Development of a Lesson Plan and Teaching Materials in Nutrition Transportation and Digestion for Elementary School

Abstract

Sixth-grade students learn about nutrition transportation in plants and digestion in human beings in different units. This condition leads to a misconception among the students. This study developed a lesson plan based on the relationship between nutrition transportation in plants and digestion in human beings and also developed new teaching materials. A method of leaf-printing for starch detection with polyethylene mesh-sacks improved the clarity of the prints and simplified the method-procedure. This encouraged the understanding of starch-production in leaves and an eagerness to learn. In addition, the students observed the transportation of sugar in plant stems by using an improved method for sucrose detection. Another method was similarly developed for sugar detection in starch decomposition by saliva. These detection methods were used easily and safely by elementary school students. The students could understand the functions of nutrition transportation in plants and digestion in human beings after discussing the results of these experiments. They could recognize the common function of starch conversion in plants and human beings and thus develop a more versatile viewpoint of living organisms.