Let's Eat! - Digestion and What can Go Wrong

ORIGINAL AUTHOR- Tricia Kershner, Hilliard Davidson High School

This WebQuest is designed to guide students through the digestive process. It introduces vocabulary, incorporates model building, gives the student a creative means for applying the material and think about the problems associated with digestion.

Introduction

Digestion is more than just eating and going to the bathroom. Digestion is breaking down food, both chemically and mechanically, and absorbing the broken down food into the circulatory system. Once in the circulatory system, the food will be used by the cells in your body to generate ATP (Energy!) through the process of cellular respiration. Digestion simply transports food through a series of organs and tissues where the food is met with enzymes and other chemicals to break down the food into smaller pieces (monomers). Food is also met by enzymes and juices from other accessory organs which have been transported into the digestive tract to aid in digestion.

But what happens when the process of digestion goes wrong? The digestive system has many disorders associated with it. It is important to understand the process of digestion to enable doctors and scientists to treat and sometimes cure these problems.

Let's take a look at the Digestive system and find out how problems with this system can affect every day life!

Task

In this WebQuest, you will uncover the digestive system in detail. You will learn and discover information relating to the structures and functions of organs, various enzymes, and the digestive juices involved with digestion. This information will guide you to a deeper understanding of the digestive process. At the end of the WebQuest you will be able to understand, describe, identify, and explain:

1. Structures and organs in the digestive system.

2. Accessory organs in the digestive system.

3. Food breakdown, both chemically and mechanically, in the digestive system.

4. Specific digestive disorders and research detailed facts associated with the disorder.

5. How digestive disorders can affect quality of life.

All of the knowledge and information will be gained by accomplishing the following:

- Research on the necessary vocabulary terms

- Building a model of the digestive system

- Writing a narrative essay following a meal through the digestive system

- Research on a specific digestive problem producing a Glog

- Generation of a diary entry depicting a day in the life of someone with this disorder.

Process

Before you begin, click on the link below and print the necessary vocabulary document for this WebQuest.

Human - Digestion Vocabulary

Assignment #1: Digestion Vocabulary

Using the vocabulary document, define the function of the structures in the digestive system along with any special structural features necessary for each vocabulary term. Visit and explore the provided links to research these vocabulary terms. The vocabulary and links used in this Assignment is necessary to complete Assignments #2 - #5.

Human Digestive System -

Digestion: How Does Your Body Digest Different Foods? -

Animation: Organs of Digestion -

How Does Digestion Work and How Can I Improve Mine? (Animated graphics)

National Geographic: Digestion

A Normal, Healthy Digestive System

The Digestive Journey

The Stages of Digestion -

Assignment #2: Digestion Diagram

Using materials you provide from home, create a labeled model of all digestive system structures beginning with the mouth and ending with the anus. Focus on the materials used to demonstrate the physical structure of each organ or tissue. Be sure to include the accessory organs too!

Assignment #3: Happy Meal Digestion

Research the ingredients found in a McDonalds Cheeseburger Happy Meal with 2% milk as your beverage. Using all of the structures from Assignment #1 and adding the chemicals present that break down the food, write a narrative essay written in first person, as “you” - the Happy Meal is digested through the body. The essay must include chemical and mechanical digestion of the entire meal until the waste product is eliminated.

The essay must be submitted in Microsoft Word using 1 inch margins, 12 point, Times New Romans Font, double spaced, and heading the paper with the title and your name. Use spell and grammar check before submitting. Send as an attachment and as the body of the email message.

Assignment #4: Problems with the Digestive System

Choose a specific problem with the digestive system from the list below. Create an interactive poster on Glogster – ( designed to educate patients with that disorder to be given to the school nurse to share with other students.

Information that must be included in your Glog:

Describe the Problem

Causes

Symptoms

Treatments

Those affected (if applicable)

Questions with answers to age appropriate questions concerning this disorder

Age appropriate diagrams and videos that help explain this disorder (at least one of each)

Choices of Digestive Disorders:

Anorexia, Alactasia (lactose intolerance),achalasia,Anal fistula, Appendicitis, Bulimia, Diverticulitis, gastric ulcer, Celiac disease, constipation, diarrhea, Cholelithiasis (gall stones),Esophageal reflux, Hiatal hernia, gastritis,ileus, colorectal cancer, hepatitis, cholecystitis, IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), pancreatitis, Crohn’s disease, volvulus, or an approved digestive problem of your choice.

Assignment #5: A Day in the Life

Using the digestive disorder studied in Assignment #4, write a one-page diary entry, in first person, reflecting on what it would be like to have this disorder. How does this disorder affect daily life? How does it affect what is eaten? What is done to overcome the symptoms of thisdisorder? How does it affect your interaction with others? How does it affect your overall mood and behavior?

The diary entry must be submitted in Microsoft Word using 1 inch margins, 12 point, Times New Romans Font, double spaced, and heading the paper with the title and your name. Use spell and grammar check before submitting. Send as an attachment and as the body of the email message

Let's Eat! - Digestion and What Can Go Wrong

CATEGORY / 4 = A / 3 = B / 2 = C / 1= D
Assignment #1: Digestion Vocabulary Emersion / All vocabulary defined correctly and questions are answered with a high level of detail and thought. Examples are relevant and show complete understanding / All vocabulary terms are defined correctly and questions are answered but lack depth and examples. / The vocabulary terms are defined but lack depth and questions are answered but lack detail and examples. / Lacking vocabulary terms and or incomplete or missing questions.
Assignment #2: Digestion Diagram / Diagram or model has all of the following: -structures present -materials are creatively linked to the original structure -final product is neat and well organized - shows thought and a clear understanding of the digestive process / Diagram or model has 3 of the following: -structures present -materials are creatively linked to the original structure -final product is neat and well organized - shows thought and a clear understanding of the digestive / Diagram or model has 2 of the following: -structures present -materials are creatively linked to the original structure -final product is neat and well organized - shows thought and a clear understanding of the digestive / Diagram or model has 1 of the following: -structures present -materials are creatively linked to the original structure -final product is neat and well organized - shows thought and a clear understanding of the digestive
Assignment #3: Happy Meal Digestion - Narrative / -Narrative has all structures and appropriate enzymes and digestive juices explained correctly -Creative -Focused on assignment story -Clear organization -Excellent Spelling and Grammar (score x2) / -Narrative has structures and appropriate enzymes and digestive juices explained with few errors or omissions -Creative -Focused on assignment story -Organized - Few errors in spelling and Grammar (score x2) / -Narrative has structures and appropriate enzymes and digestive juices explained with errors or omissions -Assignment narrative lacks focus on story -Lacks organization - Errors in spelling and Grammar (score x2) / -Narrative has structures and appropriate enzymes and digestive juices explained with numerous errors or omissions -Assignment narrative lacks focus on story -Lacks organization - Multiple errors in spelling and Grammar (score x2)
Assignment #4: Problems with the Digestive System / -Source information is clear for all content -Makes excellent use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. to enhance Glog -Covers topic in depth with details and examples -Subject knowledge is excellent -Met all requirements and exceeded -Excellent Spelling and Grammar (score x2) / -Source information collected for all content with few errors -Makes excellent use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. to enhance Glog -Covers topic and subject area knowledge appears to be good -All requirements are met -Few spelling and grammatical errors (score x2) / -Source information collected for all content with some errors -Makes use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. but some distract from Glog content -Covers topic and subject area with a few errors -One or two requirements are not met -Few spelling and grammatical errors (score x2) / -Very little or no information collected for all content with many errors -Makes use of font, color, graphics, effects, etc. but some distract from Glog content -Covers topic and subject area with a few errors -Two or more requirements are not met -Multiple spelling and grammar errors (score x2)
Assignment #5: A Day in the Life - Diary Entry / Narrative has all requirements-Creative -Focused on assignment story -Clear organization -Excellent Spelling and Grammar (score x2) / Narrative is missing one requirements-Creative -Assignment story is apparent -Good organization - One or two spelling and grammar errors (score x2) / Narrative is missing some requirements -Lacks creativity -Assignment story is missing connection to person -Lacks organization - Many spelling and grammar errors (score x2) / Narrative is missing requirements -Lacks creativity -Assignment story lacks empathy - Lacks organization - multiple spelling and grammar errors (score x2)

Comments:

Conclusion

You did it! This WebQuest taught you the most important structures of the digestive system. Understanding the process of digestion allows us to understand where each ingredient of your food is broken down and how and what is acting on your food. With the deep understanding of this system, we can begin to help those who have digestive problems.

Where Can You Go From Here?

Did this interest you? If you answered yes, take it a step further. Research how popular surgeries and medications are helping people to loose enormous amounts of weight. How are they altering how your digestive system works? Is it acceptable, or ethical, to alter a perfectly healthy digestive system to help a person loose weight? Research these questions and report back to the class.

Healthy Weight Forum: Weight Loss Surgeries -

WebMd: Gastic Bypass -