A Hands-On, Multi-Station Lab on Digestion, Nutrient Breakdown, Enzyme Function & Intestinal Surface Area.
This stations-based lab teaches the digestive system through physical models, experiments, and structured analysis. Students rotate through five activities that simulate how food is broken down and absorbed, allowing them to experience digestion as a process rather than memorize steps.
Instead of relying on notes alone, students model mechanical and chemical digestion, enzyme action, diffusion, and surface area to build a functional understanding of how nutrients enter the bloodstream.
Students complete five independent stations:
Station 1 — Digestive Organ Sequence (Escape-Style Challenge)
Students place digestive organs in the correct order to unlock the next task.
Two versions are included:
• Version 1: Unlocks a physical candy container
• Version 2: Unlocks teacher-controlled access
Station 2 — Saliva vs. Water Dissolving Test
Students compare candy dissolving rates in saliva and water, time results, and connect findings to enzyme activity.
Station 3 — Diffusion & Membrane Permeability Model
Students use visual models and manipulatives to represent how digested molecules pass through intestinal membranes.
Station 4 — Enzyme Memory Match
Students match digestive enzymes (amylase, lipase, protease, lactase, pepsin) to their target biomolecules and subunits.
Station 5 — Villi & Surface Area Investigation
Students measure smooth and villi-lined intestine models and calculate how surface area increases absorption efficiency.
• Mechanical vs. chemical digestion
• Enzyme specificity
• Diffusion and absorption
• Surface area and villi
• Digestive organ sequence
• Nutrient breakdown
• Teaches digestion through physical modeling
• High student engagement
• Supports kinesthetic and visual learners
• Works well for stations or lab days
• Reinforces core biology concepts
• Easy to set up and run
• Minimal prep required
This resource is a stations-based lab activity.
Includes:
✔ Five complete station activities
✔ Two versions of Station 1
✔ Student recording sheets
✔ Teacher answer key with explanations
• Middle school life science
• High school biology
• Human body systems units
• Digestion and nutrition lessons
• Lab days
Grades 7–10
Middle School Life Science
Biology
Human Body / Anatomy units
Health Science Foundations
Special Education & co-taught classrooms (hands-on + low-text accessible)
To preview this lesson, click here.
Students calculate villi-mediated surface area change (Station 5) using measured ratios
Enzyme specificity + substrate breakdown illustrated through memory-match cards (Station 4).
Station 2 emphasizes fair test conditions, variables, and enzyme effect discussions
Students design a “new digestive adaptation” to increase absorption and justify its function.
Create a CER comparison of diffusion before vs. after digestion in Station 3.
MS-LS1-7 — Body systems break down food using enzymes & absorption.
HS-LS1-2 — Structure → function in nutrient molecules, villi, organ sequence.
HS-LS1-7 — Matter & energy processing in digestion.
Planning & Carrying Out Investigations: dissolving candies (Station 2)
Analyzing & Interpreting Data: surface area calculations (Station 5)
Developing & Using Models: diffusion membrane + villi enhancement
Obtaining, Evaluating, Communicating Information: enzyme–substrate reasoning
Structure & Function — Organs, enzymes, villi models
Cause & Effect — Saliva enzymes → faster molecular breakdown
Systems & System Models — Digestive tract integration sequence
Scale, Proportion & Quantity — Surface area multiplication via villi
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.3 / RST.9-10.3
Follow multistep lab procedures & station instructions.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-10.2
Write clear responses explaining enzyme/subunit relationships & diffusion.
A Hands-On, Multi-Station Lab on Digestion, Nutrient Breakdown, Enzyme Function & Intestinal Surface Area.
This stations-based lab teaches the digestive system through physical models, experiments, and structured analysis. Students rotate through five activities that simulate how food is broken down and absorbed, allowing them to experience digestion as a process rather than memorize steps.
Instead of relying on notes alone, students model mechanical and chemical digestion, enzyme action, diffusion, and surface area to build a functional understanding of how nutrients enter the bloodstream.
Students complete five independent stations:
Station 1 — Digestive Organ Sequence (Escape-Style Challenge)
Students place digestive organs in the correct order to unlock the next task.
Two versions are included:
• Version 1: Unlocks a physical candy container
• Version 2: Unlocks teacher-controlled access
Station 2 — Saliva vs. Water Dissolving Test
Students compare candy dissolving rates in saliva and water, time results, and connect findings to enzyme activity.
Station 3 — Diffusion & Membrane Permeability Model
Students use visual models and manipulatives to represent how digested molecules pass through intestinal membranes.
Station 4 — Enzyme Memory Match
Students match digestive enzymes (amylase, lipase, protease, lactase, pepsin) to their target biomolecules and subunits.
Station 5 — Villi & Surface Area Investigation
Students measure smooth and villi-lined intestine models and calculate how surface area increases absorption efficiency.
• Mechanical vs. chemical digestion
• Enzyme specificity
• Diffusion and absorption
• Surface area and villi
• Digestive organ sequence
• Nutrient breakdown
• Teaches digestion through physical modeling
• High student engagement
• Supports kinesthetic and visual learners
• Works well for stations or lab days
• Reinforces core biology concepts
• Easy to set up and run
• Minimal prep required
This resource is a stations-based lab activity.
Includes:
✔ Five complete station activities
✔ Two versions of Station 1
✔ Student recording sheets
✔ Teacher answer key with explanations
• Middle school life science
• High school biology
• Human body systems units
• Digestion and nutrition lessons
• Lab days
Grades 7–10
Middle School Life Science
Biology
Human Body / Anatomy units
Health Science Foundations
Special Education & co-taught classrooms (hands-on + low-text accessible)
To preview this lesson, click here.
Students calculate villi-mediated surface area change (Station 5) using measured ratios
Enzyme specificity + substrate breakdown illustrated through memory-match cards (Station 4).
Station 2 emphasizes fair test conditions, variables, and enzyme effect discussions
Students design a “new digestive adaptation” to increase absorption and justify its function.
Create a CER comparison of diffusion before vs. after digestion in Station 3.
MS-LS1-7 — Body systems break down food using enzymes & absorption.
HS-LS1-2 — Structure → function in nutrient molecules, villi, organ sequence.
HS-LS1-7 — Matter & energy processing in digestion.
Planning & Carrying Out Investigations: dissolving candies (Station 2)
Analyzing & Interpreting Data: surface area calculations (Station 5)
Developing & Using Models: diffusion membrane + villi enhancement
Obtaining, Evaluating, Communicating Information: enzyme–substrate reasoning
Structure & Function — Organs, enzymes, villi models
Cause & Effect — Saliva enzymes → faster molecular breakdown
Systems & System Models — Digestive tract integration sequence
Scale, Proportion & Quantity — Surface area multiplication via villi
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.3 / RST.9-10.3
Follow multistep lab procedures & station instructions.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-10.2
Write clear responses explaining enzyme/subunit relationships & diffusion.
