The Human Digestive System

Room 1 is investigating the amazing human body at the moment and today we did one of the most DISGUSTING experiments/demonstrations we have ever done! Why don't you give it a try!!

The Human Digestive System Demonstration

(or The Only Time It’s Ok To Poo In The Classroom)

Aim
To demonstrate the working of the human digestive system from eating to getting rid of the waste

Materials
Food (Bread and spaghetti)
Bowl with masher
Saliva (water/detergent)
Plastic bag
Stomach juices (vinegar)
Bile (food coloring)
Stocking
White tray or plate for putting samples on

Method

Step One – Into The Mouth
Chewing something – place the food in a bowl with a small amount of water and detergent and mash  it up.

Step Two – Into The Stomach
Transfer the food into a plastic bag and add vinegar. Use your hands to simulate the motion of your stomach muscles and break down the food in your ‘stomach’.

Step Three – Into The Small Intestine
Add the food colouring and transfer the digested food into the stocking. Squeeze it through your ‘small intestine’, allowing water and nutrients to leak out through the sides of the stocking.

Step Four – Out The Other End

Squeeze the undigested food (that which can’t be made small enough) through the ‘small intestine’ and into the large intestine. This is where the remaining liquid is sucked out from it and it becomes more and more solid. Push the undigested food all the way through and then out the anus (hole in the stocking), and there it is - poo!

What are you reading?

Last term our class novel was Bear Grylls's "Tracks of the Tiger" ...this term it's Lauren Child's "Ruby Redfort - Take Your Last Breath". What are YOU reading?

More Than A Box - by Dave Armstrong

Over the last two days in maths and reading we completed a challenge. First we read "More Than A Box" by Dave Armstrong which was about the construction of the Wellington Indoor Sports Centre.

In maths we have been looking at 3D shapes and the special properties they have. We knew that triangles are the strongest shape and that you can make other shapes (like rectangles or squares) stronger by using bracing that creates triangular shapes within the original shape.
The first challenge today was to use a shape clue to find a QR code. When the code was scanned with a tablet it led to a Google Doc with the instructions on it. A web address from the Doc led to a shapes lab that helped remind us of the things we had been learning in maths and reading.
Then we had to complete the challenge by creating a structure using only newspaper and masking tape. The winning structure was the one that held the heaviest object - the winning pairs were Libby & Stuart and Charlotte & Jade!