Today in class we made our own digestive system using a selection of items:
We learnt about all the different stages including the importance of the saliva in our mouths. We then tried to show how to take all the nutrients and water out, just like what happens in the small and large intestines.
If you want to have a go at home, follow these instructions:
- Break up the food with your hands – like your teeth!
- Add water to help break up the food (saliva)
- Put it all in a plastic bag (stomach) and add some orange juice (stomach acid)
- Mix it all together to show how your stomach breaks down the food.
- Cut a small hole in the bag and squeeze the mixture into a pair of tights (this is the food going into the small intestine).
- Squeeze the tights to show the nutrients coming out.
- Keep squeezing to show the water being absorbed by the large intestine.
- Then you are left with the waste.
If you want to do it at home, take some photos and send them to Miss Carruthers and I’ll share them here.
Hello Miss
I just uploaded a photo.
I did this fun experiment at home. My mum said it sounded disgusting when I was squishing the food through the tights.
Orla
I’m so pleased you had a go at doing it yourself – hope you didn’t get too messy! Well done Orla!
Dear Miss Carruthers,
I made my digestive system with banana and chips. Unfortunately, I didn’t have cookies and instead of putting it in orange juice for 10 seconds I put it into vinegar for an hour. The food got broken down in the vinegar and I put it in the tights. I squished the water and nutrients out and now it’s drying. I sent you my photo.
I’m so glad you had fun making your digestive system Alek! I’m so glad your idea of using vinegar because it is a stronger acid worked!