Iman

= = = =  **Resource: TLF Learning Object- “In Digestion”** Iman Helmy

“In digestion” is a learning object published by The Le@rning Federation, and aims to provide students with an insight into what happens at every stage of the digestive process in the human body. Students follow the passage of food through the complex yet amazing human body. In doing so, this resource allows students to select foods and drinks and decide how to digest them, for example, choose to chew, to add saliva to the mouth, to churn, add gastric juices to the stomach, and accordingly, see the result of their choices.
 * Explanation of the resource:**

** This learning object is particularly relevant to the Science and Technology syllabus outcome, from the Living Things Strand; LT S2.3. Content wise, this learning object provides opportunity for students to investigate structures in the human digestive system and relate these to their functions. In terms of skill, this learning object uses interactive and animation to shed light on an internal body process that cannot be seen; a common occurrence in science. Furthermore, it draws upon the idea of simple experiments due to the fact that there is an element of trial and error. **
 * Relevance to the outcome:**

This resource is great on many levels, a prominent one being that it presents informations in a fun, interactive way, and allows students to take on the code breaker role in decoding and encoding subject specific vocabulary (Santoro, 2004, p. 54). In doing so, and and alongside rich learning experiences throughout the unit, students build vocabulary through interacting with visual image, reading, and listening to words. This component of literacy is essential as it plays an crucial role in formulating grammar for writing, and an equally important role in meaning making for the kids.
 * Aspect of literacy to be explored: Grammar for writing-Vocabulary.**

In this unit, as in many units of work (UOW) in the subject of Science, technical nouns, verbs and nominalizations characterize the text that students read. The UOW on the human body, and lessons on the digestive system, contain technical vocabulary, that requires learners to draw many ideas from the structures of the system and establish the corresponding links among them. This resource makes the introductory learning of new vocabulary easy, because words that are specific to science are identified, and words that have specific meanings in this context, for example, //break down// are explained.

Studies (Coady, 1997, p.282) have concluded that effective vocabulary teaching involves providing learners with both definitional and contextual information about words. This is an underlying component of this resource, in that the new terms related to the digestive system are previewed in the structured analytical images, hence exposing children to new vocabulary in context of the content or concept. However these same terms- new or technical, are hyperlinked to another window. This link takes students to a brief definition and explanation, thus allowing for a bridge between ‘what it means’ and ‘how it fits’ to be built. Furthermore, this explicit feature allows for vocabulary learning in the context of the classroom to be more authentic, with children not just memorising names, but understanding meanings. It addresses any misunderstandings or misconceptions and through this, enables students to develop confidence in using these words throughout their speaking and writing tasks in the UOW.

The information that is presented throughout this learning objects is done both as words and pictures. When focusing on vocabulary learning, this aspect becomes particularly advantageous, as some children may translate one format into another (Sanchez & Garcia-Rodicio, 2008, p.546), or simply, a visual association may be made between the new word being learnt and the more abstract, visual aspects of the digestive system, depicted through the structured analytical diagrams.

Coady, J. (1997) L2 Vocabulary Instruction: A synthesis of the research In Coady, J. & Huskin, T.N. //Second language vocabulary acquisition: a rationale for pedagogy.// Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Sanchez, E. Garcia-Rodicio, R. (2008) The use of modality in the design of verbal aids in computer-based learning environments. //Interacting with computers 20// (1) pp. 545-561 Santoro, N. (2004) Using the four resources model across the curriculum. In Healy, A. & Honan, E. //Text next: New resources for literacy learning// Newtown: PETA pp.51-67
 * References**