to follow.
  2. Place Action Cards: Put the corresponding "Action Card" at each organ station.
  3. Divide into Groups: Divide the class into small groups of 3-4 students.
  4. Distribute Food Cards: Give each group a shuffled set of "Food Item Cards."

How to Play:

  1. Start the Journey (2 minutes): Each group picks one "Food Item Card" to start their journey. They begin at the "Mouth" station.
  2. Mouth Station (2 minutes):
    • At the "Mouth" station, groups read the "Action Card."
    • They discuss how their chosen food item is broken down here (chewing, saliva). They should identify which nutrient might start breaking down (e.g., carbohydrates).
    • The teacher asks a quick question like, "What physically happens to the food in the mouth?" before they can move.
  3. Esophagus Station (1 minute):
    • Groups move to the "Esophagus" station.
    • They read the "Action Card" and briefly discuss how food travels down this tube.
  4. Stomach Station (2 minutes):
    • Groups move to the "Stomach" station.
    • They read the "Action Card" and discuss the role of stomach acid and churning. Which major nutrient primarily starts breaking down here? (Proteins).
    • The teacher might ask, "What does your stomach do to turn food into a soupy mix?"
  5. Small Intestine Station (3 minutes):
    • Groups move to the "Small Intestine" station.
    • They read the "Action Card."
    • Key Task: Students must identify all the main nutrients listed on their chosen "Food Item Card" and explain that these are absorbed into the bloodstream here. For example, if they have an "Apple" card, they would say: "In the small intestine, the carbohydrates and vitamins from the apple are absorbed."
    • The teacher circulates, listening to ensure correct nutrient identification and absorption explanation.
  6. Large Intestine Station (1 minute):
    • Groups move to the "Large Intestine" station.
    • They read the "Action Card" and discuss the absorption of water and the formation of waste.
  7. Rotate & Repeat: Once a group completes the journey for one food item, they pick a new "Food Item Card" and start again from the "Mouth" station. Continue playing for the allotted time.
  8. Wrap-Up Discussion (End of Game): Bring the class back together. Ask questions like: "Which organ was responsible for absorbing the most nutrients?" or "What did you learn about the journey your food takes?"
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Worksheet

Track the Nutrients

Instructions: Use what you learned in the "Digestion Detectives" lesson and the "Digestive Dash" game to answer the following questions.

  1. Name the five main organs of the digestive system in the order food travels through them.



  2. What is the primary role of the mouth in digestion?



  3. Which organ is like a strong mixer and uses acid to break down food?



  4. Why is the small intestine called the "Nutrient Highway"? What happens there?





  5. Imagine you just ate a slice of pizza (crust: carbohydrates, cheese: fats/proteins, pepperoni: protein/fats). For each part of the pizza, which organ would primarily absorb its main nutrients?

    • Crust (Carbohydrates):

    • Cheese (Fats/Proteins):

    • Pepperoni (Proteins/Fats):

  6. What does the large intestine primarily absorb from the remaining food waste?



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Cool Down

Digestive Reflection

Instructions: Take a few minutes to think about what you learned today. Answer one or both of the questions below. Your reflection will serve as your exit ticket.

  1. What is one new and interesting thing you learned about your digestive system today?





  2. How might understanding your digestive system help you make healthier food choices in the future?






  3. If you could give one piece of advice to your food as it enters your mouth, what would it be? (Think about its journey!)



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