The kids have been asking to do a disgusting science experiment for a couple of weeks. I kept putting them off, but finally gave in last night. We flipped through the few reaming experiments and decided we would look at digestion. Taking the stomach pink colored balloon (who knew there was such a color?) we added an ingredient to make a lining: vegetable oil. Then, we tore up a piece of wheat bread and put tiny bites into the esophagus (the neck of the balloon). Once we had the food in the stomach, we added stomach acid, but only after smelling it and comparing it to the smell of vomit. Such a lovely disgusting thought, isn't it?
Food in, stomach acid (in this case vinegar) added, we closed off the top of the stomach and began to mush it up. While the kids mushed, we talked about how the stomach is a big muscle. Food mushed so it felt a bit like wet bread, we stretched the balloon to imitate the workings of an intestine. Hand over hand, hand over hand, we used the muscles in our balloon intestine to move the food slowly through to the exit. (Having turned the balloon to face down, we suddenly had the right end.)
This is what the kids were waiting for. The intestines released some 'poop' onto the green plate potty. Plop! It fell and was followed by two smaller pieces. I would have shared a picture, but in Jeff's own words, "I was too mesmerized by the process. I didn't take any pictures."Now all the kids want to talk about at the table is how every bite they eat makes more poop. Eva, the one I was hoping this little experiment would encourage the most, said she liked pushing the poop out, but had no desire to do it if it wasn't in a balloon. It was still worth a try! Just think how much more kids would know about digestion if science was taught more like this at an early age. My family was certainly mesmerized!
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