Food Digestion

Activity/Lesson Key Information

Do you know how the food is digested in our body? Today we will use MatataBot to simulate our body’s digestion process.

Food digestion process

Turn on the Control mode and apply the four commands on the controller to move MatataBot along a curved path that leads to the destination.

• Control MatataBot to complete the whole challenge activity patiently.
• Turn on the Control mode and apply the four commands on the controller to move MatataBot along a curved path representing the human digestive tract.
• Master some tips of controller steering operations, such as clicking.
• Understand the basics of the digestive system, and develop common sense.

• Command: instructions given to a computer or robot
• Digestive system
• stomach
• large intestine
• small intestine.

• Able to use control mode of Matatalab Lite to control the movement of MatataBot.
• Have a preliminary understanding of the forward, backward, left, and right positions.

Detailed Lesson Plan

10mins

1. Do you know how an apple is digested in our body?

Present the picture of the human digestive system and use an apple sticker to demonstrate the digestive process: hand-mouth-stomach-large intestine-small intestine.

2. Invite a student to lie down on an A0-sized piece of paper, finish a body contour drawing, and add the digestive system on it. (The route drawn to represent the digestive system may differ according to age level. For 4-5 years old: draw only one intestine route which is wider and easier; for 5-6 years old: draw both the large intestine and small intestine, which could be narrower, to increase the difficulty.
Examples: 

30mins

Challenge Games:

1. The teacher demonstrates the movements of MatataBot: start from the hand------reach the mouth (Turning around over the music means chewing, which is considered finished when the music ends.)-----enter the esophagus-----reach the stomach (Turning around over the music represents the digestive process, which is considered completed when the music ends.)-----reach the small intestine-----(large intestine, for 5-6 years)------turn into poop.

2. The students start the game in pairs, and each child controls the MatataBot to start from one of the hands.

3. During the game, the teacher observes and provides guidance.

5mins

1. Share the problems encountered in the independent activity and try to answer them.
2. Review the food digestion process.
3. Summarize the way of selecting a left/right turn.

Potential questions:

• Can you tell us how your digestive system works?
• How to stop the robot at a fixed point during the movement?
• How to select a left or right turn?

One picture of the human digestive system, A0 size paper, markers, apple stickers, poop stickers (can be replaced with the waste paper)