Investigations in Science 7 January 15th

What we did this week:

This week, we studied the digestive system. Monday, we focused on the
mouth and esophagus. We started by putting a Saltine cracker in our mouth
(carbohydrate) for 5 LONG minutes. The starches in the carbohydrate were
breaking down into glucose molecules so if the students have acute taste buds,
they should have noticed the Saltine cracker changing from a salty taste to a
sweet taste. There are enzymes found in our saliva that start this process. Then
the students modeled the esophagus by trying to push a bead through a straw.
Their fingers pushing the bead through, modeled the muscles that are in our
esophagus that go through peristalsis to push our food to our stomach.
Tuesday, we modeled the next organ in the digestive system, the stomach.
Student took a Saltine cracker and banana (food), placed them in a Ziplock bag and
squished the contents up. Then they added food coloring and water to the mixture
(stomach acid) and continued to squish it up. They were able to see that the food
in our stomach becomes a liquid before it travels to the small intestine.
Wednesday we looked at the structures found in the small intestine.
Students took a piece of yarn and outlined the perimeter of their hand when their
fingers were together. They measured the distance of the piece of yarn to see
what the perimeter was. Then they did the same thing but spread their fingers
apart. They saw that the perimeter more than doubled by spreading their fingers
apart. We talked about how the small intestine has small fingerlike structures
called villi that increase the surface area of the small intestine so that nutrients
can be absorbed faster into our blood.
Thursday we continued with the small intestine. We looked to see how the
nutrient fat breaks down in the small intestine. We had 2 beakers. We put food
coloring in both, filled them half full of water, and added vegetable oil (fat) to
both. Then we added a spoonful of baking soda to one of the beakers. We stirred
both beakers and found that the one that contained baking soda had smaller oil
blobs than the one without. Baking soda acts like bile (found in the small intestine)

to help break down fat. As always, check out my class blog to see pictures from all
the labs we did this week.
Friday we will review all the organs again by completing a vocabulary review
and a crossword puzzle. The assessment for the digestive system will be next
Wednesday. Students were given a review sheet today (attached) in class that is
due at the time of the assessment.
Announcements:
Next week is the last week of the quarter. All assignments that I will be collecting
next week will be on 3rd quarters grade. My gradebook will be closing on Thursday
so please have your child take care of any missing work and turn it in no later than
Thursday, January 21.
Coming Up:
Topics:
Digestive System Assessment on Wednesday, January 20
Circulatory and Respiratory Systems
Dates:
January 18 No School
January 19 Final Exams for students enrolled in: Spanish 2A, French 2A
*if your child is not enrolled in these classes, they will have a normal
schedule and meet with all 7 periods.
January 20 Digestion Assessment and Review Sheet due
January 20 Final Exams for students enrolled in: Algebra, Geometry
January 22 End of Quarter 2
January 25 No School