You will learn
- Say what the stomach does.
- Describe churning.
- Explain stomach juices.
- Link food to energy.
Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.
Student lesson
- The stomach holds food.
- It churns food with juices.
- Juices break food down.
- Food then moves on to the intestines.
Words to know
a muscular bag that holds and mixes food
to break food into tiny parts
a liquid made inside the body
to mix and move around
1. Discover: The rumbling tummy
In class Efua’s stomach rumbles. Everyone laughs. “That is normal,” says the teacher. “Your stomach muscles are moving even when it is empty.”
Think: What else does the stomach do?
2. Understand: The stomach
Idea 1: What the stomach does
The stomach is a stretchy muscle bag. It holds food and churns it, mixing it with juices.
Idea 2: Digestion begins
Stomach juices help digest food, breaking it into tiny parts. The food becomes a thick soup.
Idea 3: Moving on
The soup passes slowly into the intestines, where more digestion happens and nutrients are taken in.
3. Worked examples
Example 1 (I show you): Holds
Eat a meal.
- Food waits.
- Stomach holds.
- Stretchy.
Answer: The stomach holds food.
Example 2 (We do it together): Mixes
Churning.
- Muscles move.
- Mixes with juice.
- Churn.
Answer: The stomach churns food.
Example 3 (You try): Passes
Next?
Show the steps and answer
- Intestines.
- Slowly.
- Moves on.
Answer: Food moves to the intestines.
Did you know?
The stomach can stretch to hold about a litre of food and drink.
Why this matters
The stomach turns food into forms the body can use.
4. Explore: Stomach model
Show churning with a bag.
- Place bread and a little water in a bag.
- Seal the bag.
- Squeeze and mix.
- Look at the soft mixture.
Think about it: what did you notice?
What did you notice? Squeezing mixed the food into a soft paste.
5. Practise
Say it in a sentence
Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.
- The ___ holds food.
- It ___ food with juices.
- Juices help ___.
- Food goes to the ___.
Guided practice
Question 1. What does the stomach hold?
Food.
Question 2. What does it do to food?
Churns it.
Question 3. What is digestion?
Breaking food down.
Independent practice
Level 1: Start
- What does the stomach hold?
- What does it do to food?
- What is digestion?
- Where does food go next?
- What helps digest?
Level 2: Grow
- Why churn?
- Why stretchy?
- Why juices?
Level 3: Stretch
- Do the bag model.
- Draw the stomach.
- Explain digestion.
Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.
6. Apply: Science in everyday life
When is your stomach full?
Show a sample answer
After meals.
Another one. Tell a family member one thing from this lesson. Use the words you learned.
Show a sample answer
A clear sentence that uses at least one word from Words to know.
7. Common mistakes
Fix: It is stretchy.
Fix: It continues in intestines.
8. Lesson summary and revision card
- I can say what the stomach does.
- I can describe churning.
- I can explain stomach juices.
- I can link food to energy.
9. Check and master
Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.
Your result appears here after you answer every question.
10. Key takeaways
- The stomach holds food.
- It churns food with juices.
- Juices break food down.
- Food then moves on to the intestines.
11. Next lesson
Next lesson: The intestines. Keep going with the next idea in this course.
Exam practice
These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.
- What does the stomach do? [2 marks]
- What is digestion? [2 marks]
- Describe the bag model. [3 marks]
- Where does food go next? [2 marks]
- Safety rule? [1 mark]
Total: 10 marks.
Marking guide and model answers
- Holds [1]; churns [1]
- Breaking down [1]; food [1]
- Bread and water [1]; squeeze [1]; paste [1]
- Intestines [1]; slowly [1]
- Any [1]
Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.
Printable worksheet
- What does the stomach hold?
- What does it do to food?
- What is digestion?
- Where does food go next?
- What helps digest?
- Why churn?
- Why stretchy?
- Why juices?
- Do the bag model.
- Draw the stomach.
Homework
Draw your stomach and arrows showing food entering and leaving.
Answer key and marking scheme
| Question | Expected response | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1. What does the stomach hold? | Food. | 1 |
| 2. What does it do to food? | Churns it. | 1 |
| 3. What is digestion? | Breaking food down. | 1 |
| 4. Where does food go next? | Intestines. | 1 |
| 5. What helps digest? | Juices. | 1 |
| 6. Why churn? | Mix with juices. | 1 |
| 7. Why stretchy? | Hold food. | 1 |
| 8. Why juices? | Break food. | 1 |
| 9. Do the bag model. | Observation. | 1 |
| 10. Draw the stomach. | Diagram. | 1 |
| Total | 10 |
Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 Food.; 2 Churns it.; 3 Breaking food down.; 4 Intestines.; 5 Juices.. Level 2: 1 Mix with juices.; 2 Hold food.; 3 Break food.. Level 3: 1 Observation.; 2 Diagram.; 3 Paragraph..
Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.
Mastery and remediation
| Objective | Bronze (Developing) | Silver (Proficient) | Gold (Advanced) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O1 Say what the stomach does | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O2 Describe churning | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O3 Explain stomach juices | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
| O4 Link food to energy | Shows this with help from an adult or a picture | Does this independently and explains how they know | Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation |
Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.
If a learner struggles
- Find the misconception: “The stomach is a hard box.” It is stretchy.
- Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
- Show a simpler example: Explain how the stomach works.
- Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
- Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
- Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.
For parents and guardians
In this lesson your child learns about the stomach. You do not need to be an expert to help.
- Talk about meals.
- Ask, “Where did it go?”
- Wash hands before eating.
- Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
- Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.
Teacher package
1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration
Lesson objectives. Learners will: say what the stomach does; describe churning; explain stomach juices; link food to energy.
Prerequisite knowledge. Grade 2 body ideas: the five senses, parts of the body, healthy food, exercise and washing hands.
Materials. Zip bags, bread, water, paper. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.
Preparation. Check allergies. Prepare bags.
Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.
6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities
Introduction (5 min). Ask, “Where does food go?”
Explanation (10 min). Teach the stomach.
Guided activity (10 min). Learners do the model.
Independent activity (10 min). Learners explain.
Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.
Key questions. What does the stomach do to food?
Teacher explanation notes. Start with real objects and safe, hands-on observation. Then talk about what was seen, then draw and write. Always say “how do you know?”. Keep to the safety notes, and use local, safe materials.
10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions
Support. Use real objects and pictures, short sentences and a partner. Let learners point, show or draw instead of writing. Extension. Ask learners to find a new example at home and explain how they know.
Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.
Misconceptions. “The stomach is a hard box.” It is stretchy.
13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme
Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.
16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection
Remediation. Explain how the stomach works. Enrichment. Look for one new example near your home or school, draw it and explain it to someone. Homework. See above.
Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.
Sources and standards
This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Next Generation Science Standards, Cambridge Primary Science and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.
Research used to shape this lesson. Courseversity Science curriculum, Grade 3 Unit 4, topic 5; Next Generation Science Standards, structure and function in living things; Cambridge Primary Science Stage 3, plants and humans; IB Primary Years Programme, who we are and how the world works. These sources informed the lesson.