STATION #1: ANATOMY OF THE DIGESTIVE TRACT
Supplies: 1 whole human digestive tract
Lesson Outline / Topics:
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Function and importance of the digestive tract in the human body (intake and breakdown of
nutrients)
Pathway of food through the digestive tract (mouth/esophagus to colon)
Length and organization of the digestive tract (why does is have to be so long? such high surface
area?)
Names, locations, and appearance of various organs found along the digestive tract
Function of various organs along the digestive tract
Medical relevance of the digestive tract (explanation of acid reflux, ulcers, diarrhea, gas,
gallstones, etc.)
Role of bacteria in the digestive tract/gut
STATION #2: ORGANS OF THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
Supplies:
human stomachs, livers, small intestines, kidneys
plastic bags/coffee filters to demonstrate role of stomach and liver
Lesson Outline / Topics:
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Structure and function of the stomach (rugae, portions of the stomach, muscular actions, acid
secretion)
Describe / demonstrate how the stomach breaks up food - mechanically and chemically
Role of enzymes in breakdown of our foods
Structure, function, and organization of the liver (lobes, blood vessels, role in molecular
regulation)
Describe how liver regulates what metabolites/proteins get into the general circulation
Describe livers role in regulating cholesterol (link to importance of diet) and detoxification (link to
alcohol use)
Structure and function of the small intestines (surface area, blood vessels, musculature, enteric
nervous system)
Role of bacteria in digestion of macromolecules
Structure and function of the kidneys (cortex, medulla, involvement in urine production)
Overall, demonstrate how all the organs work together to accomplish the task of breaking down
food and filtering it into the body: Demonstration using plastic bag to model the stomach, have
children add bread (food) and water (stomach acid) and cocoa (other nutrients) mush the
contents around to simulate digestion and the role of the stomach, then pour the contents into a
cup lined with a coffee filter (representing the liver) to show how the liver limits what molecules
pass into our body.
STATION #3: Digestion of Starch by Salivary Amylase
STATION #4: HOW FOOD MOVES THROUGH THE DIGESTIVE TRACT (PERISTALSIS MODEL)
Supplies: Fabric "gut tubes" and pingpong balls, fabric "esophagus, stomach, intestines" and candy to
simulate peristalsis and the mechanisms of the digestive tract
Lesson Outline / Topics:
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Discuss how long the digestive tract is and how the kids think food moves through it
Discuss peristalsis and the role of muscles in the digestive tract, demonstrate by having the kids
push a ping pong ball through the "gut tubes" using their hands as the circumferential muscles
(Have kids/families race using the longer gut tubes to see who "gut" can move the food the
fastest)
Discuss how the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine all use similar types of muscle
movement for various effects
Use a bundle of M+Ms and Nerds wrapped in plastic wrap (simulating a bundle of food) to show
how food moves into the stomach via muscle movement in the esophagus, get broken apart
(tear bag up) in the stomach, and then filters out of the gut and into the body in the porous walls
of the intestines (candy empties onto table). Usually works best if one child/participant serves as
each element/organ in the chain.
Talk about what might happen in the different sphincters/valves did not work right in the system
Talk about what the plastic wrap represents as it does not get passed out of the intestines