Lesson Plan

1. Title/Topic/Grade level: Discovering Digestion, The Digestive System, 4th grade

2. Lesson Essential Questions:
What is the Digestive System?
What are the parts of the Digestive System?
How does the Digestive System work?
3. Standards:
MS-LS1-3. Use argument supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting
subsystems composed of groups of cells.
4. A: Learning objectives and assessments
Discover the different organs and their functions within the Digestive System
Create a model of the Digestive System
Understand how food travels through the Digestive System
B: Assessments:

Objectives

Assessments

SWBAT create a model of the

Digestive System

Students will use various items to represent the organs and

make a working model of the Digestive System

SWBAT understand the

process of digestion

Students will list steps on how a piece of fruit passes through

the Digestive System

5. Materials:
Whiteboard
Dry erase markers
Unit Folders
Discovering Digestion Worksheet (15)
Process of Digestion Worksheet (15)
Process of Digestion Worksheet (15)
Oranges (2)
Bananas (2)
Board Erasers(2)
Squirt Bottle (1)
Paper Towel Holder (1)
Balloon (1)
Slinky (1)
Sponge (1)

Bucket (1)
Water
Trash Bag (1)
Pencils

6. Pre-Lesson Assignments and/or Prior Knowledge:

Students have been learning about cells and the different types of cells that are found in
the body. They have an understanding that different cells perform different functions in
the body.
7. Lesson Beginning:
Show students a banana and an orange. Ask students if they can eat the banana or orange
as it is? Ask them why? Next, explain to students that you want to peel them first. Again,
ask students why?
Tell students to eat a piece of banana or apple. On their Discovering Digestion
Worksheet, have them hypothesize about what will happen to the fruit as they eat it.
o Resource:
8. Instructional Plan:
Start with the Fruit Demonstration in the beginning.
Hand out Unit Folders.
Explain to students that we will be learning about the Digestive System. Ask students if
they can guess what the Digestive System is.
o Digestive System-The different organs that change food into a form that the body
can use
o Digestion-process in which chemicals in the mouth, stomach, and intestines,
change food into a liquid form that the body can use
Explain to students that the body cannot use the food we put into our mouths the way it
is, therefore it has to prepare it. It breaks down the food and uses it as energy. It has to
change the food into a liquid so that they blood can carry the food to the cells throughout
the body for energy.
Next, summarize the digestion process. The process of digestion begins in the mouth. The
mouth cuts the food into small pieces and mixes it with saliva. Food then travels to the
stomach through the esophagus. It takes about 10 minutes for the food to travel to the
stomach. Little glands in the stomach make acids that digest the food. The stomach
muscles begin to move and mash the food up. Like a balloon, it gets larger when there is
food it in, and smaller when the food leaves. The mashing and acid help to break down
the food into smaller pieces. Once the stomach digests the food as much as it can, it
travels to the small intestine. The muscles of the small intestine contracts to push the
food to the large intestine. Villi are found in the small intestine. The waste from the small
intestine goes to the large intestine. The large intestines then absorb water from the
waste. The waste then leaves the body. The process of digestion takes about 24 hours to
complete.
o Saliva-A clear liquid that is produced in the mouth that starts the digestion of
food

o Esophagus-a long tube that connects the mouth to the stomach

o Stomach-An organ that receives chewed up food from the esophagus
o Small Intestine-An organ that is 20 feet long and connects from the stomach to the
large intestine where digestion is completed and nutrients are absorbed by the
blood
o Villi-Tiny, hairy finger-like things in the small intestines that suck up food and
pass it into the blood
o Large Intestine-An organ that absorbs water from the digested food and gets rid
of the waste
Activity: As a class, we are going to create a working model of the Digestive System. In
this activity, students are going to reiterate how food moves through the digestive system.
The process of digestion begins in the mouth. Take two board erasers and have a student
act as though they are the mouth. Have another student hold a squirt bottle of water to act
like saliva. From there, have a student hold paper towel tubes to represent the esophagus.
Have one student hold a balloon to represent the stomach. Have two students hold the
slinky to represent the small intestines. Have one student stand with the sponge and
bucket of water. Once all of the organs are put into place, I will hold a piece of food and
make it travel through the Digestive System, going over each part as the food travels.
o Bricks-Smash together to break down food
o Squirt Bottle-Spray on bricks to act as saliva
o Paper Towel Holder-Push food down to represent the esophagus
o Balloon-Have student blow up balloon when the food reaches the stomach, and
deflate the balloon when the it leaves for the small intestines
o Slinky-Have food move through slinky that two students are stretching out to
represent the small intestines
o Sponge & Bucket-Have student dip sponge into bucket of water to represent how
the large intestine absorbs water
Now that we have learned about the Digestive System, I want you to think back to the
piece of fruit that you ate at the beginning of the lesson. You all made predictions on how
your food was being digested. On the worksheet, you need to list and describe the 5 steps
of digestion based on the five body parts that we labeled earlier. This will be collected for
a grade, and you can use your notes.

Differentiation: Examples will first be done as a class so no one feels discouraged if they
dont know the answer. Students that know the answers will most likely be the ones to
answer. There will be models for visual learners, via creating the Digestive System.
While creating the working model of the Digestive System, students, along with the
teachers will be working together to reiterate the steps in digestion. Those who are
struggling will have more reinforcement from those who understand the process. This
will also be beneficial for kinesthetic learners. Once students are working on listing the
steps of the digestion, we will be walking around the room to give students extra help
who need it.

Class Management: Students will be at their desks for the beginning of the lesson.
Teacher will give instructions to the students on when to eat their orange or banana.

Teacher will direct students attention from the board and their papers. Teacher will hand
out all worksheets before beginning the activities, so the students are not distracted.
Teacher will explain all directions for creating the Digestive System model before
assigning students to their specific items. Explain to the students to not play with their
items and to wait until it is their turn to stimulate that part of digestion. Teacher will walk
around the classroom during the model to make sure students are listening to instructions.
When a student is needed to answer a question, the teacher will pick a name from the
popsicle sticks.

Transitions: The lesson will begin with the students attention directed on the board.
Throughout the lesson the teacher will instruct students to take notes on their worksheets.
The teacher will choose specific students to model the Digestive System, and will direct
the rest of the students to stand around the edge of the rug. Once modeling is complete,
the teacher will instruct students to go back to their seats and take out their Process of
Digestion Worksheet and review it.

9. Closure: Have the students sing The Atoms Family Song that they have been practicing to
perform for their parents. Go over the Culminating Activity (TIC TAC TOE.FROM
MOLECULES TO ORGANISMS WE GO!) that will be due on May 8.

Name:___________________________________________________ Date:_______________

Discovering Digestion
Digestive System _______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Digestion _____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Saliva ________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Esophagus ____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Stomach ______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Small Intestine ________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Villi _________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Large Intestine ________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

Name_______________________________________________ Date___________________

Process of Digestion
1. __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Process of Digestion:
4

Participation

Used time well

and focused
attention on
the activity.

Used time
pretty well.
Stayed
focused on
the activity
most of the
time.

Did the
activity but
did not
appear very
interested.
Focus was
lost on
several
occasions.

Participation
was minimal
about
participating
in the
activity.

Procedures

Procedures are
listed in clear
steps. Each
step is
numbered and
is a complete
sentence.

Procedures
are listed in
a logical
order, but
steps are not
numbered
and/or are
not in
complete
sentences.

Procedures
are listed
but are not
in a logical
order or are
difficult to
follow.

Procedures
do not
accurately
list the steps
of the
activity.

Worksheet
Appearance

Worksheet
describes the
information
learned and an
understanding
of the topic.

Worksheet
describes the
information
learned with
minor pieces
missing.

Worksheet
does not
describe the
information
learned.

No steps are
written.

Total: _____ / 12