Check it! - Digestive system - Year 4

The educational material for Year 4 students explores the journey of food through the digestive system. It emphasizes the importance of revisiting and reinforcing what has been learned through various engaging activities. Teachers are encouraged to create regular opportunities for children to review their understanding of the digestive system. Some suggested methods include 'Brain dump', where students quickly jot down everything they know, or 'Give me FIVE!', a quick-fire round where they list five specific facts related to the topic. Other strategies such as adding to a 'mind map', or using 'Retrieval Pyramids' to categorize information from basic to complex, are also recommended to enhance memory retention and understanding.

As part of the 'CHECK IT!' series, students are prompted to recall key information about the digestive system. This could involve naming five organs that are part of the system, listing different types of teeth, or discussing the roles of various components such as the oesophagus, salivary glands, gall bladder, liver, and appendix. The material also encourages students to 'Expand and Elaborate' on concepts, such as the functions of teeth and the roles of producers, predators, and prey within a food chain. By engaging with these activities, students are able to deepen their comprehension of how the digestive system works and the importance of each part in processing the food we eat.