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LEVELS 15–20 I–K
Reader’s Theater
T E AC H E R ’ S G U I D E
SCIENCE
Science in Personal
& Social Perspectives
The Day I
Followed the Pickle
Total words: 894
Summary
Objectives
★LITERACY
Students will:
• Develop fluency and expression
• Understand characters’
motives, actions, and feelings
• Relate what students know
about the digestive system to
their reading
★SCIENCE
Students will:
• Learn the basic processes in
the digestive system
Jordan and Morgan are friends enjoying lunch in Jordan’s
kitchen. Jordan wonders aloud what happens to food after
it is swallowed. Morgan reads a book. Suddenly, a pickle
on Morgan’s plate invites Jordan to travel with it through
Morgan’s digestive system. Morgan is unaware of this
conversation. A magic spell shrinks Jordan, who then
accompanies Pickle down Morgan’s throat. Esophagus
squeezes Jordan and Pickle until they meet Stomach, who
shows how food is stirred, mashed, and broken into smaller
pieces. Next, Small Intestine explains that fluids further break
down food, and Pickle talks about nutrient absorption.
Pickle’s trip continues to Large Intestine, but Jordan’s journey
ends. A second magic spell allows Jordan to reappear in his
kitchen. Morgan feels unwell and offers the remaining pickle
to Jordan, who prefers to eat a carrot stick.
Characters
Levels
Jordan
I
15
Morgan
I
16
Stomach
J
18
Students will learn about:
• Open-mindedness—listen to
new ideas; try new things
Small/Large Intestine
J
18
Pickle
K 20
• Gratitude—thank others for
their help
Esophagus
K 20
• Understand how much time
digestion takes and why
CHARACTER
★EDUCATION
Reader’s Theater for
Fluency and Comprehension
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BEFORE Reading
1. Build Background
• Ask students what happens to food after it is swallowed. Record on
a chart any words about the digestive system used by the students.
Lead the class in a brainstorming session and prompt them to
remember as much relevant vocabulary as possible.
• Have students guess the length of an adult’s digestive system
(twenty-eight feet). Ask students to describe how such a long tube
might fit inside a person.
• Make a short and varied list of healthy foods needed by the body.
2. Introduce the Script
• Give students a copy of the script and explain that they are going
to read a play that will take them on a journey through the
digestive system.
• If students are unfamiliar with the format of a play, explain how
the text is organized and how they can tell when a different
character is speaking.
• Ask students what story the pictures tell. Look at each illustration in
chronological order and ask students to give one sentence orally to
accompany each picture.
• Introduce the character list. Ask the students how many people are
on the list (two).Then, ask what the remaining “characters” are.
(a vegetable and parts of the human digestive system)
For
English Language Learners instruction on introducing the script, refer to page 6.
3. Discuss Vocabulary
• Find vocabulary words that might give students difficulty while
they are reading. Have students repeat the words several times.
Ensure that they know what the words mean and have volunteers
use each word in a sentence. Possible words are esophagus, mystery,
system, shrink, swallow, notice, squeeze, gullet, mashing, stirring, fluids,
and relief.
For
2
English Language Learners instruction on vocabulary and phonics, refer to page 6.
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DURING Reading
4. Read the Script
• Familiarize students with the content and vocabulary of the
script by having them read along with you as you model
fluent reading.
Informally assess students’ reading as you:
• Note students’ level of participation.
• Note any vocabulary words that are still challenging for
students to read. When finished, address questions about
word pronunciation or meaning.
• Read the script chorally again, noting whether students’
interpretations of the characters show an understanding
of the story.
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3
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AFTER Reading
Building
Character
• Jordan learns how food is digested
by having an open mind. Would
you be open-minded if a pickle
talked to you, or would you be
scared? Would you be open to
traveling through your friend's
digestive system to learn about it?
• Jordan thanks Pickle for showing
him the digestive system. How else
could Jordan show his gratitude?
With a partner, list other ways to
say thank you.
Staging and
Performance
Suggestions
• Students will remember the
journey through the digestive
system better if they are
provided with a visual aid
during the performance or reading.
Have the student reading Morgan’s
part lie down on a large piece of
paper. Draw an outline around
him or her. Using an illustrated
reference book, ask a few students
to draw the digestive system
inside Morgan’s outline. Display the
chart during the performance or
reading. Have a child wearing a
laboratory coat point to each part
of the digestive system as it is
discovered by Pickle and Jordan.
Have students measure twenty-six
feet of red yarn and glue the
strand on the chart to represent
the digestive tube.
4
5. Interpret the Text
Discuss Ideas and Issues
Discuss the various stages in the digestive process. Ask:
• Why is it important to chew food?
• How does food travel down the ten-inch tube that leads
to the stomach?
• What happens to food in the stomach?
• What happens in the small intestine?
• What happens after food passes through the
large intestine?
6. Assign Roles &
Rehearse the Script
• Use the character levels provided to help you assign roles.
• Decide whether to develop a simple reading or a
dramatization of the script.
• Discuss the staging. Use the suggestions provided here
and in the Teacher’s Handbook.
• Discuss rehearsal expectations. See the Teacher’s
Handbook.
• During the first rehearsal, offer suggestions for
expression and voice. During the second rehearsal, act
only as the audience.
• Provide feedback at the end of the rehearsal. See the
Teacher’s Handbook.
For
English Language Learners instruction on performing the play, refer to page 7.
7. Perform the Script
• Read the script as a Reader’s Theater or dramatize
it as a play.
For
English Language Learners instruction on modeling the play, refer to page 7.
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Content Connections
Science
The digestion system combines physiological elements
with chemical processes. Digestion actually begins with
a chemical process.The moment food is placed in the
mouth, saliva is produced by nearby glands. Saliva coats
the food as it is chewed. Saliva contains an enzyme
that breaks starch down into sugar, which is then
absorbed by the blood and used by the body.This
chemical process can be demonstrated.
Try This!
• Ask students to chew a soda cracker or some bread,
and hold it in their mouth for one or two minutes.
Have students pay close attention to the taste of the
food. Students may notice that the taste becomes
sweeter—the result of an enzyme breaking down
the starch.
• Ask students to witness what happens when a
few drops of saliva are added to a jar of baby food
containing starch. Show students the untouched baby
food, and have them describe how it looks. Allow
one student to put some of his or her saliva onto a
teaspoon and then into the jar. Reseal the jar and let
it sit overnight.The next day, ask students to describe
the changes they see.The food will appear more
watery and soupy after the enzyme has acted.
Literacy Extensions
Live News Report
Create a live news confere
nce in the
classroom. Lead the child pla
ying Jordan
into the room and pretend
he just came
from the journey through
Morgan’s
digestive system. Prepare for
the event
by asking every student to
write a question
for Jordan. Pick one studen
t to play the
interviewer. He or she can
read the
questions and Jordan can res
pond. After the
live interview, ask everyone
to be reporters.
Each student can report on
the interview
in the style of a newspaper
journalist. Put
prompts on the board to
suggest a tone
and style, such as: “Today, hist
ory was made
as Jordan saw the digestive
system from the
inside and lived to tell the
story.”
Travel Brochure
Have small groups of studen
ts collaborate on
writing and illustrating a trav
el brochure that
advertises an “AdventureVaca
tion in the
Digestive System.” Have stu
dents research
how long each par t of the jou
rney will take
and note the distances that
will be traveled.
on
Character Educati
Connection
.
en he follows Pickle
Jordan is brave wh
if
t
en
y be differ
How would the pla
ed to go with
ar
sc
Jordan was too
uld he have
Pickle? How else co
digestive system?
learned about the
ways the story
Role-play different
was not open to
could go if Jordan
trying new things.
For background information and other books of interest, refer to page 8.
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English Language L
Vocabulary
• Model the process of locating a
difficult or unfamiliar word, such as
esophagus on page 8. Model the word
and have students underline it in the
play. Say: You can find the meaning
from the story and illustrations. Ask
students to trace the shape of the
esophagus in the illustration. Say:
The esophagus is a tube or a pipe.
It carries food from the mouth to
the stomach.
• Help students predict the meaning
of unfamiliar words using the
following questions:
1. Does this word look like a word I know?
(cognates)
2. Is this word formed by two smaller
words? (compound words) Do I know
the meaning of the smaller words? If I
put the meanings together, can I guess
the meaning of the original word?
3. Does this word have a smaller word I
already know? (base word/prefixes/
suffixes) What could the other part
mean?
4. Does this phrase have some words I
know? Who is using the phrase? Is this
character answering a question or
expressing something? What could this
mean in the story?
Phonics
• Students may have difficulty
pronouncing the word stomach.
Model pronunciation and emphasize
the first syllable (STUM-ick). Point out
that the last syllable is pronounced
/ik/. Have students underline the
word in the play. Review other words
with similar sounds like lick and pick.
Point out that the spellings are
different, but the pronunciation is
the same. You may also model the
pronunciation of stomachache.
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1. Introduce the Script
Comprehension
• Introduce the topic by discussing what students eat
for lunch. Ask: What do you usually eat for lunch?
Make a two-column chart of foods and drinks.
Review foods as a class.Then, ask students to
pantomime chewing lunch foods and drinking
milk, juice, or soda. Sketch a pickle on the board.
Say: Some people eat pickles with their sandwiches.
• The Day I Followed the Pickle shows the process of
digestion. Say: Imagine where the food goes after you
chew it. Discuss the food traveling from the mouth to
the stomach. Ask: How does food get to the stomach?
Encourage creativity and accept reasonable answers.
• Write the term digestive system on the board. Model
pronunciation and repeat as a class. Say: The digestive
system is the parts of the body that break down food
into small pieces. The mouth and stomach are two parts
of the digestive system.
2. Explain the Structure
of a Play
• Have students identify the characters. Ask: Can you
name characters from the play? List them on the
board. Say: Setting is where the events take place.
Have students look at the illustrations. Ask: Where
is the setting of the play? Ask them to identify
illustrations of Jordan and the pickle.
• Choose one or two characters and ask volunteers
to perform a few lines. Work on intonation and
dramatic expression.
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e Learners
3. Model the Script
• Read the script aloud as students follow the text in
their books.You may use gestures and dramatic
expression to help students follow the story.
• Reread sections or lines as needed. Ask students
to identify illustrations of characters and actions
in the script.
• Check for comprehension. Some appropriate pauses
and comments for this script are:
Pages 2–3 • Say: Jordan and Morgan are eating lunch.
Ask: What are they eating? There is something special
about the pickle. What can the pickle do?
Pages 4–7 • Say: Jordan and Pickle go on an adventure.
Ask: Where does the adventure start? What do they see
in the mouth? Where do they go next?
Pages 8–9 • Ask: What happens in the esophagus?
Where do they go after the esophagus?
Pages 10–13 • Say: The stomach gives them a big hug.
Ask: What happens when the stomach hugs? Why is it
wet in the stomach?
Pages 14–16 • Say: Esophagus, Stomach, and Intestine
all want to give the food a hug. This breaks the food into
little pieces. Ask: When does food go into Morgan’s blood?
Review the order of the digestive system: mouth,
esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine.
Have them identify the illustrations of each one.
Multilevel Strategies
Review the more familiar parts of
the digestive system. Digestion
starts in the mouth. We chew
food in the mouth. The stomach
is also an important part. Ask
students to point to their stomachs. Say: This is where food gets
broken into little pieces.
Beginner
Have students add sound
effects to the play. Make sure
they understand when it is
appropriate to add each sound.
They may also point to and
describe their mouth, esophagus,
and stomach when each
character appears in the play.
Intermediate
Have students perform the lines of
Morgan, Esophagus, Stomach, Small
Intestine, or Large Intestine.
Advanced
Have them perform the lines
of Pickle or Jordan. The character
of Pickle takes them on an
adventure in the digestive
system. Have students read
with dramatic expression.
4. Perform the Script
• Assign roles to students depending on your
assessment of their reading and speaking levels,
their comprehension, and how comfortable they
feel representing each character.
For ordering information, call Toll-Free 1-877-236-2465 or visit our Web site at www.benchmarkeducation.com.
Copyright © 2005 Benchmark Education Company, LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in Canada.
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Other Books
of Interest
Background Information
BENCHMARK EDUCATION COMPANY
Oops! Why Did I Do That?
Your Nervous System
The Digestive System
Trade Books
The Edible Pyramid: Good Eating
Every Day
The bloodstream cannot process a pork chop or banana in its original form.
Blood needs to absorb nutrients in small molecules; the digestive system breaks
down the food.
by Loreen Leedy. Scott Foresman
Digestion involves three basic operations: mixing swallowed food; moving this mixture
through the digestive tract; and chemically treating the mixture so that the human
body can be nourished and energized.
Good Enough to Eat: A Kid’s
Guide to Food and Nutrition
by Lizzie Rockwell. HarperCollins Juvenile Books
What Happens to a Hamburger?
by Paul Showers. HarperCollins Juvenile Books
Physically, the digestive system comprises a series of hollow organs with muscular
walls. The muscular walls are programmed to move like waves and usher the various
foods and liquids through the series of chambers leading to the large intestine and
exit beyond.
The initial act of swallowing food is a voluntary choice. However, once something has
been swallowed, the digestive process becomes involuntary, and the muscular walls in
the hollow organs are prompted by the nervous system.
The digestive nutrients are absorbed through the intestinal walls. The undigested parts
of food are considered waste at this point. The waste is moved into the colon and
often stays there for one or two days. Finally, waste is expelled by a muscular bowel
movement which is almost always voluntary.
Your Digestive System
by Anita Ganeri. Gareth Stevens
Web Sites
http://exhibits.pacsci.org/nutrition/
default.html
www.kidshealth.org/kid/body/
digest_SW.html
http://www.harcourtschool.com/
activity/digest/index.html
http://www.brainpop.com/health/
digestive/digestion/index.weml?
8&tried_cookie=true
http://www.yucky.kids.discovery.com/
noflash/body/pg000126.html
B
E N C H M A R K
E
D U C AT I O N
C
O M PA N Y