Long-term overview - Digestive system - Year 4

In Year 4, the national curriculum for science includes an in-depth exploration of the human digestive system. Pupils are expected to learn how to describe the basic parts of the digestive system and their functions, as well as to identify different types of human teeth along with their respective roles. Additionally, they are to gain an understanding of food chains, being able to construct and interpret them while identifying the roles of producers, predators, and prey within these biological networks.

The substantive knowledge covered in this curriculum segment encompasses the identification and naming of the various components of the human digestive system and an understanding of each organ's function. Students also study the various types of teeth humans have and their specific functions. The curriculum extends to ecological concepts, where students use and create food chains to identify and understand the relationships between producers, predators, and prey. Practical activities include research into the body parts involved in digestion, classification exercises for plants and animals, and hands-on investigations such as recreating the digestive system in the classroom. This thematic unit on the human body prepares students for subsequent studies on growth and the circulatory system in the following years.