Explore Our World: Inquiry

8/13/2019 Explore Our World: Inquiry

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Problems with the Digestive SystemEssential Question:

Why do I have an upset stomach?

Purpose Statement:

The purpose is to introduce students to problems that may occur within the digestive system

to gain a stronger grasp of how the digestive system works.

Time for teaching the lesson:

Lesson will probably take about 6 hours total (1 week). This includes computer lab time to

research articles, time to read, evaluate, work in groups, present and write.

Materials:

Computers, internet access to Kids InfoBits, pencil, paper, markers and 12 x 18 construction

paper for posters

http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/KidsInfoBits?subTopic=Human%2BBody&locID=lom_accessmic

h&topic=Science%2B%2526%2BMath&ste=3

Background:

Students have been introduced to the organs of the digestive system as well as how the

digestive system functions. Several labs have been conducted explaining how nutrients diffuse into

blood cells and how enzymes breakdown food. This activity is to reinforce the functions of the

digestive system and gives students an opportunity to apply what they know.
http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/KidsInfoBits?subTopic=Human%2BBody&locID=lom_accessmich&topic=Science%2B%2526%2BMath&ste=3http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/KidsInfoBits?subTopic=Human%2BBody&locID=lom_accessmich&topic=Science%2B%2526%2BMath&ste=3http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/KidsInfoBits?subTopic=Human%2BBody&locID=lom_accessmich&topic=Science%2B%2526%2BMath&ste=3http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/KidsInfoBits?subTopic=Human%2BBody&locID=lom_accessmich&topic=Science%2B%2526%2BMath&ste=3http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/KidsInfoBits?subTopic=Human%2BBody&locID=lom_accessmich&topic=Science%2B%2526%2BMath&ste=3


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will close read the article Stomachaches and more ... digestive diseases byWhitman, Sylvia. Theend of the article lists some more ailments. The article is a higher reading level and I will scaffold

through discussion and modeling.

2: Research ailments of the digestive system

Students will explore ailments of the digestive system though articles from Kids InfoBits. They will

skim and scan passages to find one that interests them. As student research I will survey students

to put them into ailment groups.

Once students are grouped they will print out articles relating to their ailment. Individually students

will close read the articles and then have inquiry circles to discuss their findings.

3: Poster and Presentation

In inquiry circles students will create a poster of information along with a plan for presentation.

Several questions should be considered when organizing information, but students should follow their

own wonders too.

What parts of the digestive system are affected Is there a cure or relief for the ailment What are symptoms

4: Presentation

5: Assessment

Students will write a story about the journey of an apple (or other chosen food item). The journey

can be fantastical or scientific It must include all the stops the apple makes throughout its


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We will talk about being knowledgeable inquirers. We will use the knowledge we have and add to it

through our inquiry to enhance and broaden our understanding of the digestive system.

Subjects:

Science, reading and writing

Article from Kids InfoBits

http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/KidsInfoBits?subTopic=Human%2BBody&locID=lom_accessmic

h&topic=Science%2B%2526%2BMath&ste=3

Stomachaches and more ... digestive diseases. Whitman, Sylvia.

Alexis St. Martin didn't volunteer to make medical history, but when a shotgun blast tore a hole in his gut in 1822, he didn't

have any choice. Army surgeon William Beaumont patched the wound, but because gunpowder had burned the skin, it

couldn't knit together properly. Eventually, scar tissue formed a cap. But the hole remained accessible, a window on thedigestive system.

Dr. Beaumont invited St. Martin to his home to recuperate -- and to be studied. Over the next few years, the soldierallowed the surgeon to insert a tube through the opening into his stomach. Sometime, Beaumont sucked out digestivejuices. Once, he lowered an oyster on a string. After an hour, it looked ragged; dipped again, it dissolved. On other

occasions, the doctor watched the stomach lining change color, such as after a meal or during a fit of anger. His

observations confirmed that acids contribute to the breakdown of food and that emotions affect the digestive system. (Theexperiments didn't appear to harm St. Martin, who fathered 17 children and died at age 86.)

Although doctors today can map the twists and turns of the digestive tract with high-tech probes, it remains a mystery and

a wonder. If you could iron it out from beginning to end, it would stretch 30 feet -- long enough to reach from a second-story window to the ground. Digestion begins with a bite, as teeth grind and tear food. Mixed with saliva, this pulp travels

down the esophagus into the stomach, which releases ferocious hydrochloric acid and the enzyme pepsin. After a churning,a muscular righ squirts the chyme -- as the half-digested material is called -- into the small intestine. In that winding,
http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/KidsInfoBits?subTopic=Human%2BBody&locID=lom_accessmich&topic=Science%2B%2526%2BMath&ste=3http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/KidsInfoBits?subTopic=Human%2BBody&locID=lom_accessmich&topic=Science%2B%2526%2BMath&ste=3http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/KidsInfoBits?subTopic=Human%2BBody&locID=lom_accessmich&topic=Science%2B%2526%2BMath&ste=3http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/KidsInfoBits?subTopic=Human%2BBody&locID=lom_accessmich&topic=Science%2B%2526%2BMath&ste=3http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/KidsInfoBits?subTopic=Human%2BBody&locID=lom_accessmich&topic=Science%2B%2526%2BMath&ste=3


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weight loss, and malnutrition, result from the irritation of the membranes lining the tract. If the inflammation spreads,joints such as the ankles, knees, and hips may swell and stiffen.

A person with celiac disease cannot break down gluten. This protein, found in wheat and rye, then irritates the intestine andinterferes with digestion. No one knows the origin of this condition.

Helper Organs

The pancreas, kidneys, and liver all play important supportive roles in digestion. Among its many functions, the liverproduces about a quart day of bile, a yellow-green liquid that makes fats soluble in water and, therefore, useful to the body.Until needed in the small intestine, bile collects in the gallbladder. Sometimes, bile crystallizes into gallstones.

Up to 20 percent of the population harbors gallstones (more likely in women and with age). Most of the time, they cause noproblems. If they block the duct to the small intestine, however, a jolt of pain and digestive turmoil follow. If medication or

lithotripsy (ultrasound bombardment) cannot dissolve the lumps, surgeons may remove the gallbladder.

Upset Tummies

To judge from advertisements in the media, we are a nation obsessed with regularity. We take pills and potions to bring on

bowel movements and ward off gas. While severe symptoms may warrant medical intervention, most of the time thedigestive system can right itself.

Heartburn, for instance, afflicts about 30 percent of Americans at one time or another. Stomach acid backs up into theesophagus when you eat too much or too fast, or if you bend over or lie down after meals, and it stings. Cutting down orcutting out alcohol, cigarettes, spices, carbonated drinks, and food on the run may eliminate that unpleasant burp or burn.

Stress contributes to another widespread ill, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS sufferers report feeling bloated andqueasy and complain of constipation or diarrhea. Muscles in the digestive tract seem to move material too slowly or tooquickly. Why? Specialists have no sure answer: perhaps emotions ("the butterflies"), allergies, overstimulation by a

digestive hormone, or a lack of fiber. Although not fatal, IBS is a long-term annoyance. After ruling out other problems, a

physician usually works with a patient on a management plan. A low-fat, high-roughage diet -- bran, grains, fruits, andvegetables -- often helps. As with most other digestive ailments, just learning to relax over a meal may be the mosteffective treatment.


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Category 6 5 4 3 2

Ideas/

Content

Main idea is clear,

supported, and enriched by

relevant anecdotes

and details

Main idea is well

marked by detail but

could benefit from

additional information

Topic or theme is

identified as main

idea; development

remains basic or

general

Main idea is

present; may be

broad or

simplistic

Main idea is still missing,

though possible

topic/theme is emerging

Organization Organization enhances and

showcases central idea;

order of information is

compelling, moving reader

through text

Organization is smooth;

only a few small bumps

here and there exist

Organization moves

reader through text

without too much

confusion

Organization is still

problematic though

structure begins to

emerge; ability to

follow text is slowed

Organization is

mostly ineffective;

only moments here

and there direct

reader

Voice Author speaks directly to

reader in individual,

compelling, and engaging

way that delivers purpose

and topic; although

passionate, author is

respectful of audience andpurpose

Author attempts to

address topic,

purpose, and

audience in sincere

and engaging way;

piece still skips a

beat here and there

Author seems

sincere, yet not fully

engaged or

involved; result is

pleasant or even

personable, though

topic and purposeare still not compelling

Authors voice is

hard to recognize,

even if

reader is trying

desperately to

hear it

Author relies on readers

good faith to hear or

feel any voice in phrases

such as I like itor it

was fun

Word Choice Vocabulary is powerful and

emerging, creating

mental imagery; words

convey intended message in

precise,

interesting and natural way

Vocabulary is more

precise and

appropriate; mental

imagery

emerges

Vocabulary is

functional yet still

lacks energy;

authors meaning is

easy to understand

in general

Vocabulary is

understandable yet

lacks energy; some

interpretation is

needed to

understand parts of

piece

Vocabulary is

flawed, resulting in

impaired meaning:

wrong words are

used; and reader

cant picture

message or content

Sentence

Fluency

Sentences have flow,

rhythm, and cadence; are

well built with strong,varied structure that invites

expressive oral

reading

Some sentences are

rhythmic and flowing; a

variety ofsentence types are

structured correctly; it

flows well when read

aloud

Sentences are

varied and hum

along, tending tobe pleasant or

businesslike though

may still be more

mechanical than

musical or fluid; its

easy to read aloud

Sentences are ,

correct but not

varied, creating singsong pattern or

lulling reader to

sleep; it sounds

mechanical when

read aloud

Sentences vary little;

even easy sentence

structures cause readerto stop and decide what

is being said and how;

itschallenging to read

aloud

Conventions Author uses standard

writing conventions

effectively to enhance

readability; errors are few

and only minor editing is

needed to publish

Author stretches, trying

more complex

tasks in conventions;

several mistakes still

exist

Author continues

to stumble in

conventions even

on simple tasks and

almost always on

anything trickier

Author has reasonable

control over standard

conventions for grade

level; conventions are

sometimes handled

well; at other times,errors distract and

impair readability

Many errors of

various types of

conventions are

scattered throughout

the text

Journey of an Apple:

Writing Rubric Grade:

/30Science Understanding:

Correct order of the

digestive system organs

/10

Breakdown details(enzymes, mechanical,

chewing, etc.)

/5

Ailment/relief/cure

/5

Total

/50

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Explore Our World: Inquiry