Concordia University Chicago College of Education

Unit Plan Design 2012

Candidate: Nate Nugent

Date: 1 December 2014

Course for which the Unit is developed: EDSC 4618
Content Focus (Topic): Digestive System

Subject: Digestive System

Grade Level(s): 6-8

Learning Segment
Central Focus (Goal) of Unit: Students will be able to discuss the pathway of the digestive system along with being able to describe each part. They will explain
how each part is linked to one another and the purpose of the digestive system.
List the Common Core or Illinois Learning Standard(s) to be met in the Unit:
MS-LS1-3: Use argument supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting subsystems composed of groups of cells.

1. Digestive Tract
Standards/Benchmarks:
MS-LS1-3: Use argument supported by evidence for
how the body is a system of interacting subsystems
composed of groups of cells.

Instructional Strategies/Procedures:
Student will be shown a Magic School Bus episode
on digestion and fill out a worksheet on notes that
they find important. After they will discuss with
other students what they have found and create a
large drawing of the digestive system.

Learning Objectives:
Students will show how organs aid in the digestion
of food and how it occurs within the body.

Academic Language:
Chyme: It will be discussed in both the activity and
PowerPoint presentation.
Peristalsis: It will be discussed in both the activity
and PowerPoint presentation.
Esophagus: It will be discussed in both the activity
and PowerPoint presentation.
Sensory: Magic School Bus Episode
Graphic: Notes
Interactive: Digestive Activity

Instructional Materials
Projector
Digestive Worksheet

Assessment:
Pre-Assessment: Ask the students what they had for
breakfast or lunch. Do they think about what
happens after their food is chewed and swallowed?
Do they know how long it takes for those chips they
ate to digest?
Differentiated Instruction:
Students are able to watch a video while taking
notes so they are getting a fun and interesting
episode while taking notes that will later help them.
They will also work in groups of 4 in creating a
digestive system on a poster sheet.

Concordia University Chicago College of Education

Unit Plan Design 2012

Resources & References
(APA)

Magic School Bus Episode 02 For Lunch - [FULL EPISODE] [Video file]. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3NsKXXbQRM
2. Mouth & Esophagus
Standards/Benchmarks:
MS-LS1-3: Use argument supported by evidence for
how the body is a system of interacting subsystems
composed of groups of cells.
Instructional Strategies/Procedures:
Students will be given saltine cracker and discuss the
reaction occurring. They will also be given a panty
hose and Easter egg to simulate the esophagus.
Notes on each will be taken and finally after a
worksheet will be completed.

Learning Objectives:
Students will create a timeline of what happens
and how the organs work from before the food is
placed into the mouth to the end of the esophagus.
Academic Language:
Salvia: It will be discussed in both the activity
and PowerPoint presentation.
Mucus: It will be discussed in both the activity
and PowerPoint presentation.
Oral Cavity: It will be discussed in both the
activity and PowerPoint presentation.
Epiglottis: It will be discussed in both the activity
and PowerPoint presentation.
Sensory: PowerPoint presentation
Graphic: Notes & Digestive Tract Worksheet
Interactive: Mouth & Esophagus Activity

Assessment:
Formative: Students will begin to fill out the body
digestive tract worksheet including the important
information needed from the PowerPoint
presentation.
Differentiated Instruction:
Students will use different forms of learning
methods to help with becoming more familiar with
the topic of discussion. And in the activities, they
will work in pairs that will allow them to discuss
what they experience and see.

Instructional Materials
Saltine crackers
Easter egg
Nylon
Mouth & Esophagus worksheet
PowerPoint presentation

Resources & References

(APA)
Digestive System Lesson. (n.d.). Retrieved November 30, 2014, from http://iijuan12.hubpages.com/hub/learning-about-the-digestive-system

Concordia University Chicago College of Education

3. Stomach & Intestines
Standards/Benchmarks:
MS-LS1-3: Use argument supported by evidence for
how the body is a system of interacting subsystems
composed of groups of cells.

Unit Plan Design 2012

Learning Objectives:
Students will experiment with balloons to show
the capacity of the stomach along with recreating
the stomach function. They will also create a lifesize digestive tract showing the small and large
intestine.
Instructional Strategies/Procedures:
Academic Language:
Students will help fill up a balloon with one liter of
Capacity: It will be discussed in both the activity
water to show how full a stomach can get. There will and PowerPoint presentation.
also be an activity with Sierra Mist and saltine
Absorption: It will be discussed in both the
crackers to show the reaction of the stomach
activity and PowerPoint presentation.
breaking down food. And there will be an activity
Enzyme: It will be discussed in both the activity
where students will measure out the length of the
and PowerPoint presentation.
small and large intestine to show how long they are
Villi: It will be discussed in both the activity and
stretched out. There will also be a PowerPoint
PowerPoint presentation.
presentation and notes that will help students learn
Sensory: PowerPoint presentation
the information also.
Graphic: Notes & Digestive Tract Worksheet
Interactive: Stomach & Intestine Activity

3
Assessment:
Formative: Students will finish filling out their
body digestive system tract worksheet to turn in
and be looked over.

Differentiated Instruction:
Students will use different forms of learning
methods to help with becoming more familiar with
the topic of discussion. Students will work in
groups of 4 in order to work on the activities and
help with one another and discuss what is
happening.

Instructional Materials
Balloons
One liter of water
Baggies
Saltine crackers
Sierra Mist
Two different colors of yarn

Resources & References

(APA)

Digestive System Lesson. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://iijuan12.hubpages.com/hub/learning-about-the-digestive-system

Vestal, T. (n.d.). Digesting Digestion! Retrieved from http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonplans/kidsorganization/digestion.htm

Concordia University Chicago College of Education

4. Human Body Wanted Poster
Standards/Benchmarks:
MS-LS1-3: Use argument supported by evidence for
how the body is a system of interacting subsystems
composed of groups of cells.
Instructional Strategies/Procedures:
Students will take their notes and further research of
a given organ to then create a Wanted poster to
share with the class. They will be given the organ
before coming into class so they can do research
outside of class, while also getting their notes
around to create the poster, which will be done
during the class period.

Unit Plan Design 2012

Learning Objectives:
Students will create Wanted poster for an assigned
digestive organ.

Assessment:
Formative: Students will create human body
Wanted poster to turn in.

Academic Language:
Mouth: It will be discussed in both the activity and
PowerPoint presentation.
Esophagus: It will be discussed in both the activity
and PowerPoint presentation.
Stomach: It will be discussed in both the activity
and PowerPoint presentation.
Liver: It will be discussed in both the activity and
PowerPoint presentation.
Small Intestine: It will be discussed in both the
activity and PowerPoint presentation.
Large Intestine: It will be discussed in both the
activity and PowerPoint presentation.
Graphic: Notes taken from outside sources
Interactive: Creating a Wanted Poster

Differentiated Instruction:
Students will use any materials that are found in the
classroom to create such as poster paper, computers,
or even just written posters.
They will work with surrounding students, asking
and making sure their information is correct, but
creating individual posters that they will present.

Instructional Materials
Poster paper
Computers
Markers
Crayons
Colored Pencils
Glue
Tape

Resources & References

(APA)
N/A

Concordia University Chicago College of Education

Lesson Number and Title: 5: Digestive Tract
Standards/Benchmarks:
MS-LS1-3: Use argument supported by evidence for
how the body is a system of interacting subsystems
composed of groups of cells.
Instructional Strategies/Procedures:
Students will work individually on a project that
will show how the digestive system works. This
activity will allow them to work on it in class and
outside of class in creating a project that is
interesting to them.

Unit Plan Design 2012

Learning Objectives:
Students will create a project in a manner that is
interests them. It will include the entire digestive
tract that can be presented.
Academic Language:
Mouth: It will be discussed in both the activity and
PowerPoint presentation.
Esophagus: It will be discussed in both the activity
and PowerPoint presentation.
Stomach: It will be discussed in both the activity
and PowerPoint presentation.
Liver: It will be discussed in both the activity and
PowerPoint presentation.
Small Intestine: It will be discussed in both the
activity and PowerPoint presentation.
Large Intestine: It will be discussed in both the
activity and PowerPoint presentation.

Instructional Materials
Computers
Any materials students find necessary to use for their project.

Resources & References

(APA)
N/A

5
Assessment:
Summative: Students will present a project that
includes the entire digestive tract and the functions
of each.
Differentiated Instruction:
Students will work individually, but can ask others
for assistance while in the classroom. They will use
their notes that they have taken in class and the
worksheets that they have been filling out.

Concordia University Chicago College of Education

Lesson Objective: Write out
each specific learning
objective to be met in each
lesson.
Lesson 1: Students will show
how organs aid in the digestion
of food and how it occurs
within the body.

Lesson 2: Students will create

a timeline of what happens and
how the organs work from
before the food is placed into
the mouth to the end of the
esophagus.
Lesson 3: Students will
experiment with balloons to
show the capacity of the
stomach along with recreating
the stomach function. They
will also create a life-size
digestive tract showing the
small and large intestine.
Lesson 4: Students will create
Wanted poster for an
assigned digestive organ.
Lesson 5: Students will create
a project in a manner that is
interests them. It will include
the entire digestive tract that
can be presented.

Diagnostic (Pre-):
What will be used for
evidence of students prior
knowledge?
Ask the students what they
had for breakfast or lunch.
Do they think about what
happens after their food is
chewed and swallowed? Do
they know how long it takes
for those chips they ate to
digest?
N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Unit Plan Design 2012

Assessment:
Formative:
Reflective:
What will be used for
What evidence will you have
evidence of students
of student reflection on what
formative growth?
and how they learned?
N/A
N/A

6
Summative: What evidence
will you have that the students
have met the central focus
(goals) of the Unit?
N/A

Students will begin to fill out

the body digestive tract
worksheet including the
important information needed
from the PowerPoint
presentation.
Students will finish filling out
their body digestive system
tract worksheet to turn in and
be looked over.

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Students will create human

body Wanted poster to turn
in.
N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Students will present a project

that includes the entire
digestive tract and the
functions of each.

Concordia University Chicago College of Education

Unit Plan Design 2012

Academic Language

Language Demands of
Lesson:
Describe the academic
language that the lesson
requires.

Student Language
Development:
Describe the students
prior knowledge of the
academic language in
the lesson.

Language Supports (WIDA, 2012):

Every lesson must include sensory, graphic or interactive support.
Unit Plan must include a variety of supports.
Sensory Support:
Graphic Support:
Interactive Support:
Describe the strategies
Describe the strategies
Describe the strategies
that provide sensory
that provide graphic
that provide interactive
support.
support.
support.

Assessment Evidence:
Describe the evidence
that students understand
the academic language
in each lesson.

Language Demands of
Lesson
Lesson 1: Tier 2

Student Language
Development
Early grade level
lessons.
Students will watch a
Magic School Bus
episode
Students will watch a
Magic School Bus
episode
Students will use notes
that were presented in
class.
Students will use notes
that were presented in
class.

Sensory Support

Graphic Support

Interactive Support

Assessment Evidence

Magic School Bus

Episode
PowerPoint Presentation

Notes

Digestive Activity

Notes & Digestive

Worksheet

Mouth & Esophagus

Activity

Their activity will be

looked over.
Their activity will be
looked over.

PowerPoint Presentation

Notes & Digestive

Worksheet

Stomach & Intestine

Activity

Their activity will be

looked over.

PowerPoint Presentation

Notes from outside

source

Wanted Poster

Their Wanted poster

will be looked over.

Individual Project

Individual Project

Individual Project

Their project will

describe the digestive
system.

Lesson 2: Tier 2

Lesson 3: Tier 2

Lesson 4: Tier 2

Lesson 5: Tier 2

Concordia University Chicago College of Education

Unit Plan Design 2012

8
Differentiated Instruction
Lesson
List the lesson component that is differentiated in each lesson:
List the student characteristic that will be used to determine how
CONTENT, PROCESS, or PRODUCT.
to differentiate each lesson:
STUDENT READINESS, STUDENT INTEREST, or
Explain how each component will be differentiated.
STUDENT LEARNING PROFILE.
Explain how each will be used to determine how to differentiate.
1
Process: Students are able to watch a video while taking notes so they are Student Interest: Students will watch an episode to get the information
getting a fun and interesting episode while taking notes that will later
starting to form around them while wanting them to get to be engaged with
help them. They will also work in groups of 4 in creating a digestive
further lessons.
system on a poster sheet.
2
Process: Students will use different forms of learning methods to help
Student Readiness: Students will use the information from the video
with becoming more familiar with the topic of discussion. And in the
before doing the next activity along with taking notes of the certain topic.
activities, they will work in pairs that will allow them to discuss what
they experience and see.
3
Process: Students will use different forms of learning methods to help
Student Readiness: Students will use the information from the video
with becoming more familiar with the topic of discussion. Students will
before doing the next activity along with taking notes of the certain topic.
work in groups of 4 in order to work on the activities and help with one
another and discuss what is happening.
4
Product: Students will use any materials that are found in the classroom
Student Readiness: Students will use information that they learned in
to create such as poster paper, computers, or even just written posters.
information along with using information that they will find on their own.
They will work with surrounding students, asking and making sure their
information is correct, but creating individual posters that they will
present.
5
Product: Students will work individually, but can ask others for
Student Interest: Students will use the information that they have learned
assistance while in the classroom. They will use their notes that they
over the unit and complete an activity that interests them.
have taken in class and the worksheets that they have been filling out.