The Digestive System! Science! Making Poo
DISCUSS… turn into this? How does this…
DISCUSS… We’re going to take a journey through the digestive system. Before we go, who can tell me why we eat food in the first place? Funny and Scientific fairly scientific
DISCUSS… Energy! Well done, we get energy from food… but this doesn’t mean that when we eat a sandwich it floats around our body going into our legs and our muscles!
DISCUSS… Let’s take a journey through the digestive system. Who can tell me the first thing we do to our food to get the process going?
DISCUSS… We buy it from the shops! Only joking… We CHEW it using our teeth. This is called, MASTICATION. What is next?
DISCUSS… SWALLOWING of course! The tongue actually pushes food to the back of the throat and saliva helps it slide down through our OESOPHAGUS. Next?
DISCUSS… The food goes into our STOMACH. Here stomach acids break down the food. Where does it go now?
DISCUSS… Our INTESTINES! First the food goes into our SMALL INTESTINE which is actually not very small as it is 22ft long. Then it goes through our LARGE INTESTINE. As it goes through, the nutrients are taken from the food and put into the bloodstream. Next?
DISCUSS… We have now used all the energy from the food and can get rid of the WASTE, thus making poo. Poo is stored in the RECTUM and then ejected through the ANUS. THIS IS CALLED EXCRETION
Experiment… Right, it is time for you to make a model of the digestive system. In your groups, discuss what you think each of these could be used for. You will be using some things more than once.
Experiment… Let’s see if you got it right. Step 1. MASTICATION (CHEWING) MOUTH TEETH
Experiment… Let’s see if you got it right. Step 2. OESOPHAGUS SWALLOWING STOMACH
Experiment… Let’s see if you got it right. Step 3. STOMACH ACID STOMACH ACID
Experiment… SMALL Let’s see if you got it right. Step 4. SMALL INTESTINE INTESTINE
Experiment… LARGE We then repeat that step again for the large intestine. Step 5. LARGE INTESTINE INTESTINE
Experiment… Let’s see if you got it right. Step 6. EXCRETION ANUS
Experiment… Simple right?! Ok, now you’re going to do it for real. First things first, make a sandwich!
Experiment… Step 1. One of you needs to chew (cut) the sandwich with the scissors in the bowl. Give yourself a bit of a drink too. MOUTH TEETH
Experiment… Throat Step 2. Great job. Now pass the bowl to the next person. You are now going to swallow your food. If Oesophagus it’s hard to swallow it all, have another drink! Stomach
Experiment… Step 3. Now, when your food goes into your stomach, the stomach acid breaks it down. You now need to add some ‘acid’ and give it a swish around. Make sure the bag is closed! Stomach Acid
Experiment… Step 4. Once your stomach has broken Small down the food, it is time to send the nutrients around the body. We need to go to the small intestine. Pour the mixture through the tights/sock. Make sure the bowl is underneath to catch the nutrients. Give the tights a gentle squeeze. INTESTINE
Experiment… Step 5. Now, we go from the small intestine to the large intestine. To save getting really messy we’re going to just imagine that we are now in the large intestine. You now need to squeeze the last remaining nutrients out of your food. Large INTESTINE
Experiment… Step 6. Can you see all the nutrients in the bowl? This is exactly what your body does. As the broken down food moves through your intestines, the nutrients are taken and sent off around the body in the bloodstream. We are now left with the waste food. Who is going to do the honours and create the anus? Cut a small hole in the tights and squeeze your poo into the bowl. ANUS
Experiment… Well done. You made poo. Now think about your lunch that you’ve just eaten. The same process is going on inside each of you right now!
Now that you’ve made your model and seen how the process works first hand, can you explain to the class… or maybe the camera? How does this… turn into this?
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