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Digestive system.

What happens when you eat? That's a reasonable question and certainly one that has gone through the mind of a child more than once. A unit on digestion helps children understand what happens the moment they taste cookies, carrots, or corn. From the fact that we have more than 10,000 taste buds and that some of them are under the tongue, tasting is just the beginning of the process.

The food we eat is processed as it moves through the stomach and intestines. A classroom unit on digestion is also a great time to talk about health and nutrition. For example, fiber helps move food through the digestive tract. Other foods, when consumed together, help the body absorb the nutrients, providing more energy and good health.

Teaching Digestion with Educational Resources

A unit on digestion will really reach home for your young students with hands-on activities and worksheets. Teaching about the digestive system can be easier for you with preplanned lessons, units, and additional teaching resources. Children, as you know, learn in a variety of different ways. Use the resources at TeacherPlanet.com to reach all the minds in your classroom.

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Digestive System

Digestive System teaches students all about the components that contribute the body’s ability to digest food. Students will learn about the functions of those parts and be able to trace the movement of food through the system. They will also get to design a creative presentation that explains the body system to others.

The “Options for Lesson” section contains a few suggestions for additional ideas or activities to add to the lesson if there is extra time or you’d like to extend the lesson. One idea is to have students vote on each others’ presentations.

Description

Additional information, what our digestive system lesson plan includes.

Lesson Objectives and Overview: Digestive System explores the parts and functions that make up this important body system. Students will learn about and be able to identify each of these parts and explain their functions. They will also discover the path by which food moves through the body. This lesson is for students in 4th grade, 5th grade, and 6th grade.

Classroom Procedure

Every lesson plan provides you with a classroom procedure page that outlines a step-by-step guide to follow. You do not have to follow the guide exactly. The guide helps you organize the lesson and details when to hand out worksheets. It also lists information in the yellow box that you might find useful. You will find the lesson objectives, state standards, and number of class sessions the lesson should take to complete in this area.

In addition, it describes the supplies you will need as well as what and how you need to prepare beforehand. You should make sure to provide pieces of food for each student to use throughout the lesson. If possible, gather the materials that students will need depending on which activity they choose to do. It may be beneficial to ask students which activity they want to do before giving the lesson so that you can gather any supplies that may be hard to find.

Options for Lesson

There are several suggestions in the “Options for Lesson” section of the classroom procedure page that you could incorporate into the activity portion of the lesson plan. One idea is to have students work in pairs. You could also give them the opportunity to complete a second option for extra credit. Another suggestion is to allow students to use the internet to find additional information to include for the activity. They could vote for best story, game, drawing, presentation, and more. A final idea is to create a rubric to grade the various activity options.

Teacher Notes

The teacher notes page provides an extra paragraph of information to help guide the lesson. It reminds you that this lesson provides a general overview and is not intended to cover every aspect of this body system. The main objective is that students learn about the digestive system and its role in the human body. You can use the blank lines to write down any other ideas or thoughts you have about the topic as you prepare.

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM LESSON PLAN CONTENT PAGES

Start of digestive system.

The Digestive System lesson plan contains a total of three content pages. The lesson explains how the body is hard at work taking all the food we eat throughout the day and turning it into nutrients and energy. Students will learn that the digestive system is the process by which the body breaks down food. Digestion allows our bodies to receive nutrients and energy from the food we eat.

It may surprise students to learn that the process actually begins when we see or smell food. Our mouths tend to produce more saliva around meal times. This phenomenon happens in other animals as well. Dogs, for instance, will usually drool most often when it is time to eat, or close to it. When we eat food, the saliva begins to break down the chemicals in the food, turning it into a mushy paste that is easy to swallow.

The tongue helps move the food to the back of the mouth and into the esophagus. The esophagus then transports the food toward the stomach using specific muscles. A small flap, the epiglottis, blocks the trachea or windpipe so that food doesn’t go down that way. If that happens, we tend to cough or choke. This often happens when we eat too quickly or try to talk with a mouths full of food.

Stomach and Intestines

Students will discover that their stomach has three responsibilities. It stores food, breaks it down into a liquid mixture, and empties the mixture slowly into the small intestine. While food is still inside the stomach, gastric juices help break down the food and kill any bad bacteria that might be present. The small intestine, which would be around 22 feet long if stretched out, rests below the stomach. Its job is to break down the food further so that the body can better absorb all the vitamins, minerals, proteins, and so on from the food.

There are a few organs that assist the small intestine in doing its job: the pancreas, liver, and gall bladder. The pancreas produces the juices that help the body digest fats and proteins in our food. The liver produces bile that helps us absorb fat into the bloodstream. It also filters out anything that might harm the body and stores vitamins and sugars. The gall bladder stores the bile from the liver until our body needs it again.

After food passes through the small intestine, it enters the large intestine, which is thicker and shorter than the small intestine. The large intestine receives all the waste products that the body doesn’t need and moves it through the colon. At this point, it’s the body’s last chance to absorb any nutrients or minerals before the waste leaves.

End of the Digestive System

Students will discover that the appendix is a part of this system, but it doesn’t seem to serve a purpose anymore. Experts believe it used to be important to people in the past who experienced different environments. Today, the stomach works better and food is cleaner that it used to be. While the appendix doesn’t serve a purpose, it can be problematic if it gets infected.

Once waste leaves the colon, it becomes a solid again and pushes out through the rectum. The rectum is located at the end of the large intestine. After leaving the rectum, waste leaves the body through the anus. This is the final step of the journey food takes through the digestive system. The lesson explains that there are certain ways to help improve our digestion. One way is to drink water and stay hydrated. Another is to eat a healthy diet that consists of foods rich in fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Here is a list of the vocabulary words students will learn in this lesson plan:

• Digestion—the process of breaking down food to allow the body to receive nutrients and energy
• Saliva—a substance that forms in the mouth
• Oral cavity—the mouth, teeth, and tongue
• Tongue—a part of the mouth that helps move food to the back of the mouth and into the opening of the esophagus
• Esophagus—a 10-inch-long pipe that moves food from the back of the throat to the stomach
• Trachea—another name for the windpipe that runs alongside the esophagus
• Epiglottis—a special flap that blocks the windpipe to ensure food does not go down the trachea
• Stomach—an organ responsible for storing food, breaking it down into a liquid mixture, and slowly emptying it into the small intestine
• Gastric juices—substances that help break down food and kill any bacteria that the food might contain
• Small intestine—an organ beneath the stomach that is responsible for further breakdown of food so that the body can absorb any vitamins, minerals, proteins, and so on
• Pancreas—an organ that makes juices that help the body digest fats and proteins from food
• Liver—an organ that filters out harmful substances and stores vitamins and sugars for the body
• Bile—the juice within the liver that helps absorb fats into the bloodstream
• Gall bladder—an organ that stores bile from the liver until the body needs it again
• Large intestine—an organ that is thicker and shorter than the small intestine and receives all the waste products that the body does not need
• Colon—a part of the large intestine that waste product goes through
• Appendix—an organ that does not seem to serve a particular purpose for the digestive system but that can be problematic if infected
• Rectum—the end of the large intestine through which solid waste pushes through
• Anus—the part of the body through which waste exits the body

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM LESSON PLAN WORKSHEETS

The Digestive System lesson plan includes three worksheets: an activity worksheet, a practice worksheet, and a homework assignment. The activity worksheet provides four options to choose from. Each one will help students solidify their grasp of the material they learned throughout the lesson. You can refer to the classroom procedure guidelines to know when to hand out each worksheet.

STORY TIME ACTIVITY

Students will write a creative story with imaginary characters traveling through the digestive system. The characters must travel through each part of the system, so the story must include information about each part’s function(s). The worksheet provides an example and explains why one option is wrong and the other is right. Students’ final stories should clearly explain the digestive system and its functions.

CARTOON STRIP ACTIVITY

The second activity option is for students to draw a picture or cartoon strip. It should not simply be a drawing of the digestive system from the content pages. Instead, their drawings should be creative and include characters and possibly word bubbles. They should clearly show and explain how the digestive system works. It is possible that a single picture would not include every part of the digestive system. You may want to give students the option to draw a picture or cartoon of a general section, such as the mouth or the stomach area rather than the entire system.

SLIDESHOW PRESENTATION ACTIVITY

The third option is for students to create a slideshow. If students choose to do a slideshow presentation, they will need to include words, diagrams, pictures, and so on. Their presentation can also include narration, embedded links, and any other information that will help viewers fully and clearly understand the digestive system.

BOARD GAME ACTIVITY

For the last option, students can choose to create a board game of some kind. The game must have clear instructions on how to play. It should provide a learning opportunity for the players just as the other options do. It should also last more than just a couple minutes. The physical construction of the game needs to be sturdy and include images and pictures related to the digestive system. Parts that students could incorporate into the game include die, a spinner, cards, game pieces, and so on.

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM PRACTICE WORKSHEET

The practice worksheet lists 16 descriptions and provides a word bank with 16 terms. Students must match the descriptions to the correct term. At the bottom of the worksheet, they will respond to a prompt asking them which kinds of food or drink are best for helping the digestive system work properly.

PATH OF FOOD HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

For the homework assignment, students will review the parts of the digestive system listed in the word bank on the left side of the worksheet. In the blank space on the page, they will show the path food takes using a diagram similar to the example given. They should list the parts in order with arrows representing the proper pathway.

Worksheet Answer Keys

The last two pages of the PDF are answer keys for the practice and homework worksheets. The correct answers are in red to make it easy for you to compare them to your students’ work. For the most part, students answers’ should exactly reflect those on the answer keys, but there may be some variation. If you choose to administer the lesson pages to your students via PDF, you will need to save a new file that omits these pages. Otherwise, you can simply print out the applicable pages and keep these as reference for yourself when grading assignments.

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The Biology Corner

Biology Teaching Resources

Label Digestive System

This worksheet was designed for anatomy students to practice labeling the organs of the digestive system. It is a little more advanced than what is typically seen in health or basic biology classes because it includes the three sections of the small intestine (duodenum, jejunum, ileum) and the three sections of the colon.

(Note: I excluded the section of the sigmoid colon is not on the labeling, but you could add it if your students learn it. Some textbooks omit.)

There are two versions included in the Google doc (and pdf file), one has a word bank and the other does not. This can be used for differentiated instruction or even as a way for students to practice with a word bank and then move onto something more challenging.

I usually do not assign grades for this type of practice. It is fairly easy for students to just look up the answers. I spend a lot of time in anatomy encouraging students to look at these types of worksheets as a way to study, practice, and become prepared for chapter assessments.

I usually give students about 10 minutes to do the worksheet and then project the image on the whiteboard and have volunteers write down the answers so students in class can check their work.

Plus, kids love writing on the whiteboard! You can also make reusable sheets by printing a colored version and tucking it into plastic sleeves . Students use dry erase markers to label the diagram. Labels can be erased for the next class!

Guided notes and Google slides also available for the digestive system.

Students can practice with this flashcards on Quizlet .

HS-LS1-2 Develop and use a model to illustrate the hierarchical organization of interacting systems that provide specific functions within multicellular organisms

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Digestive system teaching resources

Worksheets and lesson ideas to challenge students aged 11 to 16 to think hard about digestion, the digestive system and balanced diets (gcse and key stage 3).

This is a great demonstration to help students conceptualise the different processes that occur within the digestive system. Use this opportunity to review the differences between physical and chemical changes as digestion is a helpful context to clarify these key terms.  

Where to start?

Put a large sheet of paper on the floor and draw around a student whilst the other students gather around. Then draw on the position of different organs, using other students in the class to help. This would be a good way to activate prior knowledge and build on ideas as a group. Alternatively you could use this apron model of inside the human body.  By hanging the apron over a student the class can easily see the location of each organ in the body and its relationship to others. You could ask students to then remove organs that are NOT involved in digestion.

The digestive system

GCSE and Key Stage 3 worksheet on the digestive system . I think it helps students understand digestion if they see the digestive system as one long (0.9 m) tube. First show students this incredible video of the digestive system from the National Geographic. In this activity students draw, label and state the parts of the digestive system, extending the structure from the mouth and finishing at the anus. ( PDF )

Nutrients, nutrition and a balanced diet

Key Stage 3 worksheet on nutrients and balanced diets . Students evaluate the healthiness of an inflight snack box by considering the nutrients in each food. They then design their own, alternative and (hopefully healthier!) snack box. ( PDF )

Click the link for teaching resources to help teach about enzyme function .

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Digestive System Worksheets 2024

The digestive system includes the mouth, pharynx (throat), esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus . It also includes the salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas, which make digestive juices and enzymes that help the body digest food and liquids.

For students at a young age, it will be much easier for them to study on worksheets, which are illustrated by colorful pictures. That is the main reason why you should use our available worksheets on this site. We offer a series of digestive systems worksheets for students to practice. Come and get it for your child as quickly as possible.

Besides, you can explore more related Science worksheets for other topics on our WorksheetZone website!

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Digestive System Facts & Worksheets

The digestive system is responsible for breaking down the food we eat into smaller components for the body to absorb nutrients and discard waste easily. , search for worksheets, download the digestive system facts & worksheets.

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Table of Contents

The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, pancreas, and gallbladder. The gastrointestinal tract is a collection of hollow organs that link your mouth to your anus. The organs that comprise your GI tract are your mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine , large intestine, and anus.

See the fact file below for more information on the Digestive System or alternatively, you can download our 26-page Digestive System worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

• The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract and other organs that aid the body in the breakdown and absorption of food. It is a long, twisted tube that begins in the mouth and travels throughout the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, and anus.
• The digestive system processes food into nutrients such as carbohydrates , lipids , and proteins . They are subsequently circulated and utilized by the body for energy, growth, and repair. Unused resources are discarded like feces. The digestive system also includes the pancreas, liver, and gallbladder.
• Each portion of your digestive system contributes to the movement of food and fluids through your GI tract, the breaking down of foods and water into smaller pieces, or both.
• Your body can absorb and transfer nutrients to where they are required after meals are broken down into small enough pieces.
• Your large intestine receives water, and digested waste materials create feces. Nerves and hormones aid in digestion regulation.
• The mouth, esophagus, and stomach, alongside the small intestine, large intestine, rectum, and anus, are the major organs that comprise the digestive system and allow it to operate. The pancreas, gallbladder, and liver aid them in their journey.
• The mouth is the starting point for the digestive tract. Digestion begins before you take a meal, and your saliva glands activate when you see and smell that pasta dish or hot bread.
• After eating, you chew your food into smaller, more readily digestible bits. The saliva reacts with the meal, breaking it apart into a form that your body can receive and utilize. When you swallow, your tongue moves food into your throat and esophagus.
• The throat, or the pharynx, is where your food goes next, and food then passes to the esophagus or swallowing tract from here.
• The esophagus, located in your neck close to your trachea (windpipe), accepts food from the mouth when you swallow.
• The tiny flap drapes over your windpipe are the epiglottis to save you from choking.
• Peristalsis is a sequence of muscular spasms within the esophagus that transports food to the stomach.
• But first, the lower esophageal sphincter, a ring-like muscle at the end of your esophagus, must relax to allow the food to come in.
• The sphincter then contracts, preventing stomach contents from spilling back into the esophagus.
• If it does not, and the contents of the stomach return to the esophagus, you may have acid reflux or heartburn.
• The stomach is an empty organ, or “container,” in which food is combined with stomach enzymes. These enzymes catalyze the breakdown of food into a usable form.
• Solid acids and potent enzymes are secreted by cells in the walls of your stomach, which are essential for the breakdown process.
• When the stomach contents have been sufficiently digested, they are discharged into the small intestine.

SMALL INTESTINE

• The small intestine is a muscular tube 22 feet long with three areas: the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. It digests food by using pancreatic enzymes and the liver’s bile.
• This organ also has active peristalsis, which pushes food through and combines it with pancreas and liver processing fluids.
• The duodenal is the first section of the small intestine and is principally responsible for the continuing breakdown. The jejunum and ileum are essential lower in the gut for nutrient absorption into circulation.
• After going through the small intestine, the contents start semi-solid and finish up liquid.
• The change in consistency is caused by water, bile, enzymes, and mucus. After the nutrients have been absorbed and the leftover-food residual liquid has gone through the small intestine, it enters the large intestine.
• Digestive enzymes secreted by the pancreas into the duodenum help break protein, fat, and carbohydrate.
• The pancreas also makes insulin, which is then delivered into the bloodstream. Insulin is your body’s primary hormone that governs sugar metabolism.
• The liver serves several functions within the digestive system, but its principal part is to metabolize nutrients absorbed through the small intestine.
• Bile from the liver is generated in the small intestine and assists in fat and vitamin digestion.
• The liver is your body’s biochemical “factory,” taking the raw materials the gut receives and converting them into all the chemicals your body needs to function.
• Furthermore, the liver detoxifies possibly harmful chemicals and breaks down and secretes several dangerous drugs to your body.

GALLBLADDER

• The gallbladder is pear-shaped storage that stores bile right under the liver. Bile is produced in the liver and, if necessary, flows to the gallbladder via a route known as the cystic duct—the gallbladder contracts throughout a meal, delivering bile to the small intestine.
• After the nutrients have been taken and the remaining liquid has gone through the small intestine, the remaining food is sent to the large intestine or colon.

COLON / LARGE INTESTINE

• The colon controls waste treatment, making bowel movements simple and convenient. It is a 6-foot-long muscular tube that connects the small intestine to the rectum.
• The colon is mainly composed of the cecum, upward colon, transversal colon, lower colon, and sigmoid colon, which connects to the rectum.
• Stool, or waste from digestion, is moved through the colon via peristalsis, initially as a liquid and then as a solid.
• Water is excreted from the feces as they pass through the colon. The waste is stored in the sigmoid (S-shaped) colon until it is evacuated into the rectum by a “mass movement” once or twice a day.
• Stool generally takes 36 hours to pass through the colon, and the stool comprises food residues and microorganisms.
• These “good” bacteria conduct essential activities, including vitamin synthesis, waste products, food particle digestion, and bacterial defense.
• When the transverse colon is full of stool or feces, it empties its contents into the rectum, initiating the elimination process.
• The rectum is a straight 8-inch canal that connects the colon to the anus. The rectum’s job is to gather feces from the colon, tell you when the stool has to be cleared (pooped out), and hold the stool until it is removed.
• When anything enters the rectum (gas or stool), receptors signal to the brain, and the brain then decides whether it can discharge the contents of the rectal cavity.
• The sphincter muscles loosen, and the rectum tightens, attempting to expel its contents if possible. If one cannot discard the contents, the sphincter tightens, and the rectum relaxes, causing the sensation to dissipate quickly.
• The anus is the digestive system’s last part, and the pelvic muscles and the two anal sphincters are housed in this 2-inch-long canal. Rectal contents can be detected via the upper anus lining, indicating if the components are liquid, gas, or solid.
• Sphincter muscles, which govern excretion, surround the anus. The pelvic floor muscle produces an arc between the rectum and the anus, keeping feces from escaping when they are not supposed to.
• Except when feces reach the rectum, the internal sphincter is always constricted. It keeps our continent alive while we are sleeping or otherwise unaware of the presence of excrement (stops us from pooping involuntarily).
• When we need to use the restroom, we depend on our external sphincter to contain the stool until we approach a toilet, where it relaxes, and the contents are released.

IMPORTANCE OF DIGESTION

Digestion is crucial since your body needs nutrients from foods and drinks to function correctly and be healthy.

• Nutrients include proteins, lipids, carbs, vitamins , minerals, and water. Your digestive system cuts down nutrients into tiny pieces that your body can absorb and utilize for energy, development, and cell repair.
• Proteins degrade into amino acids.
• Fatty acids and glycerin are formed when fats are broken down.
• Carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars.

BODY CONTROL OF THE DIGESTIVE PROCESS

Your hormones and nerves control the digestion process. Signals go across your GI system and from your GI tract to your brain.

• Hormones that affect your digestive system are produced and released by cells lining your stomach and small intestine.
• These hormones direct your body to produce digestive juices and transmit messages to your brain indicating whether you are hungry or full. Your pancreas also produces hormones that aid digestion.
• Nerves link the central nervous system ( brain and spinal cord) to the digestive system and control several digestive functions. For example, when you perceive or smell food, your brain sends signals to your salivary glands, causing them to “make your mouth wet” in preparation for eating.
• We also have an enteric nervous system (ENS), which consists of nerves within the walls of your gastrointestinal tract. When food strains the walls of your GI tract, the nerves of your ENS produce a variety of compounds that either speed up or slow down food movement and the creation of digestive juices. 
• The nerves signal your gut muscles, which contract and relax to drive food through your intestines.

CONDITIONS AND DISORDERS

• Some transient situations, as well as long-term or chronic illnesses and disorders, impact the digestive system. It is usual to have constipation, diarrhea, or heartburn on occasion.

CONSTIPATION

• Constipation occurs if you go poop (have a bowel movement) less often than usual.
• When constipates, your stool is generally dry and complex, and passing it is challenging and uncomfortable.
• Loose or watery stools characterize diarrhea. Diarrhea can be triggered by various factors, including germs, although the reason is not always understood.
• Although it is called “heartburn,” it is a stomach problem.
• Heartburn is a sharp pain in your chest that can spread to your throat and neck.
• It occurs when acidic digestive acids from your stomach reflux into your esophagus.

HEMORRHOIDS

• Hemorrhoids are swelling, bulging veins that develop inside and outside the anus and rectum. They can be unpleasant and uncomfortable, and they might result in rectal bleeding.

STOMACH FLU (GASTROENTERITIS)

• The stomach flu is a viral illness in the stomach and upper section of the small intestine and typically lasts no more than a week.
• An ulcer is a lesion on the esophagus, stomach, or small intestine lining.
• The most prevalent causes of ulcers are Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and long-term usage of anti-inflammatory medicines such as ibuprofen.
• Gallstones are little bits of solid substance generated in your gallbladder, a small organ underneath your liver.

GERD (CHRONIC ACID REFLUX)

• GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease, often known as chronic acid reflux) is a disorder in which acid-containing contents from your stomach seep back into your esophagus regularly.

IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME (IBS)

• IBS is an illness in which your gut muscle contracts more frequently or less frequently than usual. IBS patients complain of excessive gas, stomach discomfort, and cramps.

DIVERTICULOSIS AND DIVERTICULITIS

• Diverticulosis and diverticulitis are both disorders that affect the large intestine. Diverticula, which are pits or bulges that grow in the walls of your colon, is a trait shared by both.
• Gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies are tumors affecting the digestive system’s tissues and organs. There are several types of GI cancer.

Esophageal cancer, gastro (stomach), colon and rectal (colorectal), pancreatic, and liver cancer are the most prevalent digestive system malignancies.

KEEPING DIGESTIVE HEALTHY

• Drink plenty of water: Water aids in the movement of food via your digestive system. A lack of body fluids is a common cause of constipation (dehydration).
• Include fiber in your diet: Fiber is good for digestion and keeps your bowel motions regular. Make an effort to include both soluble and insoluble fiber in your diet.
• Consume a well-balanced diet:
• Choose whole grains over processed grains and avoid processed meals.
• Choose chicken and fish over red meat, and minimize deli (processed) meats.
• Consume as little sugar as possible.
• Consume probiotic meals or take probiotic supplements: Probiotics are helpful bacteria that assist your gut in fighting off harmful bacteria, and they also produce beneficial chemicals that feed your intestines. Probiotics can be useful after taking an antibiotic since drugs often destroy harmful and healthy bacteria in your stomach.
• Eat thoughtfully and chew your meal: Slow eating allows your body to digest your food correctly, and it also enables your body to send you signals when it is complete. 
• It is critical to thoroughly chew your meal since it helps to guarantee that your body has enough saliva (spit) for digestion. Chewing your meal thoroughly also helps your digestive system receive the nutrients in the food.
• Exercise: Physical exercise and gravity both aid in moving food through your digestive tract. For example, taking a stroll after eating a meal might help your body digest the food more readily.
• Avoid drinking and smoking: Alcohol can cause heartburn, acid reflux, and stomach ulcers by increasing the amount of acid in your stomach. Smoking almost increases your risk of acid reflux. According to research, people who quit smoking and suffer digestive troubles have improved symptoms.
• Managing your stress: Stress has been linked to digestive problems such as constipation, diarrhea, and IBS.

Digestive System Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about Digestive System across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Digestive System worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the human digestive system, which is responsible for breaking down the food we eat into smaller components for the body to absorb nutrients and discard waste easily. 

Complete List of Included Worksheets

• Digestive System Facts
• Parts of the Digestive System
• Major Organs
• Function of the Digestive System
• Biological Terms
• Digestive Problems
• Famous Scientists
• Digestion Flowchart
• Digestive Dos
• About the Digestive System
• Body Systems

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the digestive system and its function.

The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract and other organs that aid the body in the breakdown and absorption of food. It is a long, twisted tube that begins in the mouth and travels throughout the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, and anus. The digestive system processes food into nutrients such as carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins. 

What are the main parts of the digestive system?

The main parts of the digestive system are the mouth, throat, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine or colon, rectum, and anus.

Why is digestion important?

What are the types of cancer concerning the digestive system, how does the body control the digestive system.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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Worksheet 1: digestive system cloze.

Students fill in the blanks with terms related to the Digestive system.

Worksheet 2: Digestive System Crossword

This crossword reviews terms and concepts related to the study of the Digestive system.

Worksheet 3: Digestive System Word Search

A word search that reviews basic terminology related to the Digestive system.

Worksheet 4: Digestive System Label Activity

Students label a diagram of the digestive system. Labels are given at the bottom of the sheet.

Worksheet 5: Digestive System Label Activity

Students label a diagram of the digestive system. NO labels are given at the bottom of the sheet.

Related Unit: The Circulatory System

A collection of worksheets on the circulatory system.

Related Unit: The Respiratory System

A collection of worksheets on the respiratory system.

Related Unit: The Skeletal System

A collection of worksheets on the skeletal system.

Digestive system

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Montessori Biology

Digestive system worksheets for elementary students, quick facts about the digestive system, plus free printable and online worksheets for elementary students.

The worksheets you’ll find in the following sections are “live worksheets” — they can be answered right on this page, with a button that lets you find out your score or email your answers to your teacher. You can also get printable (PDF) versions of all the worksheets on this page here:  

• The Digestive System: Easy Labeling Worksheet for Kindergarten and Grade 1  
• How the Digestive System Works: Worksheet for Grade 2  
• Parts of the Digestive System: Cut and Paste Labeling Worksheet for Grade 3  
• How the Digestive System is Interconnected with Other Organ Systems: Worksheet for Grade 4  
• Anatomy of the Digestive System: Diagram Labeling Worksheet for Grade 5  
• Digestive System Review: Worksheet for Grade 6  

We need food for two reasons:

• Food gives our cells the energy they need to do their jobs, whether that’s moving, thinking, breathing, or any other thing it needs to do.
• Food also supplies the materials that our bodies are made of, such as proteins and fat. (We are literally what we eat.)

However, food is made up of large, complex chemicals that our cells can’t absorb directly. It needs to be broken down into small chemicals that can be absorbed into our blood, which then carries and distributes it to the individual cells of our body.

This is where our digestive system comes in.

The Digestive System

Your digestive system is basically one long tube plus a few accessory organs that release “juices” into the tube.

The tube is called the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, also called the digestive tract or the alimentary tract/canal.

• small intestine
• large intestine (includes the rectum and anus)

Accessory organs:

• salivary glands
• gall bladder

The process of digestion begins in the mouth and, after the food goes down the esophagus, continues in the stomach. However, most of the work of digestion takes place in the small intestine. The large intestine deals with the remaining parts of the food that can’t absorbed.

Mechanical digestion , also known as physical digestion, is the process of physically breaking down the food we eat into smaller and smaller pieces. This happens in the mouth when our teeth chews on our food. It also happens in the stomach, where the churning action of the stomach — pushing food forward, grinding it, pushing it back to repeat the process, and so on — eventually makes the food particles small enough to pass into the passageway to the small intestine.

Chemical digestion is the process of changing the actual chemical structure of the food particles and turning it into a form that can be absorbed into our blood, for distribution to all the cells of the body. This process can involve several steps that take place in different parts of the GI tract.

There are lots of “juices” in the digestive system that are in charge of chemical digestion, several kinds for each type of food (fat, carbohydrates, proteins). One example is the acid in our stomachs, which begins the process of chemically digesting proteins.

If you’re fond of big words, here’s what is produced at the very end of digestion:

• Carbohydrates (like starch and table sugar) are turned into monosaccharides;
• Fats are turned into fatty acids and monoacylglycerol; and
• Proteins are turned into amino acids and oligopeptides.

In these final forms, they can now be absorbed into our body.

Some types of food take longer to digest than others, but generally it takes 1-3 days for the food we eat to make the entire journey from our mouth to…well, you know.

Ready to test your knowledge of the digestive system?

Answer our fun worksheets below!

The worksheets below are interactive “live worksheets” — they can be answered and corrected/submitted right on this page.

Printable (PDF) versions of these worksheets are also available for free download — just click on links provided before each worksheet.

Note on the Worksheets

You can reduce the size of the worksheet by zooming out your browser screen. For Windows users, scroll down the mouse wheel while pressing the Ctrl key in your keyboard. If there are any errors/glitches, just refresh and try again.

The Digestive System: Easy Labeling Worksheet for Kindergarten and Grade 1

A printable version of this worksheet can be downloaded for free here: HuntersWoodsPH Digestive System Labeling Worksheet for Kindergarten and Grade 1 (PDF)  

How the Digestive System Works: Worksheet for Grade 2

A printable version of this worksheet can be downloaded for free here: HuntersWoodsPH How the Digestive System Works for Grade 2 (PDF)  

Parts of the Digestive System: Labeling Worksheet for Grade 3

A printable version of this worksheet can be downloaded for free here: HuntersWoodsPH Parts of the Digestive System Cut and Paste Labeling Worksheet for Grade 3  

How the Digestive System is Interconnected with Other Organ Systems: Worksheet for Grade 4

A printable version of this worksheet can be downloaded for free here: HuntersWoodsPH How the Digestive System is Interconnected with Other Organ Systems Worksheet for Grade 4 (PDF)  

Anatomy of the Digestive System: Diagram Labeling Worksheet for Grade 5

A printable version of this worksheet can be downloaded for free here: HuntersWoodsPH Anatomy of the Digestive System Labeling Worksheet for Grade 5 (PDF)  

Digestive System Review: Worksheet for Grade 6

A printable version of this worksheet can be downloaded for free here: HuntersWoodsPH Digestive System Review Worksheet for Grade 6 (PDF)  

Did you enjoy these digestive system worksheets? See all our free printable and interactive worksheets here:

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