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Tuesday, February 24, 2026

It's Black History Month!- Learn about the contributions of black scientists, engineers and mathematicians.- LINK

Inspirational Quote of the Day: "Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!" ― Dr. Seuss, "Oh, the Thinks You Can Think"

Objective: What does the surface of M'Kenna's Small Intestine look like up close compared with a healthy one?

We zoom in on the small intestine to better understand its structure and function. First, we take stock of where we are in the body by mapping M’Kenna’s system to the organization of the human body systems. We identify structures called “villi” that line the small intestine and use an interactive simulation to learn more about the villi. We figure out: Body systems are organized by System > Subsystems > Tissues > Cells, M’Kenna’s intestinal wall surface is flat and a healthy person’s is folded back and forth (forming villi), Increased villi height results in more surface area that food molecules come into contact with as they flow through the small intestine; this results in a greater rate of absorption in a healthy small intestine than in M’Kenna’s.

Standards:

MS-PS1-1:

Develop models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures.

MS-PS1-2:

Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

MS-LS1-3:

Use argument supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting subsystems composed of groups of cells.

MS-LS1-7:

Develop a model to describe how food is rearranged through chemical reactions forming new molecules that support growth and/or release energy as this matter moves through an organism.

MS-LS1-5:

Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms

Warm-Up: