Follow the Food: The Digestive System for Grade 4

Learning Objectives

• Name the main organs of the digestive system: mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine and large intestine.
• Put the organs in the order that food travels through them.
• Describe what each digestive organ does to food.

Lesson Procedure

• Use the lesson plan to teach the lesson in about 45 minutes.
• Print the worksheet for guided and independent practice.
• Use the answer key to check students' work.

Assessment

Check the order of the organs in activity 2 and listen to students' explanations in the discussion. Activity 6 shows whether students can explain the whole process.

Differentiation

Support: give students a word list for the organs and work in pairs. Challenge: ask students to explain why the small intestine is long and folded.

Classroom Activity Ideas

• Journey map: students draw the path of a cracker from the mouth to the large intestine.
• Act it out: students stand in a line as organs and pass a ball along as food.
• Chew test: students notice how a cracker tastes different after chewing for a while.

Teacher Tips

Use the phrase 'the food's journey' and trace the path on a body outline on the board. Say that digestion starts in the mouth, where teeth and saliva begin to break food down.

What's Included

• 6-page printable PDF lesson pack: teacher lesson plan with timings, materials and differentiation
• Key vocabulary list (6 words with meanings and examples)
• Student worksheet (6 activities)
• Editable Word version of the worksheet
• Complete answer key (also as a separate PDF)

Additional Files

• Editable Worksheet (Word) (DOCX)
• Answer Key (PDF) (PDF)

Teacher Reviews