Digestion & Enzymes
CONCEPTUALDescribe the organs of the human digestive system and how food is physically and chemically digested, including the role of enzymes as biological catalysts
Mastery Evidence
- Traces the journey of food from mouth to large intestine, naming each organ and its role
- Explains what enzymes do and names where they are produced (salivary glands, stomach, small intestine)
- Distinguishes physical digestion (chewing, churning) from chemical digestion
Assessment Prompt
“If [child] ate a meal with you, could they describe what happens to the food step by step as it travels through the body — naming the organs it passes through and what each one does?”
Curriculum Standards2 alignments
MS-LS1-7Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Middle Schoolcodes onlyKS3.Sci.Bio.Nutrition.4The national curriculum in Englandthe tissues and organs of the human digestive system, including adaptations to function and how the digestive system digests food (enzymes simply as biological catalysts)
Prerequisites3
- Cells to Organ SystemssoftAges 11—12
- The Digestive SystemhardAges 8—9
- Nutrients in a Healthy DietsoftAges 11—13
Show full prerequisite tree
- Cells to Organ Systems soft
The digestive system is an organ system — the hierarchy concept gives the structural framework
- Plant Cells vs Animal Cells hard
The cell-to-organism hierarchy builds on understanding that different cell types exist
- Parts of Plant and Animal Cells hard
Comparing plant and animal cells requires knowing the components found in each
- Cells Under the Microscope hard
Understanding cell components requires first knowing that cells are the fundamental unit of life
- The Digestive System hard
KS3 digestive system (enzymes, organs in detail) extends KS2 basic digestive system overview
- Animal Nutrition hard
Must understand nutrition before learning how the digestive system processes food
- Herbivores, Carnivores & Omnivores soft
Carnivore/herbivore/omnivore classification supports understanding nutrition differences
- What Living Things Need hard
Must know basic survival needs before learning about nutrition types and food groups
- Living Things Vocabulary soft
Describing what plants and animals need to survive uses life processes vocabulary: nutrition, growth, sensitivity
- The Digestive Journey soft
Enrichment knowledge tracing the digestive journey supports formal curriculum study of digestive system parts
- Basic Body Needs hard
Tracing the digestive journey builds on knowing the body needs food for energy
- The Heart & Blood soft
Basic needs (exercise keeps heart strong) connects to knowing the heart pumps blood
- Nutrients in a Healthy Diet soft
Digestion is the mechanism by which nutrients from diet become available to cells
- Animal Nutrition hard
KS3 detailed diet components extend KS2 understanding that animals need the right nutrition
- Herbivores, Carnivores & Omnivores soft
Carnivore/herbivore/omnivore classification supports understanding nutrition differences
- What Living Things Need hard
Must know basic survival needs before learning about nutrition types and food groups
- Living Things Vocabulary soft
Describing what plants and animals need to survive uses life processes vocabulary: nutrition, growth, sensitivity
Unlocks2
- Effects of Drugs & AlcoholsoftAges 13—14
- Gut Bacteria & DigestionhardAges 12—13