Student Exploration: Digestive System

Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and prompts in the orange boxes. Vocabulary: absorption, amino acid, carbohydrate, chemical digestion, chyme, complex carbohydrate, digestion, digestive system, elimination, enzyme, fat, fatty acid, fiber, food calorie, mechanical digestion, monoglyceride, nutrient, peristalsis, protein, starch, sugar, villus Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.) 1. Why do we need to eat food? 2. How do you think our bodies break food down into useful nutrients? Gizmo Warm-up The digestive system is a group of organs that does three things: ● First, the digestive system breaks food down into useful nutrients, a process called digestion. ● Next, the nutrients move into the bloodstream, a process called absorption. ● Finally, the leftover waste is removed from the body, a process called elimination. With the Digestive System Gizmo, you can arrange the organs of the digestive system any way you like. To begin, look at the organs on the LARGE ORGANS tab. Place your cursor over each organ to learn more about it. 1. Which organs allow nutrients to be absorbed? 2. Which organ stores and compacts waste before it is eliminated? 3. Which two organs help to break food down mechanically? Activity A: Build a digestive system Get the Gizmo ready: ● If necessary, click Clear screen. Date:Goal: Design your own digestive syst