Healthy Colon with Good Digestion and Fiber
Lenora Jean Black Parkmanor School
7037 South Rhodes Avenue
Chicago IL 60637
(312) 535-3070
Objective:
This mini-teach lesson is designed for the 6th grade. Students will be
introduced to the colon and the relationship it has with the body. Students
will learn the process of digestion, the process of the colon, and why fiber is
necessary for a healthy diet and a healthy colon.
Materials:
Activity one, Movement of Fiber:
2 long tubes, 1 cup of water, 1 empty cup, a small bag of high fiber raisin bran
cereal or honey nut toasted oats. Students will work in pairs.
Activity two, Building a Colon:
1 wood stand, 6 or more flexible straws, 1 roll of masking tape. Students will
work individually.
Activity three, Coloring the Colon:
Coloring sheet of the digestive system (As in The Anatomy Coloring Book),
crayons and markers, sheet with the directions. Students will work
individually.
Activity four, Making a Menu:
Menu sheet will present food listed for 5 days and to be served 3 times a day.
The menu should state the calories for each food presented. Fat intake is
optional. Students will work individually.
Strategies:
Activity one, Movement of Fiber:
Each pair of students will take one tube and place the cereal down the tube.
Students will then use a liquid to push the cereal down the tube. The tube is
the colon and the cereal is the fiber. The students will observe how fiber
moves through the colon.
Activity two, Building the Colon:
Students will take the straws and join them at the ends. Students will then
tape the straws and curve them into a circle, leaving the ends free. Finally,
students will label their colon and intestines.
Activity three, Coloring the Colon:
Students will be presented with a coloring sheet followed by directions.
Students are to read the directions and complete the assignment.
Activity four, Making a Menu:
Students will construct a menu for 15 meals (3 meals a day, for 5 days).
Students will be presented with a list of foods, their calories and fiber
content. They must consider in the menu a healthful daily intake of fiber. The
daily calorie intake for an average-sized man is 2500 calories per day; for the
average-sized woman is 2000 calories per day.
Here is a list of high fiber foods:
fiber: calories: fiber: Calories:
asparagus 23 turnip greens 17
bean sprouts 13 broccoli 39 (1 spear)
green/giant 16 green/beet 20
kidney 105 collard 14
beets 27 kale 21
carrots 17 mustard 7
mixed vegetables 39 okra 25
potato 55 onions 27
soy beans 77 sweet potatoes 162
squash, zucchini 33 white potatoes 155
tomato 110 spinach 6
Background Information:
The colon is a natural breeding ground for bacteria. The purpose and function
of this bacteria is to neutralize, dissipate, avoid and prevent a toxic
condition from developing in the colon. However, there are two types of
bacteria: the healthy, scavenging type know as bacilli coli; and the pathogenic
or disease-producing kind. In a proper, clean, healthy environment the healthy
scavenging bacteria will control the pathogenic kind. When too much
fermentation and putrefaction is generated in the colon (due to neglecting to
keep it as free from feces and waste as possible), the pathogenic bacteria
proliferate and ailments result. Such waste, through a high fiber diet, must be
expelled from the body, and for this purpose your colon is equipped with a very
efficient system for elimination, but only if your body is in good working
order.
Fiber:
Fiber is an effective vehicle to cleanse your colon. Fiber carries bile and fat
out of the body. Without fiber, much of this fat is reabsorbed and recirculated
through the body. By helping cleanse fat and debris from the digestive tract,
gasses are also reduced, allowing for more optimal absorption of important
nutrients. A healthy colon also helps the body better absorb oxygen which is
important for memory and energy levels.
Finally, presented below is a list of some of the parts of the body that can be
affected by a blocked colon:
lungs and bronchia gall bladder
heart stomach thyroid
spleen nasal catarrh
pancreas sinus
kidneys eyes
bladder ears
prostate liver
Some other diseases:
Obesity, hypercholesterolemia, cardiovascular disease, hay fever, mineral
deficiency, asthma, Parkinson's disease and certain cancers.
Performance Assessment:
Students will be able to satisfactorily answer the following questions:
1. What is the process of digestion?
2. What is the process of a colon?
3. What does "movement" mean in reference to digestion?
4. Name 5 ailments that can be linked to a blocked colon?
5. How many hours does it take for food to pass through the digestive system?
6. Where does digestion begin?
7. What is fiber and why is it important to the digestive system?
8. What is the body's "sewer system."
Conclusion:
Always consider healthy choices in your lifestyle.
Return to Biology Index