
CONTENTS:
- INTRODUCTION. LISTENING: What is the digestive system?
- VOCABULARY. VOCABULARY ACTIVITIES
- READING. The journey of food (Functions) . Comprehension questions
- ACTIVITIES.
- ASSESSMENT.
- Extra Practice
- BIBLIOGRAPHY and Teaching resources
1. INTRODUCTION. What is the digestive system?
The digestive system is like a food factory inside your body 🏭. Its job is to:
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Break food into small pieces. The digestive system breaks down food into tiny particles which are absorbed into the blood.
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Take the nutrients (the good stuff 💪). These particles provide energy for the body to grow, repair itself and remain healthy.
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Get rid of the waste (yes… POO / NUMBER 2 💩😂). Food that cannot be broken down is released from the body as faeces (poo).

2. Vocabulary: Parts of the digestive system
The digestive system is made up of key parts, each of which has a different function. Food passes through most of these parts in a journey from the mouth to the anus.
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| Expression: |

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ACTIVITY 4. ¿ Estás sano/a como una manzana🍏🍎? Match each idiom or simile with its definition.
⚠️ Remember: the expressions may not use the same words, but they express a similar idea.
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As fit as a fiddle
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Get into shape
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To be under the weather
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Back on your feet
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Recharge your batteries
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To feel sick as a dog
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Be full of beans
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A rat gym
a. Lively, energetic, and healthy/ lleno/a de energía
b. Exercise to become healthy and fit.
c. to feel sick/ Estar pachucho / no sentirse muy bien
d. Estar en buena forma
e. Recovered from an illness or injury/ recuperarse
f. to feel really sick / Estar hecho polvo / sentirse fatal
g. to take a break from a tiring or stressful activity in order to relax and recover your energy.
h. Someone who spends a lot of time in the gym
3. READING: The journey of food (from mouth to toilet 🚽)/ FUNCTIONS
| Part of the digestive system | Function |
|---|---|
| Mouth | Digestion of food starts in the mouth. Teeth break down the food and mix it with the in saliva. |
| Oesophagus | This is a thin tube that connects the mouth to the stomach. |
| Liver | This releases a chemical called bile into the intestines. Bile breaks down in the food. |
| Stomach | This is a muscular bag which mixes food and drink with acid. |
| Pancreas | This releases enzymes into the intestines which break down carbohydrates, protein and lipids in food. |
| Small intestine | Here, and lipids digest. The nutrients produced are then absorbed into the blood. |
| Large intestine | Food which cannot be broken down - mainly - passes into the large intestine. Water is absorbed into the blood. |
| Rectum | Any undigested food passes into the rectum where it is stored as faeces. |
| Anus | This is the opening at the very end of the digestive system through which faeces leaves the body. |
1.Mouth 👄
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You bite and chew food.
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Saliva starts digestion.
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Digestion begins here (not in your stomach, surprise! 😲)

2.Esophagus (food slide!) 🛝
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Food goes down like a water slide.
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No chewing here, just sliding
3. Stomach
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A strong acid soup
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Mixes food like a washing machine 🌀
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Sometimes… BURP / ERUCTAR 🤢
4.Small intestine
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Very long (about 6 meters )
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Nutrients go into the blood
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This is the most important part!
5.Large intestine
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Takes water from the food
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Makes the POO / NUMBER 2 💩
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Also… FARTS happen here 💨😂
6. Rectum & Anus 🚽
Final stop! Goodbye food 👋 Hello toilet 🧻
Did you know?
Your mouth produces about 1.5 litres of saliva each day.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS.
1. Answer the following questions:
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Where does digestion begin?
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What do teeth and saliva do to food in the mouth?
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What is the function of the oesophagus?
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Which organ is described as a “muscular bag” that mixes food with acid?
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What chemical does the liver release to help digestion?
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Which organ releases enzymes to break down carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids?
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Where are nutrients absorbed into the blood?
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What happens to food that cannot be broken down?
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Where is faeces stored before leaving the body?
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Through which opening does faeces leave the body?
2. Copy and complete the text with the following words:
stomach swallow small intestine large intestine
food pipe mouth gallbladder liver faeces
When we eat a sandwich, digestion starts in the 1__________________
We chew the food and 2.____________________ it.
The food goes down the 3._____________ , also called the esophagus.
In the 4.______________________, the food mixes with acid.
The 5.________________ makes bile and the 6.___________________stores it.
In the 7._________________________, nutrients go into the blood.
In the8.__________________________ , waste is formed.
Finally, waste becomes 9._________________________or poo! 💩😂
4 ACTIVIES
ACTIVITY 1
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ACTIVITY 2.
ACTIVITY 3.
ASSESSMENT
LISTENING. (Individually in class)
VOCABULARY/ SPEAKING.PROJECT: DIY Digestive System Model
Task: Build a 3D model using recycled materials. (Ideas: Bottle = stomach, Tubes = intestines...)
Must explain orally: The journey of food
TAKE A LOOK AND GET INSPIRED:
WRITING.
ACTIVITY 1.
a. Visual Brainstorming. Make a brainstorming about healthy habits ( at least 10 expressions)
EXTRA PRACTICE (JUST FOR FUN)
ACTIVITY. Watch the video "What if you eat chips every day?"
ACTIVITY. Listen to this song by Lionel Bart (Oliver) – Food, Glorious Food
and practice vocabulary related to “food”. Try to write the 22 food-related vocabulary words and expressions:
Example: gruel, crust, crumb, sausage, ....
Lyrics
Is it worth the waiting for?
If we live ’til eighty four
All we ever get is gruel!
Ev’ry day we say our prayer —
Will they change the bill of fare?
Still we get the same old gruel!
There is not a crust, not a crumb can we find,
Can we beg, can we borrow, or cadge,
But there’s nothing to stop us from getting a thrill
When we all close our eyes and imagine
Food, glorious food!
Hot sausage and mustard!
While we’re in the mood —
Cold jelly and custard!
Pease pudding and saveloys!
What next is the question?
Rich gentlemen have it, boys —
In-di-gestion!
Food, glorious food!
We’re anxious to try it.
Three banquets a day —
Our favourite diet!
Just picture a great big steak —
Fried, roasted or stewed.
Oh, food,
Wonderful food,
Marvellous food,
Glorous food.
Food, glorious food!
Don’t care what it looks like —
Burned!
Underdone!
Crude!
Don’t care what the cook’s like.
Just thinking of growing fat —
Our senses go reeling
One moment of knowing that
Full-up feeling!
Food, glorious food!
What wouldn’t we give for
That extra bit more —
That’s all that we live for
Why should we be fated to
Do nothing but brood
On food,
Magical food,
Wonderful food,
Marvellous food,
Fabulous food,
Beautiful food,
Glorious food.
Bibligraphy and Teaching resources
Are you a teacher looking for more resources? In this collection of biology clips, doctor and presenter Chris van Tulleken introduces videos from the BBC archive for use in the classroom.
BBC Bitesize for Teachers has thousands of free, curriculum-linked resources to help deliver lessons - all arranged by subject and age group.
Download Digestive System (Diagram + Vocabulary)
https://www.stem.org.uk/resources/library/resource/36133/digestive-system
Real Junk Food | LearnEnglish Teens
https://colegiosoldechile.cl/sites/default/files/documentos/7%C2%BA%20Ingl%C3%A9s.pdf
m
RUBRIC
Comprueba que tengas:
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SITUACIÓN DE APRENDIZAJE
The Digestive System
Etapa: Educación Secundaria Obligatoria
Nivel: 3º ESO


