54 Ew! What did I just step in?? – Instructor Guide
Ew! What did I just step in??
Instructional Guide
In this lesson students will explore the difference between vomiting and regurgitation in feline patients. Students will also learn how a veterinarian treats a patient with these afflictions.
Intended Grade Level
This lesson is for students in 3rd- 5th grade. Students should be familiar with the basic process of digestion.
Learning objectives
- Students will be able to explain the basic differences between vomiting and regurgitating.
- Students will be able to give possible reasons for why cats regurgitate.
- Students will be able to tell the differences between vomiting and regurgitating through physical signs.
- Students will be able to explain what a veterinarian would do to help a regurgitating cat.
Lesson Format
This can be done in any size group. The material can be printed and disseminated for the read-aloud. Activities require a laptop
- First students will popcorn or independently read the lessons.(20 minutes)
- some kind of activity
- The assessment will focus on answering three short questions to check their learning throughout the lesson (5 minutes)
Lesson Background
Regurgitation and vomiting are two different processes in which an animal, in this case may appear to be “throwing up,” but these are two distinct processes. Regurgitation is quiet and involves undigested food matter as the food has not passed into the stomach yet. Vomiting is a more vigorous process so it can be hear, abdominal muscles can be seen in use, and involves digested food.
To diagnose what is going on, veterinarians may do many different diagnostics such as taking radiographic images, in order to see what the organs of the animal looks like.
Activities
need to add
Common misconceptions and challenge points
The differences between regurgitation and vomiting may be difficult to understand. To combat this, emphasize the things that students can see and hear in these two process, and have them contrast them.
Students may also be confused about how to look at radiographs. Remind them that these are just to illustrate what a radiograph may look like, as it shows the insides of the animal, and that they do not need to be able to read them.
Assessment
Students will answer three short multiple choice questions to check what they have learned throughout this lesson.
Further exploration
Other chapters within this textbook that explore the differences between regurgitation and vomiting, as well as similar topics include:
Whiskers’ Swallowing Struggle: A Journey to the Purrfect Diagnoses
