Science Concept(s):

There are five senses that humans have. These five senses are touch, taste, sight, smell, and hearing. These senses make it possible for people to interact with others and get around in their daily lives.

Science Process Skills:

The science process skills are communicating and observing.

Methodology:

Guided discovery. The teacher will guide the students along as they do the various activities.

Objectives:

The learner will identify and observe the objects in mystery boxes by using touch only.

The learner will identify and observe what various pieces of food are by using taste only.

The learner will identify his or her surroundings, after being blindfolded and walked around the classroom.

The learner will identify and observe the various smells of each object by using smell only.

The learner will identify and observe various sounds made by the teacher using hearing only.

The learner will communicate with a partner his or her observations about each of the five senses activities.

Materials:

1. mystery boxes

2. objects in mystery boxes

3. lemons

4. oranges

5. apples

6. blindfolds

7. cherry lotion

8. peach gel

9. grape soap

10. heartbeat sound box

11. maracas

12. worksheet on observations

Procedure:

1. Introduction: The teacher will start the lesson by asking the students if they have ever heard of the five senses. If they say yes, ask what they know about them. If they say no, then say, ” Well today we are going to find out what the five senses are!”

2. Body: The lesson will start off by having the children do an activity. The children will be divided into groups of two. After the children are divided, the teacher will explain that the first sense is called touch. The teacher will explain the mystery box activity. The teacher will then pass out one mystery box for each group. The children will then be told to put their hands into the box and try to observe and guess what the item could be. To check to see if they are right, the children can look on the bottom of the mystery box. The name of the item that is in the box will be written on the bottom. The children may discuss the activity with one another.

3. After activity one, the teacher will move on to activity two. The next sense is called taste. The children will stay in divided groups. The teacher will explain the activity to the children. The children will put on their blindfolds. The children will each get a slice of lemon, an orange, or an apple. The children will put the food in their mouths and try to guess what the food item could be. After each child has tasted a food item, they make take off the blindfolds. The teacher will go around the room to see if the children knew what they were tasting. The children may discuss the activity with one another.

4. After activity two, the teacher will move on to activity three. The next sense is called sight. The
children will remain in their groups. The teacher will explain the activity to the children. The teacher will go by and number each child in each groups by either a one or a two. The teacher will tell person one to put a blindfold on person two. After person two is blindfolded, person one is to lead person two around as if he or she were blind. Have person two feel one item in the classroom. Be sure not to bump them into objects. After two minutes, stop where you are. Person one must take off person two’s blindfold. After that, person two must tell person one about the item he or she touched to see if it was right. After the is finished, person one and person two will trade places and do the activity again. The children may discuss the activity with one another.

5. After activity three, move on to activity four. The next sense is called smell. The children will stay
in their divided groups. The teacher will explain the activity. The children will be blindfolded.

The teacher will go around and have the children smell cherry lotion, grape soap, and peach gel.

Tell the children to keep the answer to each item a secret until she says they may answer. After
everyone has a chance to smell the items, the teacher will ask what the items were. The children may discuss the activity with one another.

6. After activity four, move on to activity five. The next sense is called hearing. The children will
break out of their groups and come into a whole group. The teacher will explain the activity. The children will be blindfolded. The teacher will play a heartbeat sound. The children will listen.

Next, the teacher will shake a maraca. The children will listen. Lastly, the teacher will clap her hands. The children will listen. After all of the sounds are listened to, the children will tell the teacher about the sounds they heard.

7. Closure: The teacher will then pass out a worksheet. The children are to list at least three things about each sense. They can write things that were learner in each activity.

8. After the worksheet, the teacher will explain the five senses in more depth.

Evaluation:

The children will be evaluated by their participation in the activity and the completion of the observation worksheet.

Participation- 50 points

Observation worksheet- 50 points

Source:

Acebo, Yamina. Guess What? May 1997. http://www.eecs.umich.edu/mathscience/funexperiments/agesubject/lessons/guesswhat.html

I adapted this lesson by using it as a stepping-stone. I liked the idea of the mystery boxes, however, I did not like the idea of using them to teach mass. I found it confusing for children to understand. I decided to make this lesson about the five senses and make up activities to go along with each sense. After I got
done making up my activity, it was very different than in the beginning. The idea of the mystery box sparked an idea for me to do the five senses.

Self-Evaluation:

I had a fun time doing this activity for the 5th grade class at Lincoln Elementary School. The children were very cooperative and seemed to enjoy my lesson.

I started the lesson off okay. I told the children that there were five senses and that we were going to learn about them. The first sense I taught was the sense of touch. After I handed out the boxes, I noticed that I forgot to explain what they were supposed to do. I remember in class Dr Thomas told us that we are supposed to explain how to do the activity before we pass out the items. However, the children did not mess with the boxes until I told them to. I was so happy. I guess I got really lucky.

After that, I learned from my mistake. I explained all the activities before I gave them the items. They seemed to respond to me better after I did that.

All in all, I think I did well for my first time to teach children. I was scared at first, but as time went on I knew why I had decided to be a teacher.

_______________________________________________________

Observations for the five senses

Name:_______________ Date: _____________________

Directions: List three observations for each of the five senses. Try to remember what we did in each activity.

Touch

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Taste

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

Sight

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

Smell

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

Hearing

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________

E-Mail

Amber (Shelkett) Mallow

!