Lesson Plan 3: A Garden in My Belly

There is a garden in your belly called the gut microbiome. In this lesson, students will get to explore what the gut microbiome is and what foods it loves to eat. Students will get to investigate their miraculous bodies and learn how to best take care of them. 

Grade level: K - 2 

Prep time: 10 min

Lesson duration: 30 min + Optional Extension Activity (10 min)

Learning outcomes:

It is expected that students will:

• Recognize what foods improve the garden in their belly and what foods hurt it
• Identify what the gut microbiome is and how it contributes to their overall health
• Demonstrate an understanding of what foods help their gut and what foods hurt it

Lesson includes:

• Activate, Acquire, and Apply Activities 
• My Gut Buddy sheets (Printable)
• Gut Buddy Story sheets (Printable)
• Reading Comprehension Questions include:
• There is a river inside of you, what body part is your river? (your intestines)
• Who gave you your first seeds?
• How do you get new microbes?

Materials required (not provided)

• A Garden In My Belly by Masha D’Yans (A reading of the book can be found for free on YouTube - link included)

NB: Purchase includes access to downloadable resources for 6 months.