Digestive System Complete Lesson Plan - MS

This complete unit provides middle school teachers with everything needed to teach the digestive system, including its structure, major organs, and overall function. Students explore how this system works to process food and absorb nutrients through hands-on demonstrations, digital activities, and creative student-choice projects. The resource includes editable presentations, worksheets, a differentiated station lab, and assessments. Designed for multiday instruction with minimal prep, it emphasizes student-led, differentiated learning, allowing teachers to focus on supporting mastery.

Essential Questions for Students

• What is the main function of the digestive system and how is it structured?

• What are the main organs associated with this system?

Note for Texas teachers: This lesson aligns with the 2017 TEKS and will not be updated for the 2021 standards.

Key Features

• Differentiated resources to support learners at different levels

• Multimodal learning strategies to keep students engaged

• Flexible implementation—resources are available in both printable and digital formats

• Editable PowerPoints for easy customization

• Spanish translations of vocabulary, a station lab reading passage, and interactive notebook pages

Instructional Framework: The 5E Model

This lesson is designed using the 5E instructional model—Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate—balancing inquiry, guided practice, and assessment.

Engage

• Objectives and Word Wall Cards (English & Spanish)

• Teacher file with discussion prompts, activities, and notes on misconceptions

Explore

• A nine-station, student-led lab introducing the structure, functions, and major organs of the digestive system

Input Stations:

• Explore It! – Hands-on demonstration or experiment

• Read It! – Differentiated passages (English & Spanish) with comprehension questions

• Research It! – Guided online activity with structured tasks

• Watch It! – Short video with guided discussion questions

Output Stations:

• Organize It! – Categorization and card sort activities (printable and digital)

• Write It! – Open-ended written responses

• Illustrate It! – Sketching/drawing to reinforce visual understanding

• Assess It! – Vocabulary-in-context and mastery-based questions

Bonus Station:

• Challenge It! – Games, puzzles, and mini-projects for enrichment or early finishers

Explain

• Editable PowerPoints in both standard and interactive versions

• Interactive Notebook templates (digital & print, English & Spanish)

• Note-taking organizers

Elaborate

• Student-choice projects on the digestive system to extend or apply learning

Evaluate

• Assessments updated for STAAR 2.0, with both standard and modified versions

• Review worksheets and discussion questions for practice, homework, or test prep

Flexible Learning Options

This lesson is designed for both in-person and virtual classrooms. The digital station lab and interactive notebook templates are fully compatible with PowerPoint and Google Slides, making them easy to integrate into blended or online learning.

This is a finished product; it will be updated with formatting or corrections as needed. Future improvements and new features will be sold as a separate product.