TUPELO - Lawndale Elementary students walked into brains, through stomachs and around intestines last week.

An exhibit set up by the Mississippi State University Extension Service in the school's gymnasium allowed all of the students in the third- to fifth-grade school to tour the human body.

"They will see what the brain does and how the body digests food," said Lawndale challenge teacher Teresa Gregory. "They will see the overall benefits of nutrition."

On one end of the gym was a tent resembling the top half of a human head. Students could enter through the ears for a lesson about the brain.

In the middle of the room was a giant maze with different rooms representing various organs of the body. Groups of eight to 10 students rotated through the nine stations every five minutes.

Lawndale student teachers led lessons at each, telling students how that organ functions and how they can care for it by having healthy habits. There were pointers on food to eat, the importance of brushing teeth and the dangers of smoking.

"We want to teach them about good health and good nutrition," said Katie Bouchillon, Body Walk coordinator with the extension service. "Most of the rooms emphasize good food choices. Our tagline is 'Be smart from the inside out.'

"When you reach kids this little, you teach them that they can make good choices."

The extension service takes the Body Walk exhibit to schools around the state, visiting about two counties per week from September through May, Bouchillon said. Schools can request it by calling their local extension agent.

Lawndale Principal Terry Harbin requested the exhibit at the school because it ties in well with fifth-grade students studying body systems in their science class.

"I thought this would give them a real-life experience to see," he said.

Third-grader Kendall Shoemaker, 8, enjoyed seeing lungs and sitting on a tooth.

"I learned that you should not smoke or you can get sick," she said.

Classmate Annaka Shumpert's favorite part was the brain.

"It was teaching me how to protect my brain and not hurt it by wearing a helmet and doing good things like studying and reading," she said.

Gregory said that many students would also write about what they saw.

"Because of the hands-on activities, it will help with the state science and writing tests and just with their performance in the classroom and overall nutrition," she said.

Contact Chris Kieffer at (662) 678-1590 or chris.kieffer@journalinc.com.