1.  Materials

a.  Paper

b.  Pencils

c.  String

d.  Scissors

e.  Blank construction paper books

f.   Markers

g.  What Happens to a Hamburger?, Paul Showers

h.  Resources:

                            i.  http://www.teachers.net/lessons/posts/99.html

             2.  Objectives

a.  Students will describe food’s trip through the body.

             3.  Motivation

a.  Ask for two student volunteers, preferably two who differ in height. Using the string, have one student measure the height of the other 3 times over, marking the height off with the marker each time. After the third consecutive time, measure half the student’s height, up to the waist. Cut the string after the last measurement. Repeat the activity for the other student. Exact directions can be found on page 32 of What Happens to a Hamburger?.

b.  Have the students hold up their respective strings. Ask students what could be found in their own body that is 3.5 times the length of their own height. The correct answer is their small intestine.

             4.  Goal for Learner

a.  Today we will be learning how food is digested in the body.

             5.  Content and Procedures

a.  Teacher Content

                            i.  Food enters the body through the mouth. It is then broken down by the teeth, tongue and saliva. Food is then pushed down the esophagus and into the stomach. Once in the stomach, food is then broken down even more. The liquidy mixture then slowly empties into the small intestine.

                            ii.  The small intestine breaks down the food mixture even more so your body can absorb all the vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. The pancreas, liver, and gallbladder send different juices to the first part of the small intestine. These juices help to digest food and allow the body to absorb nutrients in the blood through the walls of the small intestine. Remnants of the food your body can’t use then pass into the large intestine and are stored there until they can pass out of the body.

b.  Procedure

                            i.  Begin the lesson by reading What Happens to a Hamburger? in the community circle area. Pause after reading the questions in the book. Have students share examples.

                            ii.  Upon completion of the book, have a small discussion which outlines the main steps in the digestive process. Keep track of major organs and functions submitted by the class on the chalkboard.

       6.  Practice/Application

a.  After the discussion, have students work in the small groups (of 4) they are already in at their tables. Tell students they are going to be responsible for creating a book with their group entitled “What Happens to a _______?” Assign the following jobs to one students per group:

                            i.  Researcher – responsible for checking back in the book What Happens to a Hamburger?  or checking the board and bringing correct information back to the group

                            ii.  Writer – responsible for actually writing the story

                            iii.  Illustrator – responsible for drawing pictures for the story

                            iv.  Editor – responsible for keeping the group on task and making sure all information is correct and the book makes sense

b.  Only the researcher may reference the book which will remain on the center table in the classroom. See the attached list of student groups and job assignments. Provide each table of students with a blank, bound book. They can write on their own notebook paper first to get the information down, but will be allowed to type the story when we have computer lab time the following day. They can also design a cover and complete the story by adding pictures.

c.  After finishing their book, students will complete the two “Digestive System” pages found within their folder.

             7.  Evaluation of Student Learning

a.  The digestive system books will be graded based on accuracy, completion and effort. Students will be monitored throughout the group process.

b.  The pages from the folder will be graded based on accuracy and completion at the end of the unit when the entire folder is graded.

             8.  Closure

a.  Students will be asked to read their stories aloud to the class and display them in the classroom.