Unit 4: The Digestive System

Essential Questions

• What are the structures and functions of the digestive system?

• What are some common disorders of the digestive system?

• How has history shaped what we eat today?• How does our culture and where we live effect

what we eat?• How does what we eat affect our health?• How can we analyze what we eat?

Day 1: Digestion: An Overview

• Required Readings:– Section 15.1

• Learning Objectives:– Compare mechanical and chemical digestion– Describe the role of digestive enzymes

Video: Introduction to the Digestive System

Starter

• For lunch, you are going to eat a chicken sandwich with mayonnaise

• Describe the parts of the digestive system the sandwich will go through

• Where will the following items be broken down and how?– Bread– Chicken– Mayonnaise

• Time: 20 minutes

Activity 1

• Individually:– What culture do you identify yourself with? If it is

more than 1, list them.– What food(s) would you associate with your culture?

• With your group:– Compare the different foods that you associate your

culture with– Are there any similarities? Differences?

• Time: 15 minutes

Activity 2

• Many events throughout history were shaped by food or drink. Some examples include the Boston Tea Party, the Great Potato Famine of Ireland, Thanksgiving, and Marie Antoinette’s famous statement, “Let them eat cake.”

• Choose 1 food-related historical event to research and share with the class

• Time: 45 minutes

Activity 3

• Go to the website:– http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/scienc

e/add_aqa_pre_2011/enzymes/• Choose the “enzymes and digestion” tab and

do the “revise”, “activity” and “test”• Time: 15 minutes

Closing

• Where are the following enzymes found:– Lipase– Protease– Amylase

• What do the above enzymes do?• Time: 5 minutes

Day 2

• Required Readings:– Section 9.2-9.9

• Learning Objectives:– Describe the location, structure and function of

the organs in the digestive system– Explain how and where different macromolecules

are digested– Describe how products of digestion are absorbed

Starter

• You are a hamburger that is going to be eaten• Write a story that describes what you see and the

structures you pass as you go from being eaten to being excreted

• Time: 15 minutes

Activity 1

• Share your historical food moments with the class

• Anything interesting from what was presented to you?

• Time: 15 minutes

Activity 2

• Complete the digestive system structures and functions table

• For structures that don’t produce enzymes, leave that section blank

• Time: 25 minutes

Activity 3• You will be given different structures or enzymes

from the digestive system• Line up in the order that food would meet that

particular structure– For enzymes, line up with the structure that produces

that enzyme• We will move some food to be digested down the

digestive system• As we meet your structure, tell us what it does in

the process of digestion• Time: 20 minutes

Closing

• Label the diagram with your group the different parts of the digestive system

• Say what enzymes are released from that part• Describe the function of that part• Time: 15 minutes

Homework

• Read Section 15.10

Day 3

• Required Readings:– 15.10

• Learning Objectives:

Day 4 – Food Nutrient Analysis

• Required Readings:• Learning Objectives:

Day 5 – Digestive By Products

Day 6 – Digestive Enzymes

Day 7 - Disorders

• Required Readings:– 15.11

• Learning Objectives:

Day 8 - Project

Day 9 - Project

Day 10 - Presentation