ELEMENTARY SCIENCE PROGRAMMATH, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION

A Collection of Learning Experiences

NUTRITION& DIGESTION

CATTARAUGUS-ALLEGANY BOCES GRADE 3

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview and Format………………………………………… ………...………………2

Background Information………………………………… ……….…...…......…………3

Learning Experience 1 – Getting Started……………………… …………………...15

Learning Experience 2 – Food Pyramid…..…………………………… …………...17

Learning Experience 3 – Food Journal..………………………………… ….………25

Learning Experience 4 – Analyze Food Choices…………………………… ….….28

Learning Experience 5 – What is in Our Food…………………………………......30

Learning Experience 6 – Variety of Foods………………………………… ….……33

Learning Experience 7 – Reading Labels..…………………………………… ……36

Learning Experience 8 – Getting Started With the Digestive System… …………39

Learning Experience 9 – Mouth………………………………………… ...…………41

Learning Experience 10 – Peristalsis and the Esophagus…………………..……45

Learning Experience 11 – Stomach…………………………………………… ...….47

Learning Experience 12 – Intestines: Small and Large…………………….……..50

Learning Experience 13 - The Digestive System………………………….……….52

Assessment…………………………………………………………………… ..……...56

More Ideas…………………………… .………………………………………… .…….61

Inquiry and Process Skills……………………………………………………… …….63

Glossary…………………………………………………………………………… .…..64

Teacher References…………………………………………… ………………….….71

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NUTRITION AND DIGESTIONGRADE 3

Unit OverviewStudents will examine the parts of the USDA Food Pyramid, journal their foodchoices and analyze those choices, id entify the variety of foods to be eaten fromeach food group, and read and compare food labels for nutritional value. Theywill also describe and demonstrate the functions of the major parts of thedigestive system.

The skills emphasized in the kit are brainstorming, discussing, collecting data,interpreting data, making decisions, generalizing, classifying, measuring, andanalyzing.

SchedulingThis unit may take from five to nine weeks to complete depending upon the goalsof the teacher and interests o f the students. Use of the section included in thismanual called More Ideas may extend the time span of this kit.

Materials to beobtained locally: colored pencils and/or crayons notebooks

chart paper markers gluescissors carrots paper towelsindividually wrapped cheese waterred, yellow & green construction papertape garbage can magazines/sale adsSamples of foods such as: apples, celery, leafy lettuce, nuts,raisins, cereal, pudding, cheese, fruit leathers, peanut butter,and prepared gelatin squares

CautionRemind students to wash their hands after handling any of the materials in thekit.

About the FormatEach learning experience is numbered and titled. Under each title is theobjective for the learning experience .

Each learning experience page has two columns. The column on the left side ofthe page lists materials, preparations, basic skill processes, evaluation strategy,and vocabulary. The right column begins with a “Focus Question” which is typedin italicized print. The purpose of the “Focus Question” is to guide the teacher’sinstruction toward the main idea of the learning experience. The “FocusQuestion” is not to be answered by the students. The learning experienceincludes directions for students, i llustrations, and discussion questions. Thesediscussion questions can be used as a basis for class interaction.

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Background InformationThe Food Pyramid has been developed as a way to show the different foodgroups and how much we should eat from each o ne to be healthy and strong. Itis the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) recommendation for ahealthy diet. It is important to remember that a diet is the food and drink a personeats not just to imply what one does to lose weight. No one gro up is moreimportant than the other. For good health, we need food from all the groups. Thebest way to get all nutrients your body needs is to eat a variety of foods.

Milk Group

Milk Group foods like milk, cheese and yogurt provide calcium and eight ot heressential nutrients, including protein, phosphorous, vitamins A, D and B 12,riboflavin, niacin and potassium. Dairy foods contribute three of the five nutrientsthat the 2005 Dietary Guidelines identified as low in children's diets — calcium,potassium and magnesium.

Calcium is essential for strong, healthy teeth and bones. Calcium alsohelps muscles contract and relax.

Bone density and strength built during childhood and adolescence needsto last a lifetime. Adequate calcium intake in the younger years —provided by 3 servings of milk, cheese, or yogurt — along with regularphysical activity, can help prevent the bone -thinning disease,osteoporosis, later in life — as well as help prevent bone fractures duringchildhood.

Vitamin D helps the body abso rb calcium and use it to build strong bones. Protein helps build muscle and repair body tissue. Potassium helps regulate blood pressure.

Foods in the Milk Group include:

Milk — whole, low-fat, reduced fat, fat-free, flavored and buttermilk Yogurt Cheese — all types Pudding Frozen yogurt Milkshake

Some foods are made from milk, but we can't count on them to get the largeamount of calcium we need. These Extra Foods are in the "Others" category onthe Food Pyramid and include:

Butter Cream cheese Whipped cream

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Meat Group

The Meat Group contains foods from both plants and animals. Meat Group foodsprovide protein and iron, as well as B vitamins, vitamin E, zinc and magnesium.

Protein helps build strong muscles and build and repair body tissue. Iron, an important part of red blood cells, carries oxygen to all parts of the

body. B vitamins help the body use energy.

Foods in the Meat Group include:

Beef, chicken, turkey, duck, goose, pork and fish Dry beans, such as pinto beans, kidney beans, lenti ls and split peas Tofu Eggs Nuts or seeds, such as peanuts, almonds, walnuts and cashews Peanut butter and other nut spreads

Vegetable Group

Vegetables provide vitamins A and C, potassium, fiber and other nutrients. Eachvegetable contains different amounts of these nutrients so it's important tochoose a variety of vegetables each day!

The deeper the color, the richer the nutrient content. Vitamin A helps night vision and helps keep skin and eyes healthy. Vitamin C helps help heal cuts and fight in fections. Potassium helps regulate blood pressure. Fiber promotes regular digestion and may reduce the risk for certain

cancers and heart disease.

Foods in the Vegetable Group include:

Any vegetable or 100% vegetable juice. Fresh, frozen or canned. Examples include dark green vegetables, starchy

vegetables, orange vegetables, and other vegetables, such as, tomatoes,asparagus, brussel sprouts and eggplant.

Vegetables processed into other foods, such as tomato salsa and tomatosauce.

Juices such as tomato, vegetable or carrot juice.

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Fruit Group

Fruits provide vitamins A and C, potassium and fiber. The amount of thesenutrients in each fruit variety varies. For example, strawberries, oranges andgrapefruits are excellent sources of vitamin C, while can taloupe and apricots areexcellent sources of vitamin A. Eat a variety to get the vitamin A, vitamin C andfiber needed daily. All fruits are naturally low in fat.

Vitamin A helps night vision and helps keep skin and eyes healthy. Vitamin C helps heal cuts and fight infections. Potassium helps regulate blood pressure. Fiber helps promote regular digestion and may reduce the risk for certain

cancers and heart disease.

Foods in the Fruit Group include:

Any fruit or 100% fruit juice. Fresh fruits, such as apples, kiwifruit, pears and bananas. Dried fruits, such as raisins, apricots, mangos and prunes. Frozen fruits, such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and melons. Canned fruits, such as applesauce, fruit cocktail, apricots and pineapple.

Grain Group

Grain Group foods provide complex carbohydrates and fiber. Two categoriesmake up the Grain Group — whole grains and refined grains. Whole grainsinclude the entire grain kernel:

The protective outer layers or bran. Inside the seed or endosperm. The grain's “small powerhouse” or germ.

Refined grains, such as white rice, pasta or white bread, have the bran and germremoved to give them a finer texture. Many refined grains are "enriched" toreplenish the B vitamins — niacin, thiamin, folic acid and riboflavin, and the ironremoved during processing. Fiber and other trace nutrients, however, are notadded back after processing.

Complex carbohydrates are an important source of energy. B vitamins help our body release and use energy. B vitamins also help to

keep our blood, skin and nervous system healthy. Iron, an important part of red blood cells, carries oxygen to all parts of the

body. Fiber helps promote regular digestion and may reduce the risk for certain

cancers and heart disease.

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USDA recommends that people of all ages eat whole grains for at least half oftheir daily Grain Group servings. Use the ingredient list and the % Daily Value(%DV) on the Nutrition Facts label for choosing whole grains more often:

Read the ingredient list, not just the product description. Productsdescribed as multi-grain, stone-ground, 100% wheat, cracked wheat,seven-grain or bran on the package are often not whole-grain products.

Look for whole grain as the first ingredient on the label and the word“whole” before the type of grain, such as whole wheat, whole oats, wholerye, or whole grain corn. Other whole grains to look for are brown rice,graham flour, oatmeal or bulgur.

Read and compare Nutrition Facts labels and select the food that has ahigher percent %DV for fiber. For example, compare whole -wheatspaghetti and refined spaghetti, whole -wheat English muffins and whiteEnglish muffins, or white and brown rice.

Foods that have 10% DV Total Fiber per serving are a "good source," andfoods that provide 20% DV Total Fiber are an "excellent source."

Foods from wheat, corn, oats, buckwheat, barley, rice and rye in the Grain Groupinclude:

Breads — all types, white, wheat, and rye; buns; rolls; English muffins andbagels

Cereals — hot and ready-to-eat Rice — all types Pasta — all types including spaghetti, macaroni and noodles Tortillas, crackers, pancakes waffles, biscuits, corn bread, bulgur and

other foods made from flour and grains

“Others” Category

"Others" are Extra Foods. They don't have enough nutri ents to fit into the FiveFood Groups. "Others" foods provide the body with proportionately few nutrientscompared to calories and should not replace foods from the Five Food Groups.Eating too many Extra Foods can be a problem if:

Children fill up on them and do not have room to eat Five Food Groupfoods.

Children take in more calories then they need. Active children canconsume "Others" in moderation , as long as they eat the recommendedamounts of foods from the Five Food Groups. This is true for adults, aswell.

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Foods in the "Others" Category:

Fats and spreads Candy Cookies Cakes Chips and other salty snacks Condiments Soft drinks

Calories

A calorie is a unit of energy. When you hear something contains 100 calories, it'sa way of describing how much energy your body could get from eating or drinkingit. Your body needs calories for energy. Eating too many calories and not burningenough of them off through activity can lead to weight gain. Most foods anddrinks contain calories. Some foods, such as lettuce, contain few calories. (A 9 -ounce lettuce salad contains on ly 40 calories.) Other foods, like peanuts, containa lot of calories. (A half of a cup of peanuts has 427 calories.) By reading thenutrition label, one can find out how many calories are in a particular food.

How Many Calories Do Kids Need?Some people watch their calories if they are trying to lose weight. Most kids don'tneed to do this, but all kids can benefit from eating a healthy, balanced diet thatincludes the right number of calories. Kids come in all sizes and each person'sbody burns energy (calories) at different rates, so there isn't one perfect numberof calories that a kid should eat. The recommended range for most school-agekids is 1,600 to 2,500 per day. When they reach puberty, girls need morecalories, but they tend to need fewer calo ries than boys. As boys enter puberty,they will need as many as 2,500 to 3,000 calories per day. But whether they aregirls or boys, kids who are active and move around a lot will need more caloriesthan kids who don't.

Most kids don't have to worry about not getting enough calories because thebody and feelings of hunger help regulate how many calories a person eats. Ifyou eat more calories than your body needs, the leftover calories are convertedto fat. Too much fat can lead to health problems. Children and their parentsshould check with their doctor if they are concerned about their weight, as o nlyyour doctor can say if you are overweight . Often, kids who are overweight canstart by avoiding high-calorie foods, such as sugary sodas, candy, and fast food,and by eating a healthy, balanced diet . Exercising and playing are reallyimportant, too, because activity burns calories.

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Serving Size and Portion Size

The My Pyramid for Kids provides food group serving recommendations in“ounces” and “cups”. Recommendations for the grain group and meat group areprovided in ounces, while the milk group, vegetable group and fruit group are incups. The serving size that is equal to an “ ounce” or “cup” are provided for eachfood group. For example, 1 ½ ounces of cheese or 8 fluid oz. of yogurt count as1 cup from the milk group, 1 slice of bread or ½ cup of cooked pasta counts as aserving from the grain group. My Pyramid for Kids shows common serving sizesfor a number of different foods within each group. Serving sizes are also listedon the Nutrition Facts Panel of the nutrition label on products, along with thecalorie and nutrient content for a serving. Serving sizes on food label s may bedifferent from the My Pyramid for Kids servings. For example, serving sizes forbeverages is 1 cup, whether its fruit juice, milk, or soda. This allows you to usethe nutrition label to compare similar foods. While the nutrition label tells us whatpeople might typically eat, it is not a recommendation for how much we shouldeat. The number of servings in a package is also listed on the nutrition label.Students need to keep in mind that many packages that look like single servingsoften contain two or more servings.

Portion size is the amount we eat at a meal or snack. Portion sizes can bebigger or smaller than My Pyramid for Kids Serving Size equivalents. Researchshows that Americans are eating larger and larger portions, which may cont ributeto the current epidemic of obesity. As an example, a typical bagel today maycount as two or three servings from the Grain Group. My Pyramid recommends6 oz. from the Grain Group for the average American, so with today’s portions it’seasy to eat more than we need.

Reading LabelsCalories from Fat should be not morethan 30 percent of your total dailycalories. So, make most of your foodchoices low fat. To know if a productcontains 30 percent or less fat and is asmart choice, multiply the number ofcalories from fat by three. If the resultis less than or equal to the totalcalories, the product is acceptable.Percent Daily Values tell you if a foodis high or low in specific nutrients. If afood has a DV of 20 percent or more,it’s considered high in that nutrient.Low means 5 percent or less. Choosefoods with low DV’s for fat, cholesteroland sodium and high DV for fibervitamins and minerals.The daily values that have been set forcertain nutrients are listed on largerpackages for both a 2, 000 and 2,500calorie diet. This information is basedon current dietary guidance and canhelp you understand the basics of agood diet and plan healthy meals.

Serving Size – Tells you what isconsidered one serving of theproduct. Every other nutrient on thelabel is based on this amount. It isthe amount people usually eat. If theserving size is ½ cup and you eatone whole cup, you’ll need to doublethe calories, grams of fat, and othernutrients to learn what you actuallygot in the serving.Calories – A unit of energy. Caloriesin food come from carbohydrates,protein and fat.The list of nutrients and amounts ineach serving includes: total fat,saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium,total carbohydrates, dietary fiber, andprotein.

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Ingredients on a Food Label will be listed in descending order of weight. Thelist is required on all foods, even standardized ones such as mayonnaise andbread. The sources of some ingredients, such as certain flavorings, will bestated by name to help people better identify ingredients that they avoid forhealth, religious, or other reasons.

Digestive System

The digestive system consists of several organs and body parts that aid in thedigestion of food. Our body needs food for fuel and energy , and the digestionsystem helps break food down into small pieces so the body can use it. The foodgoes through many changes, both physical and chemical, as it travels throughthe digestive system.

Mouth

Even before you eat, when you smell food, see it , or think about it, digestionbegins. Saliva begins to form in your mouth. The food goes through a chemicalchange as the saliva breaks down carbohydrates into smaller molecules ofsugar. The enzymes, which are proteins that speed up chemical reactions, insaliva help with this process. Saliva is also used to moisten food so it can easilyslide through the esophagus.

The food starts to undergo physical changes as the teeth rip, tear, chew, andgrind it into smaller pieces. We have different types of teeth that are used indifferent ways to aid in the digestion of food. Canine teeth are sharp and pointyand are used for cutting and tearing food; incisors are big, flat wedge shapesthat are used for biting off food; bicuspids are teeth with two points on them andare used for grinding; and molars are flat and square shaped that are also usedfor grinding.

The tongue helps us move our food around in the mouth before swallowing it,and it tells us what the food tastes like. It also shapes the food into a ball calledbolus, which the tongue pushes toward the back of your throat and into theopening of your esophagus, the second part of the digestive tract.

Esophagus

The esophagus is like a stretchy pipe that's about 10 inches (25 centimeters)long. It moves food from the back of your throat to your stomach. Also, at theback of your throat, is your windpipe, which allows air to come in and out of yourbody. When you swallow the mashed-up food or liquids, a special flap called theepiglottis flops down over the opening of your windpipe to make sure the foodenters the esophagus and not the windpipe. If you've ever drank something toofast, started to cough, and heard someone say that your drink "went down thewrong pipe," the person meant that it went down yo ur windpipe by mistake. This

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happens when the epiglottis doesn't have enough time to flop down, and youcough involuntarily to clear your windpipe.

Once food has entered the esophagus, it do esn't just drop right into yourstomach. Instead, muscles in the w alls of the esophagus move in a wa ve motionto slowly squeeze the food through the esophagus. This takes about 2 or 3seconds. This process is known as peristalsis.

Any swelling or irritation to the esophagus is known as e sophagitis (esophagealinflammation.) This is usually caused by stomach acid that has flowed backwardsfrom the stomach to the esophagus (acid reflux). You may have problemsswallowing or feel a burning sensation when you eat.

Stomach

Your stomach is attached to the end of the esophag us. It's a stretchy sackshaped like the letter J. It has three important jobs:

to store the food you've eaten to break down the food into a liquid mixture to slowly empty that liquid mixture into the small intestine

The stomach is like a mixer. It churns and mashes together all the small balls offood that came down the esophagus into smaller and smaller pieces. It does thiswith help from the strong muscles in the walls of the stomach and gastric juicesthat come from the stomach's walls. In addition t o breaking down food, gastricjuices also help kill bacteria that might be in the eaten food. A gastric ulcer,also known as a stomach ulcer, is a raw, eroded area in the lining of thestomach. A gastric ulcer develops when the stomach acids and digestiv e juicesinjure the stomach’s lining of protective mucus.

The small intestine is a long tube that's about 1 1/2 inches to 2 inches (about3.5 to 5 centimeters) around, and it's found beneath your stomach. The tubeconnecting the stomach to the small inte stine is known as the pyloris. If youstretched out an adult's small intestine, it would be about 22 fee t long (6.7meters). The small intestine breaks down the food mixture even more so yourbody can absorb all the vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.The small intestine can help extract these nutrients with a little help from thepancreas, liver, and gallbladder.

Those organs send different juices to the first part of the small intestine. Thesejuices help to digest food and allow the body to absorb nutrients. The pancreasmakes juices that help the body digest fats and protein. A juice from the livercalled bile helps to absorb fats into the bloodstream. And the gallbladder servesas a warehouse for bile, storing it until the body needs it.

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Your food may spend as long as 4 ho urs in the small intestine and will become avery thin, watery mixture. It's time well spent because, at the end of the journey,the nutrients from your food can pass from the intestine into the blood. Once inthe blood, your body is closer to benefiting f rom the complex carbohydrates inthe food.

Liver

The nutrient-rich blood comes directly to the liver for processing. The liver filtersout harmful substances or wastes, turning some of the waste into more bile. Theliver even helps figure out how many nutrients will go to the rest of the body, andhow many will stay behind in storage. For example, the liver stores certainvitamins and sugars your body uses for energy.

Large Intestine

At 3 or 4 inches around (about 7 to 10 centimeters), the large intestine is fatterthan the small intestine and it's almost the last stop on the digestive tract. Itwould measure 5 feet (about 1.5 meters) long if you spread it out.

The large intestine has a tiny tube with a closed end coming off it called theappendix. The appendix is part of the digestive tract, but it doesn't seem to doanything, though it can cause big problems, because it sometimes gets infectedand needs to be removed.

After most of the nutrients are removed from the food mixture, there is waste leftover that your body can't use. This waste needs to be passed out of the body.Before it goes, it passes through the part of the large intestine called the colon,which is where the body has a final chance to absorb the water and someminerals into the blood. As the water leaves the waste product, what's left getsharder and harder as it keeps moving along, until it becomes a solid. It's calledstool or a bowel movement.

The large intestine pushes thestool into the rectum, the very laststop on the digestive trac t. Thesolid waste stays here until you areready to go to the bathroom. Whenyou go to the bathroom, you aregetting rid of this solid waste bypushing it through the anus. Youcan help your digestive systemprocess food by drinking water andeating a healthy diet that includesfoods rich in fiber. High-fiber foods,

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like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, make it easier for stool to pass throughyour system.

More Information about Digestive System Organs

Organ Location Size Function Vital Organ(Yes/No)??

Mouth Center of facebelow nose andabove chin.

32 teeth in theaverage adult'smouth work tomechanically breakdown the food.

Entryway for foodinto the body, tobegin mechanicaldigestion throughchewing. Saliva,excreted into themouth fromadjacent salivaryglands, is slightlyacidic and is usedto soften and beginchemicallybreaking down thefood.

Yes

Esophagus Directly behind thetrachea andpierces thediaphragm on itsway to thestomach.

10 inches (25centimeters) long

Moves food fromthe back of yourthroat to yourstomach.

Yes

Stomach Located directlyunder thediaphragm.Connected to theesophagus and theduodenum (the firstpart of the smallintestine).

12 inches (30.5cm) long and is 6inches. (15.2 cm)wide at its widestpoint. Its capacityis about 1 qt (0.94liters) in an adult.

Stores the foodyou've eaten,breaks down thefood into a liquidmixture, slowlyempties that liquidmixture into thesmall intestine.

Yes

Pancreas Positionedhorizontally alongthe posteriorcurvature of thestomach.

6 in. (12.5 cm )long and 1 in. (2.5cm) thick

Contains enzymeproducing cells thatsecrete twohormones. The twohormones areinsulin andglucagon. Insulinand glucagon aresecreted directlyinto thebloodstream, andtogether, theyregulate the levelof glucose in theblood. Producesthe body's mostimportantenzymes. Theenzymes aredesigned to digestfoods and breakdown starches.

Yes

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Gall Bladder Located just belowthe liver and isattached to it bytissues.

3 to 4 inches (7.6to 10.2 cm) longand about 1 inch(2.5 cm) wide.

Active storageshed, whichabsorbs mineralsalts and waterreceived from theliver and converts itinto a thick, mucussubstance called"bile," to bereleased whenfood is present inthe stomach.

No

Liver Under diaphragmnear stomach andintestines.

Largest gland inthe body, weighing3 lb (1.36 kg).

Filters out harmfulsubstances orwastes, turningsome of the wasteinto more bile. Theliver helps figureout how manynutrients will go tothe rest of the bodyand how many willstay behind instorage. The liverstores certainvitamins and a typeof sugar your bodyuses for energy.

Yes

Appendix Coming off largeintestine, tiny tubewith a closed end.

Averages 10 cm inlength, but canrange from 2-20cm. The diameterof the appendix isusually less than 7-8 mm.

Has no function inmodern humans;however it isbelieved to havebeen part of thedigestive system inour primitiveancestors.

No

SmallIntestine

Begins at thepyloric sphincterand coils throughthe central andlower part of theabdomen where iteventually opensinto the largeintestine by way ofthe ileocecalsphincter.

1 1/2 inches to 2inches (about 3.5to 5 centimeters)around, 22 feetlong (6.7 meters)

Breaks down thefood mixture evenmore so your bodycan absorb all thevitamins, minerals,proteins,carbohydrates, andfats.

Yes

LargeIntestine

Begins with theileocecal sphincterand coils up theright side of theabdomen, acrossthe back and downthe left side of the

3 or 4 inchesaround (about 7 to10 centimeters), 5feet (about 1.5meters) long

Substances whichhave not beenabsorbed in thesmall intestineenter the largeintestine in theform of liquid and

Yes

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abdomen where itconnects to therectum.

fiber. The first halfof the colonabsorbs fluids andrecycles them intothe blood stream.The second halfcompacts thewastes into feces,secretes mucuswhich binds thesubstances, andlubricates it toprotect the colonand ease itspassage.

Rectum Forms the lowestportion of the largeintestine andconnects it to theanus.

The last 20 cm (8in) of the largeintestine.

The last stop onthe digestive tract,the solid wastestays here until it isready to beexpelled from thebody.

Yes

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Learning Experience 1 – Getting StartedObjective: Students will brainstorm/share their ideas/attitu des about the

foods they eat.

What are our attitudes aboutfood?

This learning experience helpsstudents begin thinking about theconcept of food and the foodsthey often eat and like to eat.

Read the book, Gregory, theTerrible Eater, by SharmatMitchell. Discuss with studentsthe characters in the book andtheir attitudes about the foodsthey are eating.

Discussion Questions:Why were Gregory’s parents sofrustrated with him?What are some of the foodsGregory liked?What is some of the “junk” we eatin our diet?What happened when he ate toomuch junk?What do you think is the finalmessage of the book?

Ask students to go to the ActivitySheet for Learning Experience 1in the Nutrition and DigestionStudent Activity Book. On theActivity Sheet, there are a varietyof items that get students tobegin thinking about what theyalready know about the conceptof food in general and the foodsthey eat. Ask students tocomplete the “brainstorm” ontheir own then share their

Materials:For each student:Nutrition and Digestion Student ActivityBookColored pencils/crayons*

*provided by teacher/student

For the class:Book - Gregory, the Terrible Eater bySharmat Mitchell

Preparation:Read background information on p. 3 -9.

Basic Skills Development:DiscussingBrainstorming

Evaluation Strategy:Students will begin to examine the foodsthey eat and their attitudes about food.

Vocabulary:fooddietnutritionattitude

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Learning Experience 1 – Getting Started, cont.Page 2knowledge/ideas with the class. Students can use colored pencils/crayons todecorate the sheet, as well.

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Learning Experience 2 – Food PyramidObjective: Students will examine the parts of the new USDA My Pyramid for

Kids. Students will identify the food groups on the pyramid andthe importance of daily physical activity as part of good health.

What are the main parts of thenew USDA My Pyramid for Kids?

Session 1Hang the My Pyramid for Kidsposter provided by the USDA(United States Department ofAgriculture) in the classroomwhere students can see it. Askstudents to describe what theysee. They should mention thecolored stripes, colored stripes ofdifferent widths, pictures of food,stairs, etc. Discuss with studentsthat everyone needs food to liveand grow, but eating foods highin sugar and fat does not allow usto eat the foods that are high innutrients. As a class, you aregoing to discuss the parts of thefood pyramid on the poster andhow it will help us choosehealthier foods.

Use the sheet, A Close Look atMyPyramid, on page 24 of thisTeacher’s Guide to take studentsthrough the different parts of thefood pyramid that are crucial tounderstanding how it works.Each portion of the A Close Lookat MyPyramid sheet has anActivity Sheet that goes with it.(page 1 –foods in each group;page 2- group stripes; page 3-physical activities). You maywant to first go over how to readthe pyramid as a whole, then gothrough each

Materials:For each student:Nutrition and Digestion Student ActivityBookColored Pencils*

For the class:1 set of measuring cups1 MyPyramid for Kids Poster by theUSDA

*provided by teacher/student

Preparation:Read background information on p. 3 -9.

Basic Skills Development:ClassifyingInterpreting DataBrainstormingDiscussing

Evaluation Strategy:Students will identify the parts of the MyPyramid for Kids and begin to apply it totheir daily diets.

Vocabulary:food pyramid sugargrain servingmilk portionmeatvegetablefruitphysical activitywidenarrowhealthyoilfat

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Learning Experience 2 – Food Pyramid, cont.Page 2

part and examine it more closely. Begin by discussing each food group shownon the pyramid. Ask students to identify the foods they know that are shown onthe poster. If students don’t know what “grains” are, discuss how they come fromplants like wheat, corn, and oats. We use grains to make bread, cereal, cornmuffins, etc. Popcorn is in the grain group, as well.

Point out to students the thin yellow stripe in the pyramid. It represents oils,which is not considered a food group, however are often found in foods like nutsor fish or added to foods as soft margarine or salad oil. Note to students howthin the stripe is. For most people, it is important to limit the amount of oils theyeat.

Discussion Questions:What are some other foods that we know from each food group?What are some healthy food choices from the food groups?

Ask students to go to page 1 of the Activity Sheet for Learning Experience 2 inthe Nutrition and Digestion Student Activity Book. On page 1 of the ActivitySheet, there are foods listed in groups of four. Three foods in each set belongsto the same group and the fourth does not. Read the names of the four foods tothe students. Students are to listen to the four foods an d raise their hands whenthey know which food doesn’t belong in the group. Ask students to explain whythe food doesn’t belong. Students can then get into groups of two and come upwith their own group listing and ask the class to identify which food sho uld not bein their group.

Answers to page 1 of the Students Activity Book:

Yogurt, American cheese, carrots, milk

Turkey, potato chips, pork chops, hamburger

Grapefruit, crackers, rye bread, dinner roll

Orange juice, soft drink, apple juice, ba nana

French fries, fried chicken, fish sticks, fried egg

Frozen yogurt, buttermilk, 2% reduced fat milk, milk chocolate candy bar

Orange, fruit cocktail, muffin, cantaloupe

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Learning Experience 2 – Food Pyramid, cont.Page 3

Celery, coleslaw, cheddar cheese, lettuce

Apple, strawberries, banana, squash

Corn on the cob, corn flakes, spinach, salad

Chocolate milk, chocolate pudding, chocolate cake, chocolate milkshake

Peanut butter, shrimp, raisins, sunflower seeds

Fried egg, hard cooked egg, scrambled egg, egg noodles

Whole wheat bread, mashed potatoes, cauliflower, zucchini

Pancake, English muffin, tortilla, cookie

Peach, potato, pear, pineapple

Mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, oatmeal, frozen yogurt

Green beans, green pepper, green peas, green grapes

Waffle, watermelon, white bread, rice

Biscuit, bagel, broccoli, bran flakes

Session 2Ask students if they know why the food group stripes are wider at the bottom ofthe My Pyramid for Kids than at the top. Every food group h as foods that fall intothe bottom and the top of the pyramid. Therefore, every food group has foodsthat you should eat more often than others; these are at the bottom of the MyPyramid for Kids. The wider stripes at the bottom remind you to eat more ofthese healthier foods. Explain that the food at the bottom of the pyramid providevitamins and minerals without a lot of solid fat or added sugar. Examples couldinclude: a slice of whole wheat bread, a piece of fruit, steamed vegetables, fatfree milk, or baked chicken. Students should realize that they should choosethese foods most often because it is important to eat the nutrients the bodyneeds without eating too much fat or sugar. Foods with higher amounts of solidfat and added sugar are in the na rrower top area of the pyramid. Tell studentsthat occasionally everyone can enjoy these foods (cake, chips, fried foods). Buteating too many of the foods from the top of the pyramid could lead to weightgain. Listed in the following chart are some examples. In the grains group, forexample, whole wheat bread would be found at the wider part of the grain stripeon the pyramid because it is a healthier choice. However, the doughnut, also inthis category, would fall in the narrower area of the grain s tripe. This tells us that

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Learning Experience 2 – Food Pyramid, cont.Page 4

when we eat a doughnut it should be sparingly and not often. The chart foundbelow is found on page 2 of the Activity Sheet for Learning Experience 2 in theNutrition and Digestion Student Activity Book . Explanations of why the foodshave been placed in each category are found in the completed chart below.These explanations are the points the teacher may make to the class about eachgroup. On student charts, there are spaces where they are to think of examplesof foods that would be considered appropriate for the wider area of the pyramidand narrower end of the pyramid. Discuss their ideas as a class.

Food Groups Wider Area Narrower AreaGrains Whole wheat bread Doughnut

Explanation: Whole wheat bread is awhole grain food with littlefat.

Doughnuts are fried andhave lots of fat and addedsugar.

Vegetables Baked sweet potato French friesExplanation: Baked sweet potato is an

orange vegetable full ofvitamins and minerals and itdoesn’t need butter orsugar to taste good.

French fries are alsopotatoes, but they are friedand have a lot of fat.

Fruits Peach Peach pieExplanation: Fresh peaches are in their

most natural form and havea lot of vitamins andminerals.

A slice of peach pie hasless than one peach andhas a lot of added sugarand fat.

Milk Lowfat frozen yogurt Ice creamExplanation: Both lowfat frozen yogurt

and ice cream are dessertsmade from milk. The lowfatfrozen yogurt is usuallymade from fat-free milk.

Ice cream is often madewith cream, which is higherin fat.

Meat and Beans Baked fish Fried fishExplanation: Fish has lots of protein. The

amount of fat in baked fishis less because of how it iscooked.

The fried fish is muchhigher in fat because ofhow it is cooked.

Session 3Ask students why they think there are stairs on the poster next to the pyramid ?The stairs represent physical activity. Part of being healthy is keeping physically

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Learning Experience 2– Food Pyramid, cont.Page 5

active. There are several activities shown on the poster that qualify as ways tostay physically active. Ask stude nts to think about some ways they stay active.On page 3 of the Activity Sheet for Learning Experience 2 in the Nutrition andDigestion Student Activity Book , a graphic organizer is shown that asks studentsto list different ways that they can stay active . Students are to get into groups ofthree or four and discuss the different activities that could fall into each category.The categories are sports activities (soccer, basketball), hobbies (dance, karate),and everyday activities (yard work, walking). Have groups share their ideas foractivities with the class.

As a review, students will now recreate the My Pyramid for Kids to keep as areference. Remind students that they will use this copy of the pyramid throughoutthe unit. Using the wall poster, guide students in coloring in their food pyramidon page 4 of the Activity Sheet for Learning Experience 2 in the Nutrition andDigestion Student Activity Book . Have students color the stripes to match thecolors on the poster. Review each food group as they color in their stripes.Write in the name of each group in the boxes below each stripe on the pyramid.Below these boxes is an area in which students can write information about thecategory on the pyramid that represents “oils”. The “oil drop” at the beginning ofthis row shows students where to write this information.

Session 4Discuss with students how each food group provides different nutrients and nosingle food group can supply all the nutrients our body needs. Each food groupprovides a unique set of nutrients and all the foods in each group have similarnutrients. For example, foods in the Milk Group provide calcium, protein, andriboflavin, while foods in the vegetable group provide vitamins A and C. That’swhy it’s important to eat f rom all the food groups to get the 40+ nutrients ourbodies need each day.

Point out to students on the poster where it shows “serving size” for each foodgroup. Although “serving size” and “portion size” are often used interchangeably,there is a difference and knowing the difference helps compare what to eataccording to the My Pyramid for Kids recommendations.

Discuss serving size first. The My Pyramid for Kids provides food grouprecommendations in “ounces and “cups”. Recommendations for the grain groupand meat group are provided in ounces, while the milk group, vegetable groupand fruit group are in cups. The serving size that is equal to an “ounce” or “cup”are provided for each food group. For example, 1 ½ ounces of cheese or 8 fluidoz. of yogurt count as 1 cup from the milk group, 1 slice of bread or ½ cup of

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Learning Experience 2 – Food Pyramid, cont.Page 6

cooked pasta counts as a serving from the grain group. My Pyramid for Kidsshows common serving sizes for a number of different f oods within each group.The amount we need from each Food Group depends on our age, gender, andphysical activity level. Students can go to www.MyPyramid.gov and click on MyPyramid Plan to find the amounts that are right for them. A variety of choicesbased on their age, gender, and activity level are found on page 5 of the ActivitySheet for Learning Experience 2 in the Nutrition and Digestion Student ActivityBook. Go over the choices with students and discu ss how age, gender, andespecially activity level seem to affect the serving sizes for each group. Studentscan then circle the box that seems to include the information that fits them best. Ifthe student’s information is not provided in the boxes, then going to the websitelisted above will be necessary. You may want each child to go to the website sohe/she can print out a personalized plan to use. Remind students that the posterof My Pyramid for Kids is based on an 1800 calorie diet. But as students cansee, some people need more or less calories based on their age, gender, andactivity level. Students will use their personal information when recordinginformation on their Food Journal in the next Learning Experience.

Serving sizes are also listed on the Nutrition Facts Panel of the nutrition label onproducts, along with the calorie and nutrient content for a serving. Serving sizeson food labels may be different from My Pyramid for Kids servings. For example,serving sizes for beverages is 1 cup, whether its fruit juice, milk, or soda. Thisallows you to use the nutrition label to compare similar foods. While the nutritionlabel tells us what people might typically eat, it is not a recommendation for howmuch we should eat. The number of servin gs in a package is also listed on thenutrition label. Students need to keep in mind that many packages that looksingle servings often contain two or more servings.

Portion size is the amount we eat at a meal or snack. Portion sizes can bebigger or smaller than My Pyramid for Kids Serving Size equivalents. Researchshows that Americans are eating larger and larger portions, which may contributeto the current epidemic of obesity. As an example, a typical bagel today maycount as two or three servings from the Grain Group. My Pyramid recommends6 oz. from the Grain Group for the average American, so with today’s portions it’seasy to eat more than we need. Go over the servings from each group and showstudents using measuring cups what a serving siz e would look like. Compare 1cup to ½ cup servings, etc. Students can then make a mental image and use it tocompare what they actually eat daily.

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Learning Experience 2 – Food Pyramid, cont.Page 7

Session 5:Have students work in groups to resea rch the food groups. Have each groupchoose 1 food group to research and write a song, rap, or poem about that foodgroup and present it to the rest of the class.

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Learning Experience 3 – Food JournalObjective: Students will journal the foods they e at during one day and

organize their information into appropriate food groups andserving sizes.

What do we eat daily?

Session 1Ask students to review the MyPyramid for Kids poster andhandout that they created onpage 4 of the Activity Sheet forLearning Experience 2 in theNutrition and Digestion StudentActivity Book based on theposter.

Ask students to go to the ActivitySheet for Learning Experience 3in the Nutrition and DigestionStudent Activity Book. On page 1of the Activity Sheet, there somenutrition tips to discuss with thestudents based on the pyramidand healthy eating.

Discussion Questions:What are the names of othergrains besides wheat? (oats, rye,corn)Name some dark green andorange vegetables. (broccoli,dark green leafy lettuce, romainelettuce, squash, carrots, pumpkin,sweet potatoes)Name some milk products.(cheese, yogurt, ice cream)Do you think most kids get 60minutes of physical activity daily?Why or why not?

Before students write their foodchoices on a food journal oranalyze their food choices in the

Materials:For each student:Nutrition and Digestion Student ActivityBook

For the class:1 set of measuring cupsChart paper*Markers*

*provided by teacher/student

Preparation:Read background information on p. 3-9.

Basic Skills Development:DiscussingCollecting DataClassifyingMeasuringAnalyzing

Evaluation Strategy:Students accurately journal their fo odchoices and organize their informationinto appropriate food groups/servingsizes.

Vocabulary:journalservingcaloriecombinationgoalphysical activity

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Learning Experience 3 – Food Journal, cont.Page 2next Learning Experience, they need to be aware of the combination foods theyeat that may fall into several food groups. Write the words “Combinatio n Foods”on the chalkboard. Have students decide what the term means. Define for theclass. These are foods that combine 2 or more foods from the five food groups.

Recreate the chart shown below on chart paper or on the chalkboard. Listed inthe food column on the chart are examples of combination foods. Have studentgroups work together to identify ingredients in each food and the foodgroup/category which each ingredient belongs. The same chart is found on page2 of the Activity Sheet for Learning Exp erience 3 in the Nutrition and DigestionStudent Activity Book for group use. Have student groups share their ideas andcomplete the chart with the class.

Food Grain Vegetables Fruit Milk Meat/Bean OthersBean Burrito Tortilla Lettuce,

tomatoMonterrey

jack cheeseRefried beans

Peanut Butterand JellySandwich

Wholewheatbread

Peanut butter Jelly

Cheeseburger Bun Lettuce,tomato

Cheddarcheese

Beef patty Ketchupmustard

Pizza Pizzacrust

Pizza sauce Mozzarellacheese

Pepperoni

CheeseSandwich

Bread Americancheese

Chef salad Lettuce,tomato, carrot

Swisscheese

Turkey, ham Saladdressing

Sub Sandwich Frenchbread

Lettuce,tomato

Provolonecheese

Ham, salami Mayo

Sundae Strawberries Frozenyogurt

Nuts

Session 2On page 3 of the Activity Sheet for Learning Experience 3 in the Nutrition andDigestion Student Activity Book , the My Pyramid Food Journal is shown. Goover the various parts of the chart. For this Learning Experience, students are tocomplete the “Goal” column and “Wr ite in Your Food Choices for Today” column.The teacher may want to fill out these columns partially or completely and thenshare their model with students. First, students are to think back to page 5 of theActivity Sheet for Learning Experience 2. The information that fit their age,gender, and activity level is to be used for this food journal. In the “Goal” columnof the chart, ask student to write their personal information for calories, servingsfor food groups, and activity level. Then ask studen ts to fill out the “FoodChoices” column with all the foods and the amounts that they eat/ate forbreakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks for the day. They will only be able to fill out

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Learning Experience 3 – Food Journal, cont.Page 3a portion of the chart and then will complete the rest at home. Explain to studentsthat they need to be as accurate as possible as they will analyze their foodchoices in the next Learning Experience. Students should also be accurate inlisting their serving size for the foods they eat. They should think about theportions they have eaten and then decide how many servings that would include.Review serving sizes (cups, ounces) with students. Students should alsoremember to write in any condiments, oils, dressings they h ave added to theirfoods. These items will fit into the “Others” category and will be discussed inLearning Experiences 4 and 5. Finally, remind students to list the amount ofphysical activity and time spent on each activity. The physical activity must bewhat they do in addition to their regular daily routines.

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Learning Experience 4 – Analyze Food ChoicesObjective: Students will analyze their food/physical activity choices and

write how they will improve their choices.

What are my food choices on adaily basis?

After students have completedthe “Goal” and “Food Choices”columns of their food journal,students are to analyze theirchoices by looking back on whattheir daily servings should bebased on age, gender, andphysical activity. Then on theirfood journal complete the columntitled “List Each Food Choices InIts Food Group”. For this column,students are breaking apart theirfood choices for each meal andsnack and putting it in the correctfood group category along withthe serving amounts they ate.Some foods they eat will not fitinto any group. These would bepart of the “Others” category andare mainly fat or sugar (soda,butter.) Students are to writethese foods on the back of theirfood chart.

Ask students to go to the ActivitySheet for Learning Experience 4in the Nutrition and DigestionStudent Activity Book. On theActivity Sheet, there is anotherchart listing the food groups. Thischart allows students to pull thenecessary information out of theirfood journal to analyze their foodchoices. Students are to againwrite in the daily servingsrecommended for their age,gender, and physical activity level

Materials:For each student:Nutrition and Digestion Student ActivityBookNotebooks*

*provided by teacher/student

Preparation:Read background information on p. 3-9.A model of the two paragraphs to bewritten by students may be necessaryfor students to complete the assignmentcompletely.

Basic Skills Development:Interpreting DataMaking Decisions

Evaluation Strategy:Students will analyze their food andphysical activity choices based on theirpersonal goals and write descriptiveparagraphs on how they will improvetheir choices.

Vocabulary:analyzeparagraphrecommendsummarize

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Learning Experience 4 – Analyze Food ChoicesPage 2in the second column. Then they are to record th e actual amounts of food eatenfrom each group and their actual activity level for the day. Students are to thencompare the recommendations to their actual results.

Have students summarize their results by writing a two paragraph essayanswering the following questions:

Paragraph 1 – How did I do in each food group?Paragraph 2 – How can I improve my eating habits? Give examples.

Students can then share their essays with the class or with their small groups.

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Learning Experience 5 – What is in our Food?Objective: The students will identify the function/purpose of nutrients

found in foods and categorize food items that are healthy to eat.

What is actually in the foods weeat?

Session 1As an introduction to healthyeating and understanding whatour body needs, read the KidsDiscover magazine calledNutrition. Have students fill outthe page for Learning Experience5 in the Nutrition and DigestionStudent Activity Book. They willfill in the chart as you read themagazine aloud. Discuss theiranswers after you have read themagazine. You can make a classsize version of this chart on theboard or on chart paper.

Session 2

Start by reading pages 4-11 fromthe book Food and Digestion bySteve Parker. Some of this is areview from the previous lesson,but it helps for students to hear itmore than once. Students willthen make a traffic light similar tothe one shown on page 7 in theFood and Digestion book. Thestudents have a traffic light alongwith descriptions in their Nutritionand Digestion Student ActivityBook. They will use this as aguide in making a large trafficlight out of construction paper.Have the students cut out thecircle pattern from their Nutritionand Digestion Student ActivityBook, and have them trace 1circle each out of red, yellow, and

Materials:For each student:Nutrition and Digestion StudentsActivity Book

For each pair of students:11”X17” piece of black constructi onpaper cut in half lengthwiseRed, yellow, and green constructionpaper*Glue*Scissors*

For the class:Kids Discover Nutrition MagazineChart paper/chalkboard*Book - Food and Digestion by SteveParkerMagazines/sale ads*Food and Nutrition Book by Foss

*provided by teacher

Preparation:Read background information on p. 3 -9. If you’re making a class size chart,make the template on chart paper oron the board ahead of time. Cut 11 ”X17” black construction paper in half.The paper will be slightly skinnier than6”, but this is close enough.

Evaluation Strategy:Students will create a chart to identifythe function/purpose of nutrients andcreate a traffic light to categorizefoods.

Basic Skills Development:discussingIdentifyingcategorizing

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Learning Experience 5 – What is in our Food?Page 2

green construction paper. Theywill then glue them in place on alarge sheet of black constructionpaper to create a traff ic light.Have students cut pictures offood out of magazines, print themoff the computer, or simply drawpictures of food on each color ofthe traffic light. They will use thedescriptions provided in theNutrition and Digestion StudentActivity Book as a guide inknowing where to place thepictures they find.

Discussion Questions:What types of food did you put onyour red light? (sweets, candy,cake, etc.)Why do you think we need to eatmore foods that are in the greenlight? (They contain the nutr ientsour bodies need.)

Extension Activities:Read pages 1-5 in the Food andNutrition Book by Foss about fatsin foods and pages 22-25 aboutvitamins. You can also readpages 38-40 for fun facts aboutfood. Have your students makethe Healthy Trail Mix that is foundon page 39.

Vocabulary:NutrientsIronVitamin ACarbohydratesCalciumProteinSodium chlorideVitamin DAntioxidantsVitamin BLycopene

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Learning Experience 5 – What is in our Food?Page 3Answer Key for page 1 of Learning Experience 5 in the Nutrition and DigestionsStudent Activity Book.

Nutrient What it does for your body

Iron Helps make hemoglobin, which makesred blood cells.

Vitamin A Necessary for healthy vision.

Carbohydrates Give the body energy.

Calcium Helps build strong bones and teeth.

Protein Helps every cell grow.

Sodium chloride Regulates blood pressure and water inthe body.

Vitamin D Helps the body absorb calcium.

Antioxidants Guard against damage by free radicals.

Vitamin B Needed to make the genetic materialsDNA and RNA.

Lycopene Protects against heart disease andcertain cancers.

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Learning Experience 6 – Variety of FoodsObjective: Students will identify the variety of different foods that can be

eaten from each food group and name foods that can be eaten inplace of the foods in their “others” category on their food chart.

Why should we eat a variety offoods?

Session 1Discuss with students that weneed to eat a “variety” of differentfoods to have a nutritional diet.Discuss the word “variety” andask students to come up withdifferent examples of “variety”(variety of subjects in school,variety of choices of activities,etc.) Explain that the same istrue for nutrition or good health;we need to eat a variety ofdifferent foods. Each food groupprovides us with a different set ofnutrients.

Draw two boxes on thechalkboard. In one box wri te“This is variety” and include thevegetables:

carrot baked potato broccoli

In the second box, write “This isnot variety” and include thevegetables:

baked potato mashed potatoes French fries

Discuss why the first exampleprovides variety and the seconddoes not.

Materials:For each student:Nutrition and Digestion Student ActivityBookNotebooks*

*provided by teacher/student

Preparation:Read background information on p. 3 -9.Students may need to refer to theparagraphs they wrote in LearningExperience 4 to help them complete p. 2& 3 of the Activity Sheet for LearningExperience 6.

Basic Skills Development:DiscussingGeneralizingInterpreting DataMaking Decisions

Evaluation Strategy:Students will accurately identify a varietyof foods from each food group andanalyze their food choices for ways theycan add variety to their diets.

Vocabulary:varietydietnutrients

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Learning Experience 6 – Variety of Foods, cont.Page 2Repeat using a fruit example:“This is variety”: apple, orange, strawberries“This is not variety”: apple juice, applesauce, and apple

Note to students that the milk group is a bit unique because students can drinkthree glasses of milk a day. Milk provides the complete range of nutrientssupplied by this food group.

Point out what each individual group provides:Milk group: calcium, protein, riboflavinVegetable group: Vitamins A & CFruit group: Vitamins A & CMeat group: iron and protein

Some foods in each group are a better source of nutrients than others. In thevegetable group, tomatoes are a good source of Vitamin C, but low in vitamin A.But carrots are a good source of v itamin A, but low in vitamin C. We need to eata variety of foods within each group to get all the nutrients our body needs.

On page 1 of the Activity Sheet for Learning Experience 6 in the Nutrition andDigestion Student Activity Book , there are three case studies for student groupsto read and discuss. Students can refer to any of the previous materials used inthis unit to help them formulate solutions for the case studies. After groupdiscussions are complete, discuss answers as a class.

Conclude this session by asking students to look at their food journal and thefoods they have eaten in each food group. Students are to decide if they ate avariety from each food group. On page 2 of the Activity Sheet for this LearningExperience, students are to provide some ways they can add more variety totheir meals and snacks. If students are not sure of ways they can add variety to aparticular food group, they can ask their group members for ideas.

Session 2Have students examine their food journal again . Have students focus on theitems that did not fit into a particular food category. These items are to be put inthe “Others” category and should have been listed on the back of their foodjournal activity sheet. Remind students that:

Foods like sodas, sweets, and butters are called “Others”. “Others” don’t belong in any of the Five Food Groups. “Others” foods aren’t bad. They just don’t help us grow and stay healthy.

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Learning Experience 6 – Variety of Foods, cont.Page 3

It’s okay to eat “Others” foods once in a while. But most of the foods youeat for meals and snacks should be part of the Five Food Groups.

Discussion Questions:What would keep your bones and teeth healthy if you only at e foods from the“Others” category?What foods would give you strong muscles?What foods would help heal cuts?

On page 3 of the Activity Sheet for Learning Experience 6, students are to list thefoods they have on their food journal that would be considered part of the“Others” category. They are to write these foo ds in the left hand column of thechart. On the right hand column they are to write in foods they could replacethese “Others” foods with to improve eating within other groups. For example,they could replace chocolate chip cookies with a yogurt as a sna ck and that mayimprove their serving size in the Milk Group. Students may also refer back to theparagraphs they wrote in the Analyze Food Choices Learning Experience to helpthem recall in what food groups more servings were needed.

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Learning Experience 7 – Reading LabelsObjective: Students will read and compare food labels and analyze their

contents for nutritional value.

What is on a Nutrition Label?

Session 1Read pages 27-29 from the bookFood and Nutrition by Foss aloudto the class. Show students thefood labels on packages of fooditems that were provided in thekit. These can be hung on abulletin board to be on displaythroughout the unit.

Ask students to go to page 1 ofthe Activity Sheet for LearningExperience 7 in the Nutrition andDigestion Student Activity Book.On this page, there are a varietyof food labels for various foodsfound in the Milk group. Foodlabels give us importantinformation about the nutritionalvalue of the foods we are eating.Discuss the following informationwith students about these variousfood labels.

Ask students to look for thewords “serving size” on thelabels. In the case of milk, theserving size is 8 fl.oz. or 1cup. While ice cream andcottage cheese servings are½ cup (show these amountsusing the measuring cupsprovided). Serving size is theamount chosen by thecompany that packages thefood. This amount may besmaller or larger than whatyou would serve yourself.

Materials:For each student:Nutrition and Digestion Student ActivityBook

For the class:Book – Food and Nutrition by Foss5 food packages1 set of measuring cups

*provided by teacher/student

Preparation:Read background information on p. 8 -9.

Basic Skills Development:DiscussingCollecting DataInterpreting DataMaking Decisions

Evaluation Strategy:Students will compare food labels andanalyze their contents to makeconclusions about nutritional value.

Vocabulary:label carbohydrateserving fibercalorie sugarsaturated fat proteintrans fat nutrientcholesterolsodium

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Learning Experience 7 – Reading Labels, cont.Page 2

Have students find the number of calories in a single serving of food.Each of the first four labels are for 8 fl. oz. of milk, however, the amount ofcalories are different. Why? Fat and sugar content.

Point out to students that if they drink 16 fl. oz . of milk that would be 2servings of milk, therefore they need to double the calories they are takingin.

Locate the number of fat grams in the various labels. Notice that saturatedfat and trans fat are also listed out.

Note the amount of cholesterol, so dium, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, andprotein.

Also on the food label, students will find numbers followed by percentsigns. This is where calcium is listed for the milk products. They shoulduse the % Daily Value (DV) column when possible. They shouldremember that 5% DV or less is low, 20% DV or more is high. If the foodis not a significant source of a nutrient, it is listed below the Daily Valuesection of the label.

Ask student groups to practice reading food labels by completing page 2 of theActivity Sheet for Learning Experience 7 in the Nutrition and Digestion StudentActivity Book. Have students complete the chart at the top of page 2 of theActivity Sheet, filling in the information from the four nutrition labels of milk. Thenstudents can analyze all the labels and answer the questions at the bottom of theActivity Sheet. Check student group answers and discuss.

Answers to page 2 Activity Sheet:

Fat-freemilk

1%chocolate

milk

2% milk Wholemilk

What is the serving sizefor this item?

1 cup (8 fl oz) 1 cup (8 fl oz) 1 cup (8 fl oz) 1 cup (8 fl oz)

Is the serving sizerealistic? (Is this howmuch you wouldnormally eat/drink?)

Answers mayvary.

How many total caloriesin one serving?

90 170 130 150

How many total gramsof fat in one serving?

0 2.5 5 8

What percent of calciumin one serving?

30% DV 30% DV 30% DV 30% DV

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Learning Experience 7 – Reading Labels, cont.Page 3

Based on this information, which type of milk offers the most calcium with thelowest fat? Fat-free

Now look at all the labels on the page. Answer these questions:

1. If Michael drinks 8 fluid ounces of 1% chocolate milk and eats 6 ounces offruit-flavored yogurt, how much calcium has he had? 50% DVHow many grams of fat? 4 grams

2. Which food item on the sheet has t he least calcium with the highestamount of fat? Vanilla ice cream

3. Which food item on the sheet has the most calcium with the lowestamount of fat? Fat free milk

Session 2Now that students have some experience reading nutrition labels on foods,student pairs are to compare and contrast two food labels of similar products.This may be two different kinds of snacks, two different kinds of desserts, twofruits, etc. The food labels are provided in the Nutrition and Digestion StudentActivity Book. If students need other labels to look at, they can find them atwww.nutritiondata.com. Students are to answer the questions on pages 3 and 4of the Activity Sheet for Learning Experience 7 in the Nutrition and DigestionStudent Activity Book about the food labels on each product. At the bottom ofpage 4 of the Activity Sheet, a question is posed to the students asking themwhat product seems to be more nutritional in their category and why. They are touse the information on the label to answer the questions and provide evidencefor their decision. Have student pairs then present to the class their final opinionabout the products and their explanation of why they felt one of the products wasthe more nutritional food item.

Session 3:Using the food labels found in the Nutrition and Digestion Student Activity Book ,have students create a menu of what they would eat for 1 day. If students needother food labels to look at, they can find them at www.nutritiondata.com. Atemplate has been created for them to fill out in the Nutrition and DigestionStudent Activity Book on pages 5-6 for Learning Experience 7 . Students shoulduse the My Pyramid Plan that was created or use d in Learning Experience 2 as aguide to know how many servings of each food group they should consume inone day.

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Learning Experience 8 - Getting Started WithDigestion

Objective: Students will discuss their back ground knowledge of thedigestive system.

What do we know about thedigestive system?

Session 1:Students are to complete theactivity sheet for LearningExperience #8 in the Nutritionand Digestion Student ActivityBook. Using the KWHL strategy,students will explore theirknowledge of the digestivesystem and then expand on itthroughout the unit. Brainstormwhat the students already“know” about the digestivesystem, which they will bestudying. Record their ideas onthe KWHL chart. Ask students tothink about these topics anddecide what it is about thedigestive system they would liketo know more about and recordtheir ideas under the “want toknow” column. Now that thestudents have decided what theywant to know, they need to thinkabout “how they are going tofind out” the answers to thequestions they have. After thehands-on activities included inthis unit, maintaining journals,and discussions, students canthen record information in the“what we learned and still wantto learn” column. This processcan be done in cooperativegroups where students gatherinformation in small groups andthen share their information withthe class. You can create a class

Materials:

For each student:Nutrition and Digestion StudentActivity Book

For the class:Book -The Magic School Bus Insidethe Human Body by Joanna Cole &Bruce DegenChart paper*

*provided by teacher

Preparation:Read background information on p. 9 -11.

Evaluation Strategy:Students will contribute ideas t o aKWHL chart on the Digestive System.

Basic Skills Development:BrainstormingWritingReadingListening

Vocabulary:Digestive System

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Learning Experience 8 – Getting Started, cont.Page 2

version of this chart using chart paper.

Session 2:Read The Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body by Joanna Cole and BruceDegen aloud to the class. This will give the students an overview of what theywill be learning about throughout the rest of the unit on the digesti ve system.The book does discuss other body systems because the food that is digested isused to provide energy for the entire body to use. As you read the book, havethe students star or underline the facts on the KWHL chart that are found in thebook. The students can also add more information to the chart as it is found inthe book.

Discussion Questions:Why does our body digest food? (To give our body energy)How does food move through the digestive system? (It is squeezed.)

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Learning Experience 9 - MouthObjective: Students will explain and demonstrate how food is digested in

the mouth.

How does the mouth aid indigestion?

Session 1Begin the Learning Experienceby reading the book, WhatHappens to a Hamburger by PaulShowers. The book has severalactivities for the students to do.You can either read the entirebook first, or have the studentsdo the activities while you arereading the book.

After reading page 10, give eachstudent 2 sugar cubes in a smallsandwich bag. Have eachstudent carefully crush the sugarcubes into powder and pour theminto a paper cup that is ¾ full ofwater. Stir until the sugar cubehas disappeared. Have thestudents take a sip of water.

Discussion Questions:Even though we can’t see thesugar anymore, is it still in thewater? (Yes)How do we know that? (We cantaste it.)

After reading pages 11 and 12,give each student a raw carrotand a 6” plate. Have thestudents take a bite of the carrot,chew it 10 times, and spit it outonto the plate. Have them takeanother bite of the carrot, chew it30 times, and spit it out on theother side of the plate.

Materials:

For Each Student:Nutrition and Digestion StudentActivity Book2 sugar cubes1 small sandwich bag1 paper cupWater*Plastic spoon1 baby carrot*2 paper plates1 sucker1 slice of individually wrapped cheese*1 paper towel*1 6” plate1 9” plateSamples of foods such as: apples,celery, leafy lettuce, nuts, raisins,cereal, pudding, cheese, fruit leathers,peanut butter, and prepared gelatinsquares*My Body, My Health Digestive SystemJournal

For the Class:Book – What Happens to a

Hamburger by Paul Showers

*provided by teacher

Preparation:Read background information on p. 9 -11. You may want to put the sugarcubes in the small sandwich bagsahead of time.

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Learning Experience 9 – Mouth, cont.Page 2

Discussion Questions:What is the difference betweenthe 2 piles of chewed up carrots?(One pile has smaller pieces.)How does chewing your foodmore affect the size of the foodpieces? (The more times youchew your food, the smaller thepieces will be.)

Before reading page 14, giveeach student 1 sucker to suck on.The students should be able tofeel saliva forming inside of theirmouths.

Have students fill out the journalfor Learning Experience 9 in theMy Body, My Health DigestiveSystem Journal.

Discussion Questions:What did you feel in the inside ofyour mouth while you weresucking on the candy? (spit orsaliva)Why do you think your mouthproduces saliva? (Answers mayvary. Finish reading the book tofind out why.)

Session 2Explain to students that chewingis the first step in the digestionprocess. We have different typesof teeth that are used in differentways to aid in the digestion offood. Canine teeth are sharpand pointy and are used forcutting and tearing food; incisorsare big, flat wedge shapes thatare used for biting off food;

Evaluation Strategy:The students will demonstrate anddiscuss how our teeth, tongue, andsaliva aid in digestion.

Basic Skills Development:AnalyzingDiscussingListeningDemonstrating

Vocabulary:DigestionSalivaCanine teethIncisorBicuspidMolartongue

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Learning Experience 9 – Mouth, cont.Page 3

bicuspids are teeth with two points on them and are used for grinding; andmolars are flat and square shaped that are also used for grinding.

Give each student 1 slice of individually wrapped cheese. Have them removethe wrapper, bite down on cheese, but don’t eat it. The students should bite hardenough to leave an imprint, but they are not to actually bite off a piece of thecheese. Have them remove the cheese from their mouths and place it on apaper towel. Have students draw the teeth imprint they see on their cheese onthe page for Learning Experience 9 in their Nutrition and Digestion StudentActivity Book. They will then use the labeled teeth diagram in their activity bookas a guide in labeling their own teeth. Students will also write the function foreach type of tooth.

Explain to students that they are now going to eat their cheese, but they have todo it by keeping their tongues pushed down on the bottom of their mouths. Theyare not allowed to move their tongue around while they are chewing the cheese.

Discussion Questions:Was it hard to eat your cheese without using your tongue? Why? (Yes, answersmay vary.)How does our tongue help us digest our food? (The tongue helps us move ourfood around in the mouth before swallowing it, and it tells us what the food tasteslike.)

Session 3Have students recall the different types of teeth and their functions from theprevious session. Give each student a 9” plate and samples of foods to eat suchas apples, celery, leafy lettuce, nuts, raisins, cereal, pudding, cheese, fruitleathers, peanut butter, and prepared gelatin squares. These are just examplesof what you can use. You can choose other food items, but just make sure youinclude a variety of foods with different textures so that some require morechewing than others, some should require tearing or grinding, and some shouldinclude no chewing at all. The students only need to take 1 bite of each food, soyou really don’t need a lot of each food item. If possible, have each student bringin 1 item to help cut down on the cost of the food. The students will use theinformation they gather from chewing different foods to create a graph. Have thestudents fill out the Activity Sheets on pages 2-3 for Learning Experience 9 in theNutrition and Digestion Student Activity Book.

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Learning Experience 9 – Mouth, cont.Page 4

Discussion Questions:Did some foods require more chewing than others? Why? (Yes, they aredifferent textures or some are hard and some are soft)

Which foods required tearing or grinding? (celery, fruit leathers, nuts, apples)

Did any foods require no chewing at all? Why not? (pudding, peanut butter,gelatin because they are like a thick liquid)

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Learning Experience 10 – Peristalsis and theEsophagus

Objective: The students will be able to demonstrate the movement of foodthrough the esophagus, which is known as peristalsis.

How does the esophagus aid indigestion?

Start by reading pages 14-17 inthe book Food and Digestion bySteve Parker. You will only readthe sections called “The gut, adigestive tube” and “Squeezingand Pushing” for this learningexperience. Review with studentswhat the esophagus is and locateit on the Blue Print for HealthDigestive System Poster . Havestudents recall the function of theesophagus and the term“peristalsis.”

The next two activities will bedone in stations. The studentswill work with a partner at eachstation. Explain the directions ofhow to do each activity to theentire class, and then break themup into pairs to do the activities.

Activity/Station 1:Explain to the students that afteryour food has been swallowed, itpasses through the esophagusinto the stomach. The studentswill then demonstrate this actionin the following activity.

Have students stand and hold upa section of the pipe insulationwhich will represent theesophagus. Put a ball into oneend of the tube. Students willthen take turns squeezing the balldown the tube as it passes by

Materials:

For each student:My Body, My Health Digestive SystemJournal

For the class:Book – Food and Digestion by SteveParkerBlueprint for Health Digestive SystemPosterFor each group of 4 students:1 stethoscopes4 crackers4 cupsWater*1 2 ft. piece of pipe insulation1 tennis ball

*provided by teacher

Preparation:Read background information on p. 9 -11.

Evaluation Strategy:Students will demonstrate how foodmoves through the esophagus bysqueezing a ball through plastictubing. Students will also discuss thesounds the esophagus makes whiledigesting food.

Basic Skills Development:ListeningManipulating MaterialsObserving

Vocabulary:EsophagusPeristalsis

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Learning Experience 10 – Peristalsis and thePage 2 Esophagus, cont.

them. This action is known as peristalsis, and this is how our food is pushedthrough the esophagus and throughout the r est of the digestive system. Thenhave students fill out the page for Learning Experience 10 in their My Body, MyHealth Digestive System Journal.

Discussion Questions:How did the ball get to the end of the tube? (by squeezing it)How do you think our food moves down our esophagus? (The muscles in theesophagus squeeze the food.)What is this process called? (peristalsis)

Activity/Station 2:Students will work in pairs to listen to their partners esophagus work. Onestudent will hold the end of the st ethoscope to his/her throat while chewing andswallowing a cracker and drinking some water. The other student puts thestethoscope in his/her ears and listens to the partner’s esophagus working. Thenhave the students trade jobs so each person has a chan ce to listen to theesophagus working. Then have students fill out the page for LearningExperience 10 in their My Body, My Health Digestive System Journal.

Discussion Questions:How do we know the esophagus is working? (We can hear it.)What sounds did you hear?

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Learning Experience 11: StomachObjective: The students will identify the parts and function of the stomach.

How does the stomach aid indigestion?

Session 1Start by reading pages 6, 7, and9 in the book Food and Nutritionby Foss as an introduction to thestomach and a review of theprevious parts of the digestivesystem.

Using the model of the stomachand the script provided, explain tostudents the parts and functionsof the stomach and how they aidin digestion. Have the studentslabel the parts of the stomach onthe page for LearningExperience11 in the Nutrition andDigestion Student Activity Book .

Session 2Review with students what thestomach is and locate it on theBlueprint for Health DigestiveSystem poster.

Students already discussed howthe different types of teeth areused in digestion, but now theywill discover why we need theteeth to break apart our food tomake digestion in the stomacheasier. The students will do anexperiment with crackers to seethe importance of chewing foodinto smaller pieces. Have eachpair of students crush 1 cracker intheir hands and put it in 1 plasticjar, then have them place 1 wholecracker in the other plastic jar.Fill both jars half way with water.

Materials:

For each student:Nutrition and Digestion StudentActivity BookMy Body, My Health Digestive SystemJournal

For the class:Book – Food and Nutrition by FossBlueprint for Health Digestive SystemPosterModel of stomach

For each pair of students:2 crackers2 plastic jars with lidsWater*

*provided by teacher

Preparation:Read background information on p.10.

Evaluation Strategy:The students will demonstrate how thestomach works and label the parts of iton a diagram.

Basic Skills Development:ObservationInterpreting DataDiscussing

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Learning Experience 11 – Stomach, cont.Page 2Have the students shake both jars for 5 seconds. Have the students fill out theActivity Sheet for Learning Experience 11 in the Nutrition and Digestion StudentActivity Book.

Discussion Questions:What is the difference between the jar with the whole cracker and the jar with thecrushed cracker after you shook it for 5 seconds? (The crushed cracker brokedown easier than the whole cracker.)Why is chewing important? (It makes digestion in the stomach easier.)What does the water represent in the stomach and what is its purpose? (Ourstomachs have juices or acids that break food up into smaller pieces.)

Script for Stomach Model:

The diagram below is labeled along with a number. Refer to the descriptionsbelow that describe more about the parts and disorders of the stomach.

1. Esophagus –A tube that connects the back of the throat to the stomach. Ituses a process called peristalsis to squeeze food into the stomach.

2. Esophagitis (esophageal inflammation) – Any swelling or irritation to theesophagus. This is usually caused by stomach acid that has flowed backwards

1.

2.3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

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Learning Experience 11 – Stomach, cont.Page 3from the stomach to the esophagus (acid reflux). You may have problemsswallowing or feel a burning sensation when you eat.

3. Fundus – This is the upper portion of the stomach and gathers gases that areproduced by chemical digestion. It also stores undigested food for up to 1 hour.

4. Body of Stomach

5. Gastric ulcer – A small hole that has formed in the stomach. A burningfeeling or pain in the stomach, and appetite and weight loss are all symptoms ofhaving an ulcer. Some ulcers are caused by contaminated food and water.Others are caused by improper diet, smoking, or drinking a lot of alcohol . Ulcerscan lead to bleeding or tears in the stomach. In children, ulcers are usuallycaused by medications. If this happens, stop using the medicine, and make sureyou only use medications that ar e prescribed by your doctor. Your doctor knowsyour medical history, so it is very important that you never take someone elsemedications!

6. Pylorus – This is where the main part of digestion occurs in which the food ischurned or mixed with gastric juices. The stomach squeezes together usingperistalsis which causes the food to get squashed into smaller pieces.

7. Duodenal ulcer – A small hole that has formed in the duodenum. This is themost common type of ulcer.

8. Duodenum – This is actually the first part of the small intestine. This is thenext part of the journey for our food when it leaves the stomach. At this point, thefood is called chyme, and it is very acidic. Chemicals in the duodenum help toneutralize the food so it doesn’t eat away at the intestines.

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Learning Experience 12 – Intestines: Small andLarge

Objective: The students will describe and demonstrate the function of theIntestines.

How do the small and largeintestines aid in digestion?

Start by reading page 8 in theFood and Nutrition by Foss.

Explain to students that ourbodies don’t need everything thatis contained in the food we eat.The intestines filter out the partsthat we don’t need. The smallintestine is a 20-foot long tube.Its juices break food into smallerpieces, and the villi (which aretiny and hair like) act like doorsthat allow food and nutrients tobe absorbed into ourbloodstream. The rest of thefood that doesn’t go through thevilli is then squeezed into thelarge intestine. The largeintestine takes out the water andother liquids the body needs andsqueezes the leftovers (waste)out of the body through the anus.

Students will demonstrate thefunction of the intestines by usinga coffee filter and a liquid mixture.Have each pair of students forma funnel shape with their coffeefilter and place it over a plastictumbler. Have them create aliquid mixture in another plastictumbler by filling ¼ of the cupwith water and mixing in 1teaspoon of sugar and 1teaspoon of cocoa. Stir the

Materials:

For each student:Nutrition and Digestion StudentActivity Book

For the class:Book – Food and Nutrition by Foss

For each pair of students:1 coffee filter2 plastic tumblersWater*SugarCocoa1 plastic spoon

*provided by teacher

Preparation:Read background information on p. 10– 11.

Evaluation Strategy:Students will demonstrate the functionof the intestine by filtering a mixturethrough a coffee filter.

Basic Skills Development:ListeningManipulating materialsAnalyzing

Vocabulary:Small intestineLarge intestineVilliabsorb

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Learning Experience 12 – Intestines, cont.Page 2

solution until it is thoroughly mixed. Have the students pour the mixture into theplastic tumbler through the coffee filter. Make sure one o f the students is holdingthe coffee filter in place. Have the students record what happens on the pagefor Learning Experience 12 in the Nutrition and Digestion Student Activity Book.

Discussion Questions:What happened when you poured the mixture in to the cup? (Only the liquid wentinto the cup. The cocoa stayed in the coffee filter.)How is this related to how our intestines work? (The intestines also filter out thethings we need.)

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Learning Experience 13 - The Digestive SystemObjective: The students will be able to describe and act out the digestion

process and calculate the total length of the digestive system.The students will also describe some disorders of the digestivesystem.

How does food move through thedigestive system?

Session 1:Read pages 18-33 in the bookFood and Digestion by SteveParker. Have students locateeach part of the digestive systemon the inflatable torso model as itis discussed in the book. Makesure you remove the heart andlungs so the digestive system canbe seen. Also, have studentslabel the digestive systemdiagram on the page for LearningExperience 13 in the Nutritionand Digestive System StudentHandbook.

Session 2:Read Guts Our Digestive Systemby Seymour Simon as a review ofthe digestive system. Then,using the name cards/scriptprovided, students will act out thedigestive system. You will need8 students to act out the parts,and the rest of the class will actas cells in the body. They willeventually be included when theblood has to carry nutrients to thecells. Have the students who areplaying the main roles stand in aline in the following order: MikeMolar, Susie Saliva, ErinEsophagus, Steve Stomach,Sally Small Intestine, BobbyBlood, Lisa Large Intestine, and

Materials:

For each student:Nutrition and Digestion StudentHandbookMy Body, My Health Digestive SystemJournal

For the class:Book – Food and Digestion by SteveParkerInflatable torso modelBook – Guts Our Digestive System bySeymour Simon1 Large sandwich bagNewspapers*1 Paper bag1 small sandwich bag1 bag of small chocolate candiesTape*1 sponge2 spray bottles filled with waterFood ColoringGarbage can*Butcher paper/newsprint8 Namecards/Scripts

For each group of 4 students:4 different colors of yarn1 straw1 small sandwich bag1 measuring tapeCrayons, scissors, glue**provided by teacher

Preparation:Read background information on p. 9 -11. You will need to prepare the bagof food for the skit ahead of time. Putsmall chocolate candies into a small

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Learning Experience 13 – The Digestive SystemPage 2

Rory Rectum. Place a garbagecan at the end of line next to RoryRectum. Give each of the maincharacters a name card that hashis/her speaking part and actionsprinted on the back. Start the skitwith Mike Molar and end withRory Rectum. The maincharacters will pass the bag offood to the next person in lineafter they have completed theirtask and said their lines. Thiscan be done several times sostudents can take turns playingdifferent parts. Have students fillout the page for LearningExperience 13 in the My Body,My Health Digestive SystemJournal.

Discussion Questions:Where does physical breakdownof food occur in the digestivesystem? (in the mouth by themolars or other teeth)Where does chemical breakdownof food occur in the digestivesystem? (in the mouth with salivaand in the stomach with stomachacid and juices)How do the nutrients we need getto the rest of the body? (Theblood transports them throughoutthe body.)

Session 3:As a culminating activity for theparts of the digestive system,have students work in groups of4 to create a life size poster ofthe digestive system. Have the

sandwich bag and seal it. You shouldhave enough candies to give eachstudent who is not playing one of themain characters 1 candy. Place thisbag along with torn up pieces ofnewspaper inside the paper bag.Then place the paper bag along withtorn up pieces of newspaper in thelarge sandwich bag, and seal the bag.You will also have to use the foodcoloring to color the water that goesinto the spray bottles. Fill ¼ of eachbottle with water and put 4 -5 drops offood coloring in it. Each bottle shouldhave different colored water in it.

Evaluation Strategy:Students will label a diagram of thedigestive system. They will also actout the digestive process along withdescribing disorders of the digestivesystem.

Basic Skills Development:ListeningFollowing DirectionsRole-playing

Vocabulary:MolarSalivaEsophagusStomachBloodLarge intestineSmall intestineRectum

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Learning Experience 13 – The Digestive SystemPage 3

students trace one of the group member’s body onto butcher paper or newsprint.Have them color, cut out, and glue down the digestive system parts found on thepage for Learning Experience 13 in the Nutrition and Digestion Student ActivityBook in the proper place on the body cutout. Students will then follow thedirections on how to assemble the poster so it has 3 -D parts on it along withdescriptions of the functions for each part. Students will also calculate the totallength of the digestive system.

Discussion Questions:What is the total length of the digestive system? (900 cm)What is the longest part of the digestive System? (small intestines)What is the irony in the answer to the previous question? (The name of thelongest part means the opposite!)

Answers to page for Learning Experience 13 in the student activity book.

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Learning Experience 13 – The Digestive SystemPage 4

Answers to page 7 in the Student Activity Book

Esophagus - ____25_____cm

Stomach - ____25____cm

Small intestines- ___700_____cm

Large intestines- ___150______cm

________________________

___900_____cm

My digestive system is ____900____ cm long!

+

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Name __________________________ Date _________________Nutrition and Digestion Assessment

Directions: Read each question and circle the correct answer.

1. Which is not a name of a food group?a. fruitb. snacksc. milkd. grain

2. Which food does not belong in the same food group as the others listed?a. orange juiceb. apple juicec. soft drinkd. banana

3. Susie ate hash browns for breakfast, French fries for lunch, and a bakedpotato for dinner. Is she eating a variety of foods from the vegetable group?

a. yesb. no

4. Every food group has foods that fall into the wider area of the stripes and thenarrow area of the stripes on the My Pyramid for Kids. Which food item listedbelow would fall into the wider area of the stripe for the fruit group.

a. peachesb. peaches cobblerc. both a and bd. neither a or b

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Nutrition and Digestion Assessment page 2

Use the labels below to answer questions 5 -7.

Broccoli, ½ c cooked Corn, sweet ½ c

5. How many total calories are in 1 serving of broccoli?a. 3b. 105c. 78d. 27

6. Which vegetable has more grams of fat per servi ng?a. broccolib. cornc. they both have the samed. none of the above

7. What percent of calcium is in one serving of corn?a. 3%b. 14%c. 2%d. 1%

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Nutrition and Digestion Assessment page 3

Label the diagram below for questions 8-12 using the word box provided.

Word Bank

mouth pancreas stomach liver

Appendix large intestine esophagus anus

small intestine gall bladder rectum

8.

9.

10. 11.

12.

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Nutrition and Digestion Assessment page 4

Match each word with its definition.

13. ______ stomach

14. ______ small intestine

15. ______ peristalsis

16. ______ saliva

17. ______ esophagus

18. ______ large intestine

19. ______ molar

20. ______ mouth

a. digestion begins here

b. moistens food and uses chemical digestion to break food apart

c. used for grinding food

d. a wave-like squeezing motion

e. absorbs nutrients for the body

f. absorbs water for the body

g. a stretchy, muscular sack

h. squeezes food into the stomach

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Nutrition and Digestion Assessment Key

1. b2. c3. b4. a5. d.6. b.7. d.8. esophagus9. stomach10. large intestine11. small intestine12. rectum13. g14. e15. d16. b17. h18. f19. c20. a

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MORE IDEAS

Language Arts

Create an ad campaign for vegetables. Research vegetables and whythey are a nutritious choice. Create a poster to share with the class.

Choose 10 nutrition words and create a word splash. Ask students towrite a creative story about what they have learned and share stories.

Book Suggestions:Good Enough to Eat by Lizzy RockwellEat Healthy, Feel Great by William SearsThe Digestive System by Darlene StilleWhere Does Your Food Go? by Wiley Blevins

Math

Brainstorm a list of fruits and vegetables with the class. At the end of theweek, students share with a partner the fruits and vegetables they ate.Create a graph of favorites eaten by the class.

Use the nutritional information provided by fast food r estaurants and chartfat grams of fast food items. Pick out smart choices.

Circle combination foods on the school menu and survey favorites andgraph results.

Physical Education

Ask students to bring in a game that they play within their families orneighborhood. Ask them to share it with the class during recess time toencourage physical activity.

Show students how to use a pedometer and the number of steps itcalculates.

Take students heart rates and breathing rates after a period of exercise.Then compare to resting heart rates. Discuss how raising our heart ratehelps keep our bodies healthy.

Social Studies

Passports are used when traveling to other countries. Make tastingpassports that are stamped when trying a new food.

Identify foods eaten on Thanksgiving and discuss foods eaten on differentholidays, especially from different countries.

There are a variety of foods from different countries that are popular in theUnited States (Italy, Mexico, China). List the combination foods from eachcountry and the ingredients.

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Health

Visit the cafeteria and ask staff to show students where to find foods fromeach food group in line.

Go on a scavenger hunt in a grocery store for food group foods. Evaluate the weekly lunch menu and where the food items fall in the My

Pyramid for Kids. Divide class into pairs and assign each group a specific nutrient we get

from food (protein, carbohydrates, fat, calcium, fiber). Give each group afile folder for students to fill with information explaining food sources andfunction of the nutrient assigned. Magazine pictures and drawings can beincluded. Place folders in a Resource Center.

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INQUIRY AND PROCESS SKILLS

Classifying Arranging or distributing objects or events in classesaccording to some method of system.

Collecting Data Obtaining visible or measurable information whichillustrates a specific situation.

Communicating Displaying or transmitting information to others.

Generalizing Drawing general conclusions from information.

Formulating Hypotheses Constructing a proposition or assumption of what isthought likely to be true based on reasoning, whichserves as a tentative testable theory.

Identifying Variables Recognizing characteristics of objects or events,which are constant or change under differ entconditions.

Inferring Making a statement based on reasoning to explain anobservation.

Interpreting Data Analyzing information that has been collected andorganized and describing apparent patterns orrelationships for information.

Making Decisions Choosing an alternative from among several andbasing the judgment on defendable reasons.

Manipulating Handling or treating materials from among severaland basing the judgment on defendable reasons.

Measuring Making quantitative observations by comparin g to astandard.

Observing Becoming aware of an object or event by using any ofthe senses to identify properties.

Predicting Making a forecast or estimate of what futures eventsmay occur.

Replicating Performing acts that duplicate demonstrated symbolsor patterns.

Using Numbers Stating and applying mathematical rules or formulasto calculate or compute quantities for basicmeasurements.

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GLOSSARY

Absorb to take in or suck or swallow up

Analyze to find out what something is made up ofby identifying its parts.

Antioxidants guard against damage by free radicals

Appendix a small tube that is closed at one endand projects from the pouch marking thebeginning of the large intestine in thelower right side of the abdomen

Attitude an opinion or general feeling aboutsomething.

Bicuspid teeth with two points on them and areused for grinding

Blood the red fluid that circulates in the heart,arteries, capillaries, and veins and thatbrings nourishment and oxygen to andcarries away waste products from allparts of the body

Calcium is used by the body to help build strongbones and teeth

Calorie a unit of energy-producing potential infood, equal to one large calorie. Thisenergy, if not used, is converted to fatand stored.

Canine sharp and pointy teeth and are used forcutting and tearing food

Carbohydrate Gives the body energy

Cholesterol a waxy substance that is present inanimal cells and tissues, is important inbodily processes, and may be related tothe abnormal thickening and hardeningof arteries when too much is present

Combination an association of different things or

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factors, or the act of mixing them.

Diet the food that a person usuallyconsumes.

Digestion the process of breaking down food intosmaller pieces so the body can use it

Duodenal ulcer a raw area in the lining of the upper partof the small intestine, the duodenum,caused when the lining of the stomachis eaten away by stomach acid anddigestive juices

Duodenum the first part of the small intens tineextending from the opening from thestomach into the small intestine to thejejunum

Esophagitis the swelling of the lining of theesophagus

Esophagus the passage down which food movesbetween the throat and the stomach.

Fat nutritional component of food, a water-soluble substance, solid at roomtemperature, that belongs to a group ofchemicals that are main component s offood derived from animal tissue, nuts,and seeds.

Fiber substances that are found in grains,fruits, and vegetables, and aiddigestion. This largely indigestible plantmatter is considered to play a role in theprevention of many diseases of thedigestive tract.

Food material that provides living things withthe nutrients they need for energy andgrowth.

Food pyramid A picture to help you have a healthydiet. A chart, drawn in the shape of a

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pyramid, summarizing daily nutritionalrecommendations.

Fruit an edible part of a plant, usually fleshyand containing seeds.

Function an action or use for which something issuited or designed.

Fundus the left portion of the stomach’s body

Gall bladder a small muscular sac on the rightunderside of the liver, in which bilesecreted by the liver is stored untilneeded for the digestive process.

Gastric ulcer also known as a stomach ulcer, is a raw,eroded area in the lining of the stomach.A gastric ulcer develops when thestomach acids and digestive juicesinjure the stomach’s lining of protectivemucus.

Goal something that somebody wants toachieve.

Grain cereal crops.

Healthy helping to maintain or bring about goodhealth.

Incisor big, flat, wedge shaped teeth that areused for biting off food

Iron is used by the body to help makehemoglobin, which makes red bloodcells.

Journal written daily record of personalexperiences.

Label information given about an item to giveinstructions about it or identify it.

Large intestine the last part of the intestine which is

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wider and shorter than the smallintestine, which consists of the cecum,colon, and rectum, and which absorbswater from the material left over fromdigestion and prepares the feces forrelease from the body

Liver a large organ that secretes bile andcauses changes in the blood (as bychanging sugars into glycogen) The liveris reddish brown, multilobed, and inhumans is located in the upper right partof the abdomen

Lycopene Protects against heart disease andcertain cancers

Meat the flesh of an animal that is considerededible, especially that of a mammal orbird, or a nut

Milk a white fluid produced by cows, sheep,or goats and used by human beings asa drink, in cooking, and to makeproducts such as butter and cheese.

Molar flat and square shaped teeth that areused for grinding

Mouth food and voice organ in people andanimals, the opening in the head and itssurrounding lips, gums, tongue, andteeth, through which food is taken in andthrough which sounds come out.

Narrow having a small width, especially incomparison to height or length.

Nutrient a substance that provides nourishment,the component in food that keep s ahuman body healthy and help it to grow.

Nutrition the process of absorbing nutrients fromfood and processing them in the body inorder to keep healthy or to grow.

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Oil a liquid fat, obtained from plant seeds,animal fats, mineral deposits, and othersources, that does not dissolve in waterand will burn.

Organ a complete and independent part of aplant or animal that has a specificfunction.

Pancreas a large organ lying near the stomach. Itsecretes juices into the small intestineand the hormones insulin, glucagon,and somatostatin into the bloodstream.

Paragraph a piece of writing that consists of one ormore sentences, begins on a new andoften indented line, and contains adistinct idea or the words of onespeaker.

Peristalsis the squeezing motion by which food andwaste products of digestion are forcedthrough parts (as the esophagus andintestine) of the digestive system

Physical activity relating to the body involving energeticphysical movement or exercise.

Portion an amount of food for one person.

Protein as in meat, fish, milk, and eggs,supplying all the amino acids that areneeded by the human body but cann otbe made by it, helps every cell grow

Pylorus the opening from the stomach into theintestine

Recommend to suggest something as worthy of beingaccepted, used, or done.

Rectum the end of the large intestine that linksthe colon to the anus

Saliva used to moisten food so it can easilyslide through the esophagus

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Saturated fat a fat in which the carbon atoms are fullyhydrogenated, found in animalproducts. A diet heavy in saturated fat isthought to raise cholesterol in thebloodstream.

Serving quantity of food provided served to oneperson.

Small intestine the part of the intestine between thestomach and the large intestine, wheredigestion of food and most absorption ofnutrients takes place.

Sodium a soft silver white metallic element thatreacts readily with other substances andis essential to the body's fluid balance.

Sodium chloride Regulates blood pressure and water inthe body

Stomach an organ resembling a sac in which foodis mixed and partially digested. It formspart of the digestive tract and is situatedbetween the esophagus and the smallintestine.

Sugar a sweet-tasting substance, usually in theform of tiny hard white or brown grains.

Summarize to give a shortened version ofsomething that has been said or written,stating its main points.

Tongue a fleshy movable muscular part of thebottom of the mouth that has sensoryorgans (as taste buds) and small glandsand functions especially in taking andswallowing food and in human beings asa speech organ

Trans fat an unsaturated fat formed during thehydrogenation of vegetable oils toproduce margarine. Trans-fatty acids

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are viewed as a health risk becausethey raise cholesterol levels.

Variety the quality of having different forms ortypes

Vegetable a plant with edible parts, especially leafyor fleshy parts that are used in foods.

Villi one of the tiny finger-shaped processesof the mucous membrane of the smallintestine through which digested food isabsorbed

Vital extremely important and necessary,required for the continuation of life.

Vitamin A a vitamin found especially in green andorange vegetables (as carrots orspinach) and animal products (as eggyolk, butter, or liver) and are neededespecially for good vision

Vitamin B a vitamin needed to make the geneticmaterials DNA and RNA

Vitamin D a vitamin needed for normal bone andtooth structure, and found especially infish-liver oils, egg yolk, and milk or areproduced in response to ultraviolet light

Wide having a relatively large distance orspace between one side or edge andthe other

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TEACHER REFERENCES

Media LibraryPlease use the BOCES Instructional Support Website to check out the mediaavailable on this science topic. Call the media library to order media materialsand to check on new materials that are available. The number to be reached is(716)376-8260.

Websiteshttp://www.mypyramid.gov/http://www.foodscience.psu.edu/outreach/fun_food_science.htmlhttp://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/educate.htmlhttp://www.dairycouncilofca.org/activities/pyra_main.htmhttp://www.innerbody.com/text/card10 -new2.htmlhttp://www.brainpop.com/health/digestivesystem/digestivesystem