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Science 21 Grade 4 Unit 2

Curriculum Companion Reproducibles EDITION

Fall - Winter 2020

This file is a collection of reproducible materials from the Science 21 curriculum for the convenience of teachers for copying purposes.

We have created NEW student pages for the potential of school closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new pages will be shown using a purple fill color in the upper right-hand corner.

Unmodified or the original student pages will show in yellow in the upper right-hand corner.

Some of these reproducible materials are provided in the kit, but we have placed all the materials here in case a teacher wants more copies or wish to use with smaller group sizes. Page number, headers, and footers were intentionally removed, so a copy will be without student distraction.

Dear At Home Lesson Facilitator,

In the unfortunate event that students are learning from home for a period of time, as happened in the Spring of 2020, we have plans in place so that their science instruction will continue in a meaningful way. We have materials from our science kits that can be sent home with your student so that investigations can be conducted at home [with teacher support, with synchronous (“live, via video”) or asynchronous (“watch at any time”) video interactions]. However, there are several items that we may not be able to provide, so you may want to try to prepare to have these on hand. You may also wish to have disposable gloves for your student.

Scale (“diet scale” or “postal scale” sensitive to very small mass) Q-tip or cotton swabs Toothpick Glue Slice of white bread (lessons 3 & 5) Plastic knife Jar of water with cap Balloon (*Latex allergy alert: may substitute nitrile glove in place of balloon) Funnel Clear tubing String (~30 feet) Scissors Masking (or painter’s) tape for labeling Apple (or other food substitute) Mirror Unsalted cracker Unsalted potato chip Lemon or grapefruit juice or vinegar (just a few drops) Tonic water or quinine (just a few drops) Sugar water (just a few drops) Salt water (just a few drops) Old pair of pantyhose or stockings Tennis or racquet ball Meat tenderizer (1 teaspoon dissolved in ¼ cup water) Food item (1/4 hotdog or slice of bread or apple slice) Petroleum jelly (Vaseline) Paper towel (1 piece)

Lesson Facilitator Notes Science 21 – Organizing Ourselves for Doing ScienceG4 U2 L1 – Where Do Living Things Get The Energy

To Survive?You will need:

Student Journal Pageso Activity 1o Activity 2o Food Chains from a Wetland Environmento Extension Activity - Wolves

Readings About Scienceo Food Chains and Food Webs

Instructions: Provide your student with a copy of “Activity 1” (in print or electronically) and ask them about the food they ate in their most

recent meal, and where that food came from. Reinforce the scientific vocabulary: {producer, consumer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, herbivore, carnivore,

omnivore} Provide your student with a copy of the “Food Chains and Food Webs” reading passage (in print or electronically). Provide your student with copies of “Activity 2” and “Food Chains from a Wetland Environment”. Instructions and questions

are right on each of these Student Journal Pages. Some of the information required for these questions comes from the “Food Chains and Food Webs” reading passage.

Provide your student with a copy of the “Extension Activity – Wolves” Student Journal Page. It may be helpful to have electronic access to this so that the image can be magnified for detail(s).

Help your student to complete the Student Journal Pages assigned by the teacher. Help your student to read the Reading in the Content Area passage about food chains and food webs, and to answer the

questions that follow readings assigned by the teacher. Help your student to submit their responses (electronically or paper) as directed by the teacher.

NameScience 21 – Digestion, Nutrients, Food Chains & Food WebsG4 U2 L1 – Where Do Living Things Get the Energy to Survive?

Activity 1What’s the last meal that you ate? Where did each of the foods come from?

Consider a McDonald’s Meal: Where do each of these foods come from?Hamburger:Milk:French Fries:What do cows eat?

Where do plants get their food? Please explain in as much detail as you can.

Refer to Figure 1 above. What do the arrows ( ) indicate?

Refer to Figure 2 above. Why are there larger numbers of living things at the base of the pyramid?

Why are there fewer living things near the top of the pyramid?

Why are plants ‘producers’?

How are animals ‘consumers’?

What are primary consumers?

Figure 2

What are secondary consumers?

What is an herbivore?

What is a carnivore?

What is an omnivore?

Refer to Figure 3 above. What do all of these food chains or pyramids have in common?

Figure 3

Name Science 21 – Digestion, Nutrients, Food Chains & Food Webs

G4 U2 Reading in the Content Area: Passage 1“Food Chains and Food Webs”

All living things need food for energy. The ultimate source of all this food starts with the Sun. Green plants take the energy of the sun to make food. This process is called photosynthesis. Along with the sun’s energy, plants use air, water and soil to make their food. Because they produce their own food, green plants are called producers. Animals will eat these plants and, therefore, are called consumers. This process of passing food energy from one living thing to another is called a food chain. So, a food chain consists of a series of animals that eat plants and other animals. A plant is eaten by another animal, which in turn is eaten by yet another animal, and so on. Living things that depend upon only green plants for food are called primary consumers (i.e., grasshoppers, mice, rabbits, etc.). These primary consumers are called herbivores (plant eating animals). Herbivores can be as small as a caterpillar or as large as an elephant. Meat-eating animals are called carnivores (i.e., hawks, snakes, etc.). These animals are called secondary consumers. Animals that eat both green plants and animals are called omnivores. Omnivores are also considered secondary consumers. Humans and bears are examples of omnivores. A food chain is a simplified way of showing the food relationships between plants and animals. For example, [Grass cow human] is a food chain. When drawing a food chain, the arrows point in the direction the food energy is moving. Usually, food chains show the living elements. However, some food chains can also show the non-living elements like sun, air, water and soil, since they are used by plants to make their own food.

Sun,Air, Water,Soil

Food Pyramids Another way of showing a food chain is by using a food pyramid. The energy of the primary consumer is passed on to the secondary consumer, thus forming a food chain. Each member of a food chain depends on the member below it for energy. An energy pyramid shows the energy transfer from prey to predator. Animals at the top of the pyramid are fewer in number and need to eat many smaller animals to get enough energy to survive. The number of living things near the base of the pyramid is the largest. The primary consumers are much more numerous than the secondary consumers.

On the following page is a food pyramid that illustrates the same food chain. Also found on the following page, is another, different food pyramid that shows the number of living things found at each level of the pyramid.

Grass (Plants

)Cow Human

Figure 1

Human

Cow

Grass (Plants)In a well-balanced ecosystem, the producers and consumers at each level of the pyramid have numbers that Food Pyramidsare large enough to allow them to survive without using up their food supply. The illustration below shows several food chains or pyramids. Look at this illustration. Several food pyramids are possible with the sun as the basis of the energy flow. The pyramid starts with plants because they take energy directly from the sun. Animals at the top of the food pyramid may feed on animals that are on lower levels of the pyramid. Food WebsA food chain is a simplified way to look at the energy that passes from producers to consumers. A food web is a more realistic way of looking at the relationships of plants and animals in an environment. A food web illustrates the interrelationships between several food chains or pyramids. A food web is created when several food chains are linked together. A food web shows how all the living things in a community get their energy. Predators eat a variety of prey. It is quite likely that a predator from one chain would be linked to prey from a different chain.

All living things are interdependent. Interdependence is evident in food chains, in which consumers depend not only on one another, but also on producers (plants). All living things depend on habitats, places where they are suited to live. A living thing in its habitat is part of a community of interdependent organisms. Because organisms depend on one another, a change involving one organism can have huge effects on an entire community. For example, removal or addition of one member may affect all members by upsetting the balance within the community. Chemicals, such as pesticides, can also affect a food chain. Pesticides travel through food chains when herbivores eat treated plants. The concentration of these pesticides gets higher as they are transferred from one consumer to another along the food chain.

Many changes in communities have taken place because humans have not realized that what affects one organism may affect all,

including people. After all, humans are also a part of natural communities.

Figure 2 Figure 3

Figure 4

DecomposersDead plants and animals are also a source of food for bacteria and fungi. Both bacteria and fungi help to decompose dead plants and animals by breaking them down to chemicals. This is why bacteria and fungi are called decomposers. When these chemicals return to soil, water, and air, they can be recycled and used again by living things, especially plants. Decomposers can occur at anywhere in the food chain. This is why decomposers are considered an important link in nearly all food chains.Please answer the following questions:1. The author stated that the sun is “the ultimate source of all food” on the Earth. Using evidence from the article, why is this an accurate

statement?

2. Find the phrase in the article and write it in the space below that describes the relationship between a food chain and food web.

1. Create a food chain in the boxes below using the following: corn, human, pig, sun.

2. Citing evidence from the article, what is the role of decomposers in a food chain?

NameScience 21 – Digestion, Nutrients, Food Chains & Food WebsG4 U2 L1 – Where Do Living Things Get the Energy to Survive?

Activity 2

What is the first part of a food web? Why?What happens if a food chain member, such as ants or caterpillars, disappears?

Are there members of a food chain in competition? If so, which members?

Which animals are herbivores? Which animals are carnivores? Which animals are omnivores?

What would happen if plants stopped growing?

How is a food web like a spider web?

What happens to a spider web when one thread is pulled or broken?

What would happen to the food web if a food source is removed?

What might happen if people tried to get rid of the snakes in an area? How might this affect the number of mice existing in the area? The number of hawks existing there?

How have pesticides and chemicals, such as DDT, affected a food chain?

Name Science 21 – Digestion, Nutrients, Food Chains & Food WebsG4 U2 L1 – Where Do Living Things Get the Energy to Survive?

Food Chains from a Wetland EnvironmentFood Chain #1 Food Chain #2 Food Chain #3 Food Chain #4 Food Chain #5Algae Mosquitoes Fish larva Minnows Large Mouth Bass Osprey Bacteria Nutrients

Algae Mosquitoes FrogPickerel Great Blue HeronBacteriaNutrients

Algae Mosquitoes Bat Snake Bacteria Nutrients

Algae Mosquitoes Dragonfly Red Winged Blackbird BacteriaNutrients

Algae Fresh Water Clam Otter Bacteria Nutrients

Why are bacteria and nutrients continually at the end of the food chain?

Why can bacteria and nutrients also be found anywhere throughout the food chain?

How are decomposers important?

Are there members of a food chain in competition? Explain.

Name Science 21 – Digestion, Nutrients, Food Chains & Food WebsG4 U2 L1 – Where Do Living Things Get the Energy to Survive?

Extension Activity: Reintroducing Gray Wolves

What effect did the wolves have on the beaver population? Explain.

What plants and animals have been helped by the return of the wolves? Why?

Why might the cattle farmers be against the return of the wolves?

Explain what you think would happen if the wolves were removed once again from Yellowstone National Park.

Lesson Facilitator Notes Science 21 – Organizing Ourselves for Doing ScienceG4 U2 L2 – What Happens To The Food That A

Predator Eats?You will need:

Student Journal Pageso Owl Pellets

Readings About Scienceo Owl Pellets

Actual owl pellet (sterilized, wrapped in foil) – may be sent home from school – along with a hand lens (magnifying glass) Materials to gather at home (only IF an owl pellet is sent home):

o Q-tip or cotton swabso Plastic gloveso Sensitive balance scale (postal or “diet” scale), if possibleo Rulero Toothpickso Dark [construction] paper (*may be sent home from school)o Glue

Instructions: Provide your student with a copy of the “Owl Pellets” Student Journal Page. This includes a bone reference chart, skeleton of

a prey reference chart, and a procedure for examining the owl pellet. If the teacher has sent home an owl pellet for your student, clear an area for the student to work (maybe put down old

newspaper underneath) and check the teacher’s instructions regarding examining the pellet dry or pre-soaked. Provide gloves and other items listed above.

If you do not have a scale available, that is okay. The teacher will provide sample data. Guide the student to glue skeletal parts from a prey to the dark [construction] paper. Take a photo of the completed skeleton

to submit to the teacher electronically. Help your student to discern when skeletal parts belong to the prey they are working on or to a different prey consumed by the

owl. Help your student to complete the Journal Pages assigned by the teacher. Help your student to read the Reading in the Content Area passage about owl pellets, and to answer the questions that follow

readings assigned by the teacher. Help your student to submit their responses (electronically or paper) as directed by the teacher.


G4 U2 L2 – What Happens to the Food that a Predator Eats?

Owl Pellet Investigation: Student GuideOwls eat their prey whole. The soft, fleshy parts of the prey are digested. But the bones, feathers and fur cannot be digested. These indigestible materials are rolled and compacted in the raptor’s digestive tract to form what is called a pellet or casting. The pellet is regurgitated through the mouth several hours after feeding. As a result, a pellet provides valuable information concerning the number and type of prey consumed by owls.

Purpose: To identify the skulls and various bones found in a pellet. To determine the number of prey animals found in a pellet. To construct a possible food chain, food pyramid and food web with the owl at the highest level.

Procedure: 1. Place the owl pellet on a piece of dark paper. Black or dark construction paper gives the best contrast for finding bones.

2. Re-measure the length and width of the pellet in centimeters and record your result on page 3. Re-weigh [mass] the owl pellet in grams and record on your data sheet (page 3).

3. Carefully pull the owl pellet apart, trying not to break or lose small bones. Use a large, opened paper clip to carefully separate the bones from the fur and feathers. Using a cotton swab, (or Q-tip) and water, clean the bones as thoroughly as possible. Place similar bones together. Special care should be taken in removing skulls and jaws because they are the best way to identify the animals.

4. Sometimes owls prey on more than one type of animal. Determine the number of animals and the type of animal in the pellet by pairing right and lower jawbones with the upper part of the skull.

5. Using the Owl pellet bone sorting chart (page 2, left side), identify the skulls and bones found in the pellet.

6. Reconstruct the skeleton of a prey and identify the bones using the bone sorting chart and the diagram sheet, Skeleton of a prey (page 2, right side) as a guide on how to assemble the bones. This can be done by using a line of glue running down the center of a piece of paper. Attach the skull at the top of this line. The vertebrae and pelvic girdle can be filled in from the skull to the tip of the tail. Glue the jawbones on either side of the skull and add legs and ribs along the spinal flanks. Generally, larger skulls go with larger leg bones and smaller skulls with smaller leg bones.

7. Dispose of fur and feathers, and place the other bones in the appropriately labeled containers [jar or zipper bag].

8. Complete the rest of the data sheet (page 3). Draw a diagram of a food chain with the owl as the secondary consumer. Be sure to use arrows to show the direction of energy flow.

9. Complete the reflection sheet (page 4). Owl pellet bone sorting chart

Data SheetLength of Owl Pellet (cm) Width of Owl Pellet (cm) Mass (grams)

Number of bones found in the pellet. (Step 3)

Skeleton of a prey

Skull Jaw Shoulder blades Front legs & feet

Ribs Vertebrae Hips Hind legs & feet

Total weight of the bones in the pellet (in grams).

Approximate number of prey animals found in the pellet. (Step 4)

Using the Owl pellet bone sorting chart (page 2), identify the skull(s) or type of prey(s) found in your pellet. (Step 5)

Draw some of the remains found in your pellet. (Step 6)

Draw a diagram of a food chain with the owl as the secondary consumer. (Step 8) Include arrows to indicate direction of energy flow.

Reflections Science DrawingsWhat animals were eaten by the owl?

What animals appear to be eaten most frequently by the owl?

Why do you think owls cough up pellets?

Your thoughts, comments, and reflections.


G4 U2 Reading in the Content Area: Passage 2“Owl Pellets: Clues to the Owl’s Diet”

Raptors are known as birds of prey. Examples of raptors are hawks, owls, and eagles. They are predators that usually prey on rodents such as mice, rats, shrews, moles and voles. But sometimes, insects, lizards, toads, snakes, smaller birds, and fish are also consumed.

They have strong hooked beaks and powerful claws. Unlike other raptors, owls will eat and swallow its prey whole. They are able to swallow completely the bones, feet, and fur hair (or feathers) all in one gulp. Like all birds, owls have no teeth to chew their food. Their food is usually swallowed whole, or in large chunks. The fleshy, soft parts of the prey are digested by the owls’ stomach. But owls can’t digest the fur and the bones, and these materials can’t pass through an owl’s digestive system. So, the muscular stomach presses the fur hairs around the bones and forms a slick ball or pellet. This process usually preserves even the most fragile bones, and often, entire skeletons of small animals eaten will be found in the pellet. Then, the muscles along the esophagus reverse the direction used in swallowing to regurgitate (spit up) the pellet. So, about 12 hours after consuming a meal, owls cast up this undigested food through their mouth in the form of pellets. Hundreds of owl pellets may be found under an owl’s perch or nest.

Pellets are the end products of an owl’s digestive process. Each pellet contains an average of 3 - 4 animals, with a dry weight of about 52% fur and 48% bone. These pellets are glossy black when they’re expelled by the owl and become smooth and dark gray when dry. Owl pellets are 4 to 8 cm long, and 2 to 2.5 cm in diameter. Pellets contain the fur and bones of one or more small animals. The pellets contain valuable clues to what the owl was eating, and the habitat where the owl was hunting. They can help us identify the different living things that are a part of the food chain and food web of which the owl is a member. Studying owl pellets over time can give information about changes in the feeding habits that occur from one season to the next, as well as some of the species of small animals that live in an owl’s habitat. Also, fossilized pellets have been used to identify food eaten by owl species that are now extinct, such as the great barn owl. Please answer the questions on the following page.

1. How can we learn about an owl’s diet by examining owl pellets?

2. Explain why studying owl pellets can help us to understand the owl’s place within a food chain.

3. Why would the lungs of an animal that was eaten by an owl not show up in an owl pellet?

4. How could the examination of a fossilized owl pellet give us clues as to what animals might have existed in the past?

Lesson Facilitator Notes Science 21 – Organizing Ourselves for Doing ScienceG4 U2 L3 – What Are The Main Organs Of The

Digestive Tract?You will need:

Student Journal Pageso The Food Tubeo Extension – Digestive Tube Length

Readings About Scienceo Food Tubeo Digestive Tract

Cheesecloth (*may be sent home from school) Materials to gather at home:

o Slice of breado Plastic knifeo Jar of water (with cap)o String (~ 30 feet)o Ruler / tape measure / yard or meter sticko Scissors (for cutting string)o Masking (or painter’s) tape (for labeling)o Optional (for visualization purposes):

Balloon (Latex allergy alert – may substitute nitrile glove) Funnel Clear tubing

Instructions: Provide your student with a copy of the “Digestive Tract” reading passage. Help your student to follow the descriptions of the parts and locations of the parts of the digestive tract. The teacher will share

analogies to common household items (such as a funnel and clear tubing) with the parts of the digestive tract. Help your student to follow along with the analogy by using the plastic knife with the slice of bread and then placing it into the

jar of water (with cap). Provide your student with a copy of “The Food Tube” Student Journal Page. If assigned, provide your student with a copy of the “Food Tube” reading passage (with questions included). Provide your student with a copy of the “Extension – Digestive Tube Length” Student Journal Page and the string, ruler (meter

or yard stick or tape measure) and scissors. Use masking tape to label the parts of the string as they are cut. Help your student to complete the Journal Pages assigned by the teacher. Help your student to read the Reading in the Content Area passages about the digestive tract, and to answer the questions

that follow readings assigned by the teacher. Help your student to submit their responses (electronically or paper) as directed by the teacher.


G4 U2 Reading in the Content Area: Passage 4The Digestive Tract

The digestive tract, also referred to as the “food tube,” is really one long tube in our body where the food actually passes through. At one opening of the tube is the mouth, where food enters. At the other end of the tube is the anus, where unusable food (waste) is passed out. The main organs of the digestive tract are the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine and rectum. When stretched end to end, the digestive tract is about 30 feet (about 9 meters) long. The small intestine is about 20 feet (6 meters) long and the large intestine is about 5 feet (1.5 meters) long.

Food in the mouth is moistened and torn into smaller pieces by the teeth. The esophagus, through muscular squeezing action (peristalsis), moves food to the stomach where food is stored and somewhat digested. The stomach squeezes and mashes the food even more to further break the food down. Food continues to move into the small intestine, where most of the digestion takes place. Here, food is digested into nutrients, which then gets absorbed by our blood to be transported to other parts of our body. The rest of the undigested food passes into the large intestine, where it is stored and eventually passed out of the body as waste (feces) by the rectum.Please answer the following questions:

1. Why is the digestive tract called the “food tube”?

2. Identify the six main organs of the digestive tract.

3. Why do you suppose the small intestine is so long?

4. If the small intestine is so much longer than the large intestine, why is it called the “small” intestine?

5. After reading this passage, write one question that you have about the digestive tract.


G4 U2 L3 – What are the Main Organs of the Digestive Tract?

The Food Tube

Identify and label the major organs of the digestive tract.

Write a brief description of each organ and its function.

Mouth Esophagus Stomach

Small Intestine Large Intestine Rectum


G4 U2 Reading in the Content Area: Passage 3The Parts of the “Food Tube”

Food provides the fuel (nutrients) necessary for an organism’s survival. The body uses food as fuel and energy for growth, repair, and maintenance of its body systems. But food is not changed to useful energy until it enters the body cells. Before food can enter the cells, it must be broken down into tiny pieces and into a form that can be used by the cells. The breaking down of food inside the body is called digestion. The digestive system is a group of organs that changes food into useable fuel for the body. It is comprised of two main parts: the digestive glands and the digestive tract.

The main digestive glands are the salivary glands, liver, gall bladder and pancreas. These organs produce chemicals that help to break food down. Food does not move through these organs, but they are important in producing digestive juices that are necessary for digestion.

The digestive tract, also referred to as the “food tube,” is really one long tube in our body through which the food actually passes. At one opening of the tube is the mouth, where food enters. At the other end of the tube is the anus, where unusable food (waste) is eliminated from the body. The main organs of the digestive tract are the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and rectum. When stretched end to end, the digestive tract is about 8.5 meters (about 28.5 feet) long. The small intestine is about 6 meters (about 20 feet) long and the large intestine is about 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) long.

The terms small and large intestine can be confusing because they do not refer to the length of these two organs. Rather, they refer to the distance around or circumference of each. The small intestine is a narrow tube while the large intestine is a wide tube that is almost three times as wide as the small intestine.

Food in the mouth is moistened and torn into smaller pieces by the teeth. Saliva in the mouth (secreted by the salivary glands) begins the process of digestion. The esophagus, through muscular squeezing action (peristalsis), moves food to the stomach from the mouth where food is stored and digested further. The stomach squeezes and mashes the food even more to break the food down. Food continues to move into the small intestine, where most of the digestion takes place. Here, food is digested into nutrients, which then get absorbed by our blood to be transported to other parts of our body. The rest of the undigested food passes into the large intestine, where it is stored and eventually gets passed out of the body as waste (feces) by the rectum.Please answer the questions on the following page.

1. Where does the digestion of food begin and what organs are the first ones to start the process?

2. The large intestine is actually shorter in length than the large intestine. How can you explain this?

3. Where in the body does most of the digestion of food occur?

4. Digestion can be thought of as two different processes, mechanical digestion and chemical digestion. Explain what you think mechanical digestion might be and where in the body it takes place. Explain what you think chemical digestion might be and where in the body it takes place.


G4 U2 L3 – What are the Main Organs of the Digestive Tract?

How Long is the Digestive Tract?Write your prediction for how long you think the digestive tract is for an average person.Procedures: 1. Working with a partner, measure your height and record it. Since the digestive system is about 5 times as long as one’s height, cut

out a piece of string that is 5 times longer than your height.

2. Fold the string into 3 equal parts. Cut off one of the parts. The uncut longer section (2/3 length) represents the small intestine. Label it small intestine and put it aside.

3. Fold the short piece (1/3 length) in half and cut into two pieces. Label one of these pieces the large intestine.

4. Fold the remaining piece in thirds and cut it into three equal pieces. Label one of these pieces the esophagus. Of the two remaining pieces, discard one of them.

5. Fold the remaining piece in half so that there are two equal parts. Label one of the pieces the stomach.

6. Take the remaining piece and fold it into thirds. Cut it into three pieces. Label one of the pieces the mouth. Discard the last two remaining pieces.

7. With the metric tape, measure the strings and record the lengths of each organ in the journal page. Record the lengths in centimeters (cm).

Please answer the following questions:

How does a long digestive tract help to digest food?

Which part of the digestive tract is the longest? Why?

What conclusions can you draw?

Lesson Facilitator Notes Science 21 – Organizing Ourselves for Doing Science

G4 U2 L4 – How Are The Teeth Important To Digestion?

You will need: Student Journal Pages

o Jobs of Teetho Human Teetho Thoughts about Teeth

Readings About Scienceo Chew on Thiso Inside the Mouth

Materials to gather at home:o Mirroro Apple (or other food substitution)

Instructions: Provide your student with a copy of the “Jobs of Teeth” Student Journal Page, a mirror (can be handheld), and a food item,

such as an apple, that they can observe themselves biting into using different teeth (incisors, canines, pre-molars [bicuspids], or molars).

Provide your student with a copy of whichever reading passage has been assigned by the teacher, either “Chew on This” or “Inside the Mouth”. Either reading passage will provide adequate background to learn the vocabulary and be able to answer the questions on the “Jobs of Teeth” or “Human Teeth” Student Journal Pages.

Provide your student with a copy of the “Thoughts about Teeth” Student Journal Page as a culminating reflection on the overall lesson.

Help your student to complete the Journal Pages assigned by the teacher. Help your student to read the Reading in the Content Area passages about the four types of teeth and each of their roles, and

to answer the questions that follow readings assigned by the teacher. Help your student to submit their responses (electronically or paper) as directed by the teacher.


G4 U2 L4 – How are the Teeth Important to the Digestive System?

Question: How can we observe and describe the Jobs of our Teeth?

Hypothesis (prediction): I think that teeth work together to

Materials:

Procedures: 1. Take a bite of an apple while standing in front of a mirror. Which teeth did you use to bite? Which teeth did you use for chewing? 2. What if your teeth switched jobs? Take another bite of the apple. Try to chew it using only your incisors (front teeth). Do incisors do

a good job chewing? Explain. 3. Bite the apple using only your molars. Why was it difficult to bite a mouth size sample using just your molars? 4. Which teeth do most of the work when you eat? Take another bite and observe. Observations and Results: Draw and label a sketch of your incisor, canine, pre-molar and molar.

Conclusions:Explain why it was difficult for the teeth to “switch jobs.”

Which teeth do the most work? Explain.

Create a list of ways to take care of your teeth.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Name the different types of teeth and describe their functions.


G4 U2 Reading in the Content Area: Passage 5“Chew On This”

The process of digestion starts as food enters the mouth. First, food goes through physical changes as the teeth cut, chew, and grind it into smaller pieces. The tongue moves the food around in the mouth and an enzyme in saliva begins to chemically digest carbohydrates (starches) into simple sugars.

Like all mammals, humans have different types of teeth adapted for various functions. The 20 deciduous (baby teeth) in a child’s mouth are gradually replaced by the permanent set of 32 teeth.

The teeth are a very important part in the digestion of food. Teeth help to carry out the first step of digestion by chewing and grinding the food down into smaller pieces before swallowing. Teeth have special shapes to enable them to either, cut, tear, chew, or grind. (See diagram on right.)

The incisors (4 on the upper jaw and 4 on the lower) have a straight, sharp edge for cutting and biting food into bite sized pieces. There are a total of eight teeth in the front of the mouth and they are thin with sharp edges.

The 4 pointed canines are specialized for tearing. Located next to the incisors, the canines are sharp pointed teeth that are used to tear food. In Latin, canine means dog and if you look at a dog’s teeth, the canines are quite visible.

The 8 bicuspids (pre-molars), missing among the deciduous teeth, have grinding surfaces. They are flat and help to crush food into smaller pieces. Similar to the premolars, the larger molars are found along the sides and back of the mouth. They are used to chew, crush and grind food into smaller pieces. They are wide and flat in shape. The third molars, come in last and are not present in some people. They are called “wisdom teeth.”Please answer the following questions:

1. What job do the incisors perform? Why is their shape well-suited to the job that they do?

2. Trees that lose their leaves each year are called deciduous trees. Trees that do not lose their leaves are called evergreens. Thinking about the term deciduous, why do you think deciduous teeth are called this name?

3. How does the tongue aid in digestion?

4. Why do you think wisdom teeth are called the name that they are?


G4 U2 Reading in the Content Area: Passage 6Inside the Mouth

Your teeth are a very important part in the digestion of food. Teeth help to carry out the first step of digestion. It starts by chewing. Chewing breaks the food down into smaller pieces. Your teeth cut, tear and grind food before you swallow. Teeth have special shapes to do these jobs.

The teeth in front of your mouth are called incisors. They are your cutting teeth. The eight incisors are thin and flat. They have sharp edges to cut and bite food. Next to the incisors are the canine teeth. These are your tearing teeth. The four tearing teeth are pointed to help you bite and tear food.

Next to the canine teeth are the pre-molars. The eight pre-molar teeth are flat and help to crush food into smaller pieces. Next to the pre-molars are the molars. The 12 molar teeth are located at the back of your mouth and help to crush and grind food. They are wide and somewhat flat.

Please answer the following questions:

1. How are teeth important in the digestion of food?

2. Why are incisors called “cutting” teeth?

3. Why do you suppose the tearing teeth are called “canine” teeth?

4. What is the purpose of the premolar and molar teeth?

5. What is one question that you have about the shape or function of teeth?



Human TeethCanines Incisors Molars Pre-Molars

Label the diagram below. On the lines below, list and describe the functions for each type of teeth.



My Thoughts About TeethIdentify each of the 3 major types of teeth. Describe where they Drawings or Sketchesare found in your mouth and what they do to help digest your food.

Why is it important to take care of your teeth?


G4 U2 L5 – How Does Saliva Help In Digestion?


o It’s S-alive-Ao Thoughts about S-alive-A o Matter of Tasteo Thoughts about Matter of Taste

Readings About Scienceo A Matter of Taste

Materials to gather at home:o Unsalted crackero Unsalted potato chipo Slice of white breado 2 Q-tip or cotton swabso Lemon or grapefruit juice or vinegar (just a few drops)o Tonic water or quinine (just a few drops)o Sugar water (just a few drops)o Salt water (just a few drops)

Instructions: Provide your student with a copy of the “It’s S-alive-A!” Student Journal Page. Your student will need to chew (in turn) the

unsalted cracker, the unsalted potato chip, and the slice of white bread. Your student will need to record observations on the Student Journal Page.

Your student can complete reflections on the “Thoughts about S-alive-A” Student Journal Page. If assigned, provide your student with a copy of the “Matter of Taste” Student Journal Page, and test the four flavors (sour,

bitter, sweet, salty) on 7 mapped areas of the tongue (using the two ends of two Q-tip or cotton swabs) and record observations. After making up the four solutions, dip one end of the Q-tip or cotton swab in one flavor, and then the student will test that same flavored cotton swab on all 7 mapped areas, and record where on their tongue they detect a flavor (which may be more than one location) before using the other end of the cotton swab with the next flavor solution. Repeat with other cotton swab with the other two flavor solutions.

If assigned, student may complete the “A Matter of Taste” reading passage and confirm observational results from their “Matter of Taste” investigation.

Help your student to complete the Journal Pages assigned by the teacher. Help your student to read the Reading in the Content Area passages about the roles of the tongue in the sense of taste and of

saliva in digestion, and to answer the questions that follow readings assigned by the teacher.

Help your student to submit their responses (electronically or paper) as directed by the teacher.


G4 U2 L5 – How Does Saliva Help in Digestion?“It’s S-Alive-A!”

Question: What does saliva do to the texture and taste of the food in your mouth?Hypothesis: I think that

Materials: Unsalted soda crackers, unsalted potato chips, bread, cup of waterProcedures: 1. Place a piece of soda cracker in your mouth. 2. Leave it in your mouth. (Do not chew or swallow.) 3. Complete the chart by writing the description of changes in the texture and taste. 4. Note the time it takes for the change to occur. Swallow and rinse your mouth with water. 5. Repeat procedures 1-4 for the other foods.

Food Tested Texture Change Time it tookfor texture change Taste Change Time it took

for taste changeSoda cracker

Bread

Potato Chip Results: Texture and Taste of each type of food.Conclusions:1. Describe, in terms of texture, what took place with each of the foods in your mouth?

2. Describe, in terms of texture, what took place with each of the foods in your mouth?

3. How does moistening the food help in swallowing?


G4 U2 L5 – How Does Saliva Help in Digestion?My Thoughts About “S-Alive-A”

What do you think is in saliva that helps change the taste of Drawings or Sketchessome foods in your mouth?

What would happen if your mouth didn’t contain saliva?


G4 U2 L5 – How Does Saliva Help in Digestion?“It’s a Matter of Taste”

During your investigation, label the areas where you taste sweet, sour, salty and bitter flavors the strongest. Remember to discard the Q-tips after they have been on your tongue.

Describe which area(s) of the tongue was the strongest in tasting:

Bitterness

Saltiness

Sourness

Sweetness

Which part of the tongue was least sensitive to taste?


G4 U2 Reading in the Content Area: Passage 7It’s A Matter of Taste

The tongue’s function in digestion is to move food into and out of the mouth and to taste foods. The tongue contains clusters of nerve cells in the tiny bumps we call taste buds. Taste buds are sensitive to four specific sensations: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. Most taste buds are clustered in the tip, on the edges and in the back of the tongue. This means that the tip, side, and back areas have the strongest taste buds. The center area of the tongue is the least sensitive to taste.

Specific areas of the tongue detect sweet, salty, sour, and bitter tastes. Sweetness can be tasted on the tip of the tongue. Saltiness is detected near the front part of the tongue along the left and right sides. Saltiness can also be detected on the tip of the tongue where sweetness is detected. Sourness is detected near the back part of the tongue along the left and right sides. Bitterness is detected at the very back part of the tongue. However, the exact places will vary with people, especially children. Also, there some slight overlaps between areas that are near each other.Please answer the following question in the space provided:Design an experiment to test which areas of your tongue are sensitive to sweet, salty, sour, and bitter foods. Which food samples would you use? How would you go about doing the experiment? Be specific about the how you would test the foods on the tongue and how you would keep the data.


G4 U2 L5 – How Does Saliva Help in Digestion?My Thoughts About “It’s A Matter of Taste”

What foods taste best to you? Worst? Drawings or Sketches

Which tastes would the tongue most likely detect first? Why?

Why are most medicines sweetened?

Lesson Facilitator Notes Science 21 – Organizing Ourselves for Doing ScienceG4 U2 L6 – How Does Food Move From Your Mouth To Your

Stomach?You will need:

Student Journal Pageso Tube E or Not Tube Eo Thoughts About Tube E or Not Tube E

Materials to gather at home:o Old stocking or pantyhose (one leg)o Rubber or tennis ball

Instructions: Have your student look back at “The Food Tube” Student Journal Page from Lesson 3. This provides them a visual image of

several organs involved in digestion. Have your student hold their throat as they swallow some water or ice cream and feel it pass through their esophagus. Have your student place the tennis ball into the pantyhose and attempt to move it to the other end – not with a lengthwise

push, but with rhythmic pulsing squeezes from just above the location of the ball – in order to mimic the action of peristalsis. Provide your student with a copy of “Tube E or Not Tube E” and “Thoughts about Tube E or Not Tube E” Student Journal

Pages. Help your student to complete the Journal Pages assigned by the teacher. Help your student to submit their responses (electronically or paper) as directed by the teacher.

Name Science 21 – Digestion, Nutrients, Food Chains & Food WebsG4 U2 L6 – How Does Food Move from your Mouth to your

Stomach?“Tube E or Not Tube E?” (That is the Esophagus)

Question: How can we make a model of the way that food passes through the esophagus?Materials: Narrowest part of a panty hose leg, one ball, clock/watch with second handProcedure: 1. Pretend the ball is a bite of food that you just swallowed. Place it into the top of the stocking, which serves as a model of the

esophagus. Can the ball move to the bottom on its own? Explain. 2. Use your hands to squeeze the ball down the stocking. If you have to, move your hands along the stocking tube to move the ball to

the bottom. How are your hands like the muscles in the esophagus? 3. Your esophagus muscles take 7 seconds to push a bite of food from your throat to your stomach. Try to push the ball through the

stocking in only seven seconds. Can you do it? Results: Responses to procedures 1, 2, and 3.1.

2.

3.

Conclusion: Describe how food travels from the mouth to the stomach.


G4 U2 L6 – How Does Food Move from your Mouth to your Stomach?

My Thoughts About “Tube E or Not Tube E?” (That is the esophagus)Why are you still able to swallow food while you are upside down? Drawings or Sketches

What happens to the muscular movement in your esophagus when you vomit?

Lesson Facilitator Notes

Science 21 – Organizing Ourselves for Doing ScienceG4 U2 L7 – What Happens To The Partly Digested Food After It Enters

The Stomach?You will need:

Student Journal Pageso Stomach Ito Thoughts About Stomach Ito Extension – How does the Stomach Protect Itself?

Readings About Scienceo Journey from Mouth to Stomacho How do Ulcers Form?

Materials to gather at home:o Meat tenderizer solution (1 tsp in 1/4 cup water)o Food item (1/4 hotdog or slice of apple or bread)o Petroleum jelly (Vaseline)o Paper towel

Instructions: Remind your student once again about “The Food Tube” Student Journal Page from Lesson 3 (for the visual on the digestive

tract). Provide a copy of the “Stomach It” Student Journal Page and the meat tenderizer solution and a food item. Observations

should be made over the next 24-48 hours and recorded on the Student Journal Page. Student can reflect on the investigation using the “Thoughts about Stomach It” Student Journal Page. If assigned, student may read and respond to questions from the “Journey from Mouth to Stomach” reading passage. Provide a copy of the “How Do Ulcers Form?” reading passage to your student. Provide a copy of the “Extension: How does the Stomach Protect Itself?” Student Journal Page, along with a paper towel and

some petroleum jelly (Vaseline) and some water (may be clear or colored). Your student should use the petroleum jelly to write her/his initials onto the paper towel, douse it with water, and record observations on the “Extension” Student Journal Page. Discuss the elements of the analogy – What does the water represent? What does the paper towel represent? What does the petroleum jelly represent? How are they alike and different (the representations and the actual digestive system elements)?

Help your student to complete the Journal Pages assigned by the teacher. Help your student to read the Reading in the Content Area passages about how food travels through the digestive tract and

about how ulcers form, and to answer the questions that follow readings assigned by the teacher. Help your student to submit their responses (electronically or paper) as directed by the teacher.

Name Science 21 – Digestion, Nutrients, Food Chains & Food WebsG4 U2 L7 – What Happens to Partially Digested Food After it Enters

the Stomach?“Stomach It”

Carefully suspend your food with string in the vials of liquid (meat tenderizer solution). Record your observations by describing or drawing what happens to the suspended food over the period of time indicated below. Also, describe what the liquid in the vial looks like.

Vial #1

Food:

Vial #2

Food:

Vial #3

Food:

0 hours

1 hour

2 hours

4 hours

Next day

What did the meat tenderizer solution do to the food in the vials?


the Stomach?My Thoughts About “Stomach It”

What is the shape of the stomach? Drawings or Sketches

How does the shape of the stomach make it suitable for storing partially digested food?

How does the stomach make food smaller?

Esophagus

Stomach

Small Intestine


G4 U2 Reading in the Content Area: Passage 8The Journey from the Mouth to the Stomach

After food is swallowed in the mouth, it enters the esophagus, which is made of strong muscles. Here food is pushed along by muscular action. Muscles in the digestive tract push food forward. This muscular wave-like action is called peristalsis, and it starts in the esophagus. As sets of muscles alternately contract and relax, a squeezing action takes place that gently pushes the food along the tube in peristaltic waves.

Once food enters the esophagus, the following occurs. Just above the bite of food, muscles squeeze together. This pushes the food farther down the tube. Then more muscles squeeze and push the food farther. Finally, the food is pushed into the stomach. This is the reason why food, whether it is in solid or liquid form, may be swallowed with the body positioned in any direction. Gravity has little or no influence on how food moves in the digestive tract. Since it is muscle action (peristalsis), not gravity, that moves food inside the digestive tract, it is possible to eat and swallow while standing on your head.

Sometimes this muscular reaction reverses the direction in which the food pushed in the tube. This is known as reverse peristalsis in the esophagus, and is also knowing as vomiting or “throwing up”.

At the end of the esophagus, food next passes to the stomach. The stomach is like a big bag with an opening at each end. It is a J-shaped pouch made of muscles. The stomach muscles stretch to hold the food that is swallowed. When the stomach is empty, it is about the size of a large hot dog. But after eating, it stretches and becomes much larger. The stomach can hold up to two liters of food at one time. (Growling in the stomach is caused by the muscles in the stomach squeezing together when the stomach is empty.)

The food is held or stored in the stomach temporarily for three to four hours where it is squeezed back and forth by the muscles and the food is mixed with digestive juices called gastric juices. The gastric juices secreted by the stomach wall include rennin, pepsin (both of which are enzymes), and hydrochloric acid.

Gastric juices help to begin the breakdown of proteins in the food. As the muscles squeeze the food, the food mixes with the gastric juices. The juices act on the food and break it down even more. Pepsin digests proteins and rennin digests milk proteins. The hydrochloric acid

stimulates the pepsin to digest proteins. A mucus lining coats the stomach walls and protects the stomach from being damaged by the strong acidity of the hydrochloric acid.

This acid, though, is really very strong. If you poured a bit of it directly on your hand, it would burn your skin. To protect the stomach and small intestine from being damaged by the strong hydrochloric acid, a tough, slippery lining (mucous lining) keeps the digestive juices from irritating the walls. However, when the digestive juices break through the protective mucous lining of the stomach or small intestine and irritate the sensitive tissue underneath, ulcers can develop.

Usually the stomach can repair itself if a minor ulcer occurs. Several things that can make an ulcer worse include: smoking, alcohol, stress, and even aspirin. When a severe ulcer develops, medicines (and sometimes surgery) are usually required to treat the condition.

As food is digested in the stomach, it changes into a soft, wet mixture resembling a thick soup or cake batter. However, the food is not yet fully digested. After three to four hours, the semi-digested food moves into the small intestine where most of the digestion actually takes place. A little at a time, the stomach muscles squeeze the food into the small intestine.Please answer the following questions:1. What is the name of the process by which food is pushed through the esophagus?

2. What causes the growling sound that you can sometimes hear in your stomach?

3. Name the two digestive juices that break down food and tell what they do in the process of digestion.

4. How is the stomach protected from the effects of the acid that is poured into it?

5. Don’t try this, but explain why it would be possible to digest food if you were standing on your head.


G4 U2 Reading in the Content Area: Passage 8aHow Do Ulcers Form?

Digestive juices (or gastric juices) are found in the stomach. The gastric juices secreted by the stomach wall include rennin, pepsin (both of which are enzymes) and hydrochloric acid. These juices help to begin the breakdown of proteins in the food. Since hydrochloric acid is one of the chemicals that make up the digestive juices, this creates a very acidic environment in the stomach. The acid in the digestive juice is so strong that if you poured a bit directly on your hand, it would burn your skin. To protect the stomach and the small intestine walls from being damaged by the strong hydrochloric acid, a tough, slippery lining (mucous lining) keeps digestive juices from irritating the walls.

However, ulcers can occur when the digestive juices break through the protective mucous lining of the stomach or the small intestine and irritate the sensitive tissue underneath. When this happens, an inflammatory lesion, known as an ulcer, develops. Please answer the following questions:1. What chemicals make up the gastric juices?

2. What can be the damaging effects of acid?

3. How does the stomach protect itself against the damaging effect of the hydrochloric acid?

4. What is an ulcer?

5. How can an ulcer form?

continued on next page

6. After reading this passage, write one question that you have about ulcers.


the Stomach?“How Does the Stomach Protect Itself?”

Question:

Prediction:

Materials: Petroleum Jelly, Colored Water, Paper Towel

Observations & Results:

1. Describe what happened to the paper towel when water was drizzled onto it.

2. Which part of the paper towel reacted more to the water?

3. Which part of the paper towel reacted least to the water? Why?

4. Identify which part of the stomach each represented:

Colored Water

Paper Towel

Petroleum Jelly


G4 U2 L8 – What Happens To The Digested Food In The Small And Large Intestine?


o Major Digestiono Incredible Journeyo The Digestive Tract

Readings About Scienceo Food’s Final Journey!

Instructions: Ask your student about where food goes when it leaves the stomach, and what it looks like at this point. Ask what parts of the

food must be digested in the small intestine. Effectively, your student’s responses are predictions, and it is not necessary that they are right. They will learn all these answers in this lesson through the reading and the student journal pages.

Provide your student with the “Major Digestion” Student Journal Page. If assigned, provide the “Food’s Final Journey!” reading passage, along with the “Incredible Journey” Student Journal Page.

Your student will be able to answer questions in both of these based on the reading passage. Provide your student with a copy of “The Digestive Tract” Student Journal Page, which is a graphic organizer on which your

student can summarize their understanding of the organs that are part of the digestive tract. The teacher may be using this particular Student Journal Page as a formative assessment, so let your student show their own knowledge and understanding (don’t be too helpful).

Help your student to complete the Journal Pages assigned by the teacher. Help your student to read the Reading in the Content Area passages about the digestive tract, and to answer the questions

that follow readings assigned by the teacher. Help your student to submit their responses (electronically or paper) as directed by the teacher.


G4 U2 L8 – What Happens to Digested Food in the Intestines?

“Major Digestion”When food leaves the stomach, it is a thick liquid. The liquefied food passes from the stomach into a long, winding tube called the small intestine. The last steps of digestion take place in the small intestine, where most of our digestion takes place. Muscles in the walls of the small intestine squeeze the food, breaking the food into even smaller pieces. More digestive juices and enzymes are mixed with the food. Some enzymes continue to digest starches that were not digested in the mouth. Other enzymes continue the breakdown of proteins that began in the stomach. There are still other enzymes that digest the rest of the proteins, fats, sugars and starches found in foods. Once the food is broken down small enough (i.e., into its simplest form), it can be absorbed into the blood for the body to use.

The inside wall of the small intestine is rough and is lined with parts that look like tiny fingers. These finger-shaped parts or bulges, called villi, contain many tiny blood vessels. Tiny particles of the digested food move into the villi, and from there, leave the small intestine and enter the bloodstream. The blood carries the food to cells in all parts of the body where the cells use it to build, repair and for energy.

Food material that cannot be digested passes as waste materials from the small intestine into a wider tube, the large intestine. The large intestine also has muscles in its walls, but they are not used for digestion. Instead, the large intestine removes water from the undigested food and absorbs it into the blood stream. This removal of the water gives the waste materials a more solid form, which is called feces. The feces passes into the lower part of the large intestine, called the rectum. The rectum stores the feces until it is ready to be eliminated from the body.

1. Describe what the food looks like when it enters the small intestine.

2. What nutrients in foods are digested in the small intestine?

3. What happens to the food that is digested in the small intestine?

4. What happens to the undigested food in the large intestine?

5. Why do you think the title is called “Major Digestion”?


G4 U2 Reading in the Content Area: Passage 9Food’s Final Journey!

When food leaves the stomach, it is a thick liquid. This food, in liquid form, passes from the stomach into a long, winding tube called the small intestine. The last steps of digestion take place in the small intestine. It is the main organ for digesting food in the body. The small intestine is at least four times as long as a person’s height. The average length of the small intestine is 7 meters (23 feet) long. Because it is so long, it coils back and forth many times inside the body.

Muscles in the walls of the small intestine squeeze the food. The squeezing breaks the food into even smaller pieces. More digestive juices and enzymes are mixed with the food. Most of the digestive juices found in the small intestine are produced by the small intestine, the pancreas, and the liver. Enzymes in these digestive juices complete the digestion of food. Some enzymes continue to digest starches that were not digested in the mouth. Other enzymes continue the breakdown of proteins that began in the stomach. There are still other enzymes that digest the rest of the proteins, fats, sugars and starches found in food. In time, the food is broken into smaller and smaller bits for the body’s use. Once the food is broken down small enough (i.e., into its simplest form), it can be absorbed into the blood for the body to use.

The inside of the small intestine is rough and is lined with parts that look like tiny fingers. These finger-shaped parts or bulges, called villi, contain many tiny blood vessels. Tiny particles of the digested food move into the villi, and from there, leave the small intestine and enter the bloodstream. The blood carries the food to cells in all parts of the body. Once the food is inside the cells, the body can finally use it for energy and to build and repair cells and tissues.

Not all food that is eaten can be digested or broken down. For example, the body cannot digest cellulose, a carbohydrate found in lettuce. Parts of seeds in fruits, strings in celery and the seed

coat of corn cannot be digested. Food material that cannot be digested passes as waste materials from the small intestine into a wider tube, the large intestine. The large intestine is about 1.5 meters (5 feet) long. It is two times as wide as the small intestine. This is why it got the name “large” intestine. (Even though it is narrower, the small intestine is more than four times longer than the large intestine.)

The large intestine also has muscles in its walls, but they are not used for digestion. Instead, in the large intestine, water from the undigested food is absorbed into the blood stream. The waste materials are quite watery when they first enter the large intestine. They pass through the large intestine very slowly while the water is absorbed back into the bloodstream. This removal of the water gives the waste materials a more solid form, feces. The feces pass into the lower part of the large intestine, called the rectum. The rectum stores the feces until it is ready to be eliminated from the body through an opening called the anus. That is the end of the

large intestine

small intestine

rectum

journey of food!Please answer the following questions:1. What is the overall purpose of digestion? Why do we need this process?

2. What is the role of the large intestine in the process of digestion?

3. Name three features of the small intestine and explain why they help it to absorb food.

4. What must happen to food that you eat in order for it to be used by other parts of the body?



“Incredible Journey”What does digested food look like when it enters the small intestine? Drawings or Sketches

What happens to digested food in the small intestine?

What happens to the remaining food material that is not digested?

Thoughts and comments.



The Digestive TractDirections:

Identify the five main parts of the digestive tract, in order, beginning with the mouth. For each body part, list its job(s).

Body Part Jobs in Digestion

Lesson Facilitator Notes Science 21 – Organizing Ourselves for Doing ScienceG4 U2 L9 – What Is The USDA MyPlate Food Pyramid

Guidance System?You will need:

Student Journal Pageso Five Basic Food Groupso What’s in a Meal?

Readings About Scienceo What’s On Your Plate

Instructions: Provide your student with a copy of the “Five Basic Food Groups” Student Journal Page and encourage them to identify the

food they have recently eaten (past several meals). Provide your student with a copy of the “What’s in a Meal?” Student Journal Page and the “What’s On Your Plate?” reading

passage. Your student should be able to respond to the questions on both of these. The teacher may also assign students to rate or create healthy snack choices, or to research and investigate which food(s)

provide maximum nutrients. Help your student to complete the Journal Pages assigned by the teacher. Help your student to read the Reading in the Content Area passages about the USDA MyPlate Food Pyramid Guidance

System, and to answer the questions that follow readings assigned by the teacher. Help your student to submit their responses (electronically or paper) as directed by the teacher.


G4 U2 L9 – What is the USDA My Pyramid Food Guidance System?

The Five Basic Food GroupsDirections: Look at MyPlate to identify the five basic food groups. Write the names of the food groups below, and list the kinds of foods found in each group. Use your background knowledge to help you do this.

Name of Food Group Types of Food


G4 U2 L9 – What is the USDA My Pyramid Food Guidance System?

What’s In A Meal?Directions: Chart your meals over the course of the next day. Based on what you eat, fill in the information below.

Name of Food MyPlate Group

Directions: Use the space below to tally up your food choices in the correct MyPlate group.FRUITS GRAINS DAIRY VEGETABLES PROTEINS


G4 U2 Reading in the Content Area: Passage 10What’s on Your Plate?

In the digestive tract some of the major nutrients in foods are digested and broken down so that the cells in our body can use them for energy and to build and repair. These nutrients are proteins, carbohydrates (sugars and starches) and fats. Generally, vitamins and minerals do not need to be digested. They are absorbed into the bloodstream along with the other digested nutrients in the small intestine. Water is absorbed into the bloodstream in the large intestine.

In 2011 the U.S. Department of Agriculture introduced the MyPlate Food Guidance System. The new system recommends a daily variety of food choices from all five groups, and details specific portion sizes, and what percentage of a meal should be made up of each of these groups. Using a computer, each person can input information that will produce an individual chart that helps to set goals and keep track of food intake on a daily basis. This individualized approach is based on age, gender, and activity level. Reading the Nutrition Facts label on food products is also an important tool in selecting the most nutritious foods as you plan your daily menu.

The plate has five colored sections representing the five basic food groups and oils. Each section is of a different percentage, suggesting how much food you should choose from every group. The entire plate encompasses 100%, with dairy occupying a smaller subset of food items (like a cup of milk). The thinking behind MyPlate is that for any meal, if roughly 20% of your meal is fruit, 30% vegetables, 25% grains, and 20% protein, a person will be getting a balanced serving of food. A “cup” of a dairy product should be added to make the most balanced meal possible. This is different from the previous pyramid approach which used the thickness of bands to represent how much of a group should be eaten, and the height of the bands represent the “health” of a given food. MyPlate approaches nutritional guideline from a more visual and math-based approach.

The grain group includes bread, cereal, grains and pasta. Grain products are important sources of vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, and dietary fiber.

The foods in the vegetable and fruit groups provide vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber. The vegetable group can include cooked and raw vegetables such as spinach, cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, peas, corn, vegetable juice, etc. The fruit group can include fresh fruits (e.g. bananas, oranges, apples, strawberries, etc.), canned fruits, or fruit juices.

The dairy group is important for calcium and protein. This group includes milk, yogurt and cheese.

The protein group includes protein sources such as eggs, dry beans and peas, and peanut butter, as well as meat, poultry, and fish.

The meat group is important for protein, iron and zinc. Missing from this version are the oils, fats, and sweets category. The USDA considers the use of these substances to be unnecessary in most cases, and therefore does not include them in MyPlate. These are foods such as salad dressings, cream, butter, margarine, sugars, soft drinks, and candies. These foods are high in calories from fats and sugars, but contain very few vitamins and minerals. A slice of pie can give one serving of fruit, but it also contains a lot of sugar and fat. Even some cheeses, whole milk, bacon in beans, eggs scrambled in butter, and salad dressings can move items into this category. That is why in all five of the basic food groups, nonfat and lean foods should be considered as often as possible. For example, choose nonfat or 1% milk instead of 2% or whole milk; and lean meat instead of fatty meat. Since nuts are high in fat, they should be eaten in moderation. Choose fewer foods that are high in sugars - candy, sweet desserts, and soft drinks.

Learning about good nutrition and how it contributes to good health is important. The USDA’s MyPlate is a good aid in planning healthy eating. A good meal plan would include foods from four or five of the major food groups. Snacks should be planned so that they are not served too close to mealtime and offer foods from two or more of the five major food groups.Think of ten foods that you really like to eat. List them below. In the space to the right of each food, write the food group (or food groups) to which it belongs. The following is a list of the food groups from which you should choose:

Bread, cereal, grains, pasta (Grains)Vegetables

FruitsMilk, yogurt, cheese (Dairy)

Meat, fish, eggs, poultry, beans, nuts (Proteins)Fats, oils, sweets

My Favorite Foods: The Food Group(s) To Which It Belongs:


G4 U2 L10 – Can We Determine Whether A Food Is Healthy Or Not By Looking At The

Ingredient Label?You will need:

Student Journal Pageso MyPlate blanko You Are What You Eat

Instructions: Provide your student with a blank copy of the “MyPlate” Student Journal Page and have your student identify which food

groups belong on “MyPlate”, in the appropriate places (or “wedges”). Help your student to determine what different types of foods are considered to be fats and sugars. Help your student to determine the various different names for fats and for sugars. Help your student to determine the various different names for salt. Provide your student with the “You Are What You Eat” Student Journal Page and support them in analyzing the ‘healthiness’ of

three different ingredient list labels. Encourage your student to continue to examine ingredient list labels in restaurants, in the supermarket, and in the food

products found at home. Help your student to complete the Journal Pages assigned by the teacher. Help your student to submit their responses (electronically or paper) as directed by the teacher.


G4 U2 L10 – Can an Ingredient Label Tell Us if Food is Healthy?

“You Are What You Eat”Directions: Read each of these ingredient labels. If you see something that is a sugar, underline it. (example: honey) If you see something that is a salt, put a star over it. (example: sodium*) If you see something that is a fat, circle it. (example: oil )

LABEL #1

INGREDIENTS: Whey, cocoa processed with alkali, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, palm oil, coconut oil, cottonseed oil, corn

syrup, carob flavor, salt, sodium caseinate, dipotassium phosphate, propylene glycol esters of fatty acids, sodium, saccharin, sodium

citrate, monoglycerides, diglycerides, lecithin, carrageenan, artificial color, artificial flavor.

LABEL #2

INGREDIENTS: Wheat flour, whole milk, soybean flour, meat, bone meal, fish meal, wheat germ, dried vegetables, salt, calcium,

Vitamin A, Vitamin B.

LABEL #3

INGREDIENTS: Sugar, oat flour, sunflower oil, brown sugar, honey, coconut oil, salt, molasses, lecithin, sodium, guar gum.

Questions:1. Which of these labels has the most sugars, salts, and fats? Explain.

2. Which of these labels has the least sugars, salts, and fats? Explain.

3. Which of these labels has the most added chemicals? Explain.

4. Which food do you think is the healthiest? Why? Least healthy? Why?


G4 U2 L11 – How Do We Read A Nutrition Fact Label?


o Getting the Facts Straighto Food Labels

Readings About Scienceo Read the Label

Instructions: Assemble together some cans, boxes, and containers showing food labels and nutrition facts from around the house (e.g., box

of pancake mix) for your student to examine and compare. Provide your student with the “Getting the Facts Straight” Student Journal Page to respond to questions based on food

nutrition labels. Provide your student with the “Read the Label” reading passage to complete the reading and questions. Provide your student with the “Food Labels” Student Journal Page in order to make comparisons among different food labels

for different food products. Help your student to complete the Journal Pages assigned by the teacher. Help your student to read the Reading in the Content Area passages about food ingredient lists and nutrition labels, and to

answer the questions that follow readings assigned by the teacher. Help your student to submit their responses (electronically or paper) as directed by the teacher.


G4 U2 L11 – How Do We Read a Nutrition Fact Label?

“Getting the Facts Straight”

Use the Nutrition Label on this page in order to answer the following questions (below and on the next page):

1. What is the serving size for this food?

How many servings are there per container?

How many cups would an entire container hold?(Show your work on another paper.)

Continued on next page.Use the Nutrition Label on the prior page in order to answer the following questions:

2. How much fat does this food contain?

What is the % daily value of fat?

How much fat does the US Government recommend each day?

3. How many grams of carbohydrates are in each serving?

What is the % daily value of carbohydrates?

What are the total grams of carbohydrates that the government says is okay to eat each day?

4. How many grams of protein does one serving provide?

5. Which vitamins are found in this product?

6. What is the total calories for one serving of this food?

How much of these calories come from fat?


G4 U2 Reading in the Content Area: Passage 11Read the Label!

In 1990 labeling requirements of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) required every food package to have a standard food label that lists the product’s ingredients and nutrition facts. The Nutrition Facts Label is found on the back of any package or can of food. The title, Nutrition Facts, is in bold letters to distinguish and catch the attention of the consumer. The standard food label is a way to simplify and encourage the use of nutritional information. It is clear, informative, and provides enough detailed information needed for consumers to decide if a food product meets their nutritional standards before buying it. Reading labels on cans, boxes and containers of food products can provide information about how much fat, carbohydrates and protein we consume. As we are encouraged to eat healthy, balanced diets, it becomes important that we be able to read and understand food labels.

Reading food labels can help us to: Determine which foods are most nutritious. Choose foods that are low in fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sugar, and sodium. Choose foods that are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Identify which nutrients are added to foods by reading the ingredients list. Limit those nutrients that we want to cut back on. Increase those nutrients that want to consume in greater amounts. Compare one product or brand to a similar product. Pay attention to how much we eat so that the total amount of any nutrient for the day can be compared with the percent of recommended daily values (RDV).

It should be noted that neither sugars nor proteins lists a %RDV on the Nutrition Facts label. Since no recommendations for the total amount of sugars and proteins have been made, no daily reference has been set.

It should also be noted that the lower part of the nutrition label always appears the same on any food label. It does not change from product to product, because it shows dietary advice for all consumers. It is never about a specific food product. It always specifies the recommended daily values of important nutrients based on a daily diet of 2,000 and 2,500 calories.

As of 2006, the percentage of trans fat must also be included on food labels.

Please answer questions on the next page, using information from the food label shown above.Please answer the following questions based on the food label on the previous page.1. Assuming you followed a 2000 calorie per day diet, what is the recommended amount of cholesterol that you should consume?

2. If you ate one serving of this food item, how many milligrams (mg) of cholesterol would have been consumed?

3. Assuming you followed a 2500 calorie per day diet, what is the daily recommended intake of fiber?

4. List four ways that using the information on a food label can help you maintain a healthy diet:

5. What types of occupations do you think would be better suited for someone to maintain a 2500 calorie per day diet as compared with a 2000 calorie per day diet? Why?


G4 U2 L12 – Can We Determine If A Food Is Healthy By Reading The Nutrition Fact

Labels?You will need:

Student Journal Pageso Nutrition Facts for Popular Snacks

Instructions: Briefly review with students what they have learned so far about recommended daily allowances (RDA’s) in various food

groups and nutrients. Provide your student with a copy of the “Nutrition Facts for Popular Snacks” Student Journal Page so that they can respond to

the accompanying questions. Have a discussion with your student about the types of food they eat, why it is important to eat healthy foods, and what

alternatives they have to popular snack (“junk”) food. Help your student to complete the Journal Pages assigned by the teacher. Help your student to submit their responses (electronically or paper) as directed by the teacher.

Name Science 21 – Digestion, Nutrients, Food Chains & Food WebsG4 U2 L12 – Can the Nutrition Fact Label Tell Us if Food

is Healthy?Nutrition Facts Labels for some Popular Snacks

Potato Chips Pretzels Trail Mix

Nutrition Fact Snack #1 (Potato Chips)

Snack #2 (Pretzels)

Snack #3 (Trail Mix)

Serving Size

Servings per container

Calories

Calories from Fat: (Fat Calories)

Total Fat

Sodium

Sugar

From the data above, answer the following questions:

1. Which of these foods is highest in total fat?

2. Which of these foods is lowest in total fat?

3. Which of these foods is highest in sugars?

4. Which of these foods is lowest in sugars?

5. Which of these foods is highest in sodium?

6. Which of these foods is lowest in sodium?

7. Which of these foods is the healthiest? Explain why.

8. Which of these foods is the least healthy? Explain why.

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