At all four Lawrence elementary schools this May, a grant funded by the Lawrence Township Education Foundation brought the Liberty Science Center’s Little Dragons Digestive System Program to kindergarteners and 1st graders. Kristen Burke, the district’s STEM supervisor for pre-K to 6th grade, requested funds for this interactive, instructive assembly.
The students were taken on a journey through their digestive systems by a guide and Sam the Dragon puppet, who ate too much junk food for breakfast and developed a bellyache. Students were taught how food affects their body and why Sam’s belly was hurting. The kids had an opportunity to go through a “funtastic” digestive system obstacle course recreated from gym and play equipment. They climbed up the tongue, slid down the esophagus, got churned up by gastric juices in the stomach and then crawled through the small and large intestines. Amid all the giggling, the students learned about the roles of their body parts and why healthy foods are important.
The Lawrence Township Education Foundation (LTEF) is a non-profit organization that provides funding for programs that foster excellence, creativity and achievement in education for all students in Lawrence Township Public Schools. For more information about LTEF and the programs it supports, contact Executive Director Ivy Cohen at (609) 219-0340 or e-mail info@ltefnj.org.
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