Body Walk exhibit makes basic functions interesting
Staff writer
Usually the small intestine isn't considered interesting. But it was to one Marion Elementary School student.
"I thought it was neat because it showed how long it was," said third-grader Lance Knolla.
Third-grader Evan Slater thought the mouth was fascinating.
"We got to brush the teeth," Evan said.
The boys commented on the parts they found most interesting Thursday after touring the Body Walk exhibit at Marion Elementary School.
All MES students, along with 39 children from Centre school district, toured the exhibit which was designed and created by the Kansas State Department of Education, Nutrition Services.
"This is the first year we've had the body walk," explained Rhonda Hett with MES food service. "We tried several times but this is the first time we've got it here."
The exhibit starts in the brain since the brain is the body part used to make choices.
In terms of eating, that means healthy food choices from each food pyramid group and choosing to play hard and exercise.
The tour begins as children walk through a giant ear into the brain. Inside the "brain dome" students experience "brain waves" and learn about brain function, according to information provided by KSDE Nutrition Services.
After they leave the brain, each student is given a particular food tag which designates them as a particular food item. For instance, one individual might be "cheese," another could be "hamburger," and another might be "grapes."
Students then enter the large mouth, sit on a tooth, and learn why a healthy mouth is important.
The "foods" then proceed through the esophagus tunnel to the stomach dome before they are "absorbed" in the small intestine tunnel. Then they follow the nutrient path through the blood vessel tunnel to the heart, lungs, bones, muscles, and skin stations.
The Body Walk has other interesting aspects on the tour. For instance, students get the chance to see real lungs preserved in a jar. One is black to show the damage caused by smoking, said Tammy Meiners of Topeka, a representative from KSDE Nutrition Services.
Not only did students have the opportunity to be involved in the Body Walk, a number of local volunteers also were involved helping setup and then take down the exhibit, Hett said.
