Core Skills Analysis
Science - Biology
- Milly learned to identify and sequence the main parts of the human digestive system, specifically the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, and small intestine.
- She compared anatomical differences in digestive systems between species, noting unique structures in birds such as the crop and gizzard.
- Milly explored variations in digestive anatomy across diverse animals, including echinoderms like starfish with a pyloric stomach.
- She gained insight into ruminant digestion by examining the cow's complex four-chambered stomach and its specialized digestive function.
Tips
To deepen Milly's understanding of comparative digestive systems, encourage her to create detailed diagrams or models representing each animal's digestive tract. Consider organizing a simple cooking activity where she mimics the digestion process using household items to demonstrate mechanical and chemical digestion. Visiting a local farm or zoo could provide hands-on observation opportunities of live animals and their feeding behaviors. Finally, discussing why different animals have evolved varied digestive structures tied to their diets can foster critical thinking about adaptation and survival.
Book Recommendations
Learning Standards
- ACSSU043 - Living things have structural features and adaptations that help them to survive in their environment.
- ACSSU044 - Living things depend on each other and the environment to survive.
- ACSSU073 - Biological sciences understanding of the structure and function of living things.
- ACSHE061 - Pose questions and make predictions about familiar objects and events.
Try This Next
- Create a labeled poster or 3D model illustrating each animal’s digestive system and its special adaptations.
- Write a story from the perspective of a piece of food traveling through the digestive system of a human and a cow, highlighting the differences.