The students will listen to stories about the five senses. They will also explore objects using their senses, as well as discuss the use of their senses with their friends.

Students will:

1. Be able to compare and contrast which sense(s) they use for each object.
2. Name which body part corresponds to a sense.
3. Draw/record how each sense can be used.
4. Share their discoveries with their families.
5. Make a Five Senses Journal about their senses.
6. Create a sense mask.

Directions

Day 1: Using chart paper, introduce the vocabulary and pictures for the lesson: ears, eyes, nose, tongue, fingers, body part, sight/seeing, hearing, smell/smelling, taste/tasting, touch/touching. Be sure to have children point to their body parts as you go. Next, teach the children the following "Senses Chant/Movement" song to the tune of "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes."

See (point to eyes)
Hear (point to ears)
Smell (point to nose)
Taste (point to tongue)
And Touch (wiggle fingers in the air)

See (point to eyes)
Hear (point to ears)
Smell (point to nose)
Taste (point to tongue)
And Touch (wiggle fingers in the air)

We use our eyes (point to eyes),
ears (point to ears),
nose (point to nose),
tongue (point to tongue),
and our fingers (wiggle fingers in the air)

To

See (point to eyes)
Hear (point to ears)
Smell (point to nose)
Taste (point to tongue)
And Touch (wiggle fingers in the air)

To close the lesson for the day, select a book on the senses to read with the children. I like to read My Five Senses by Aliki Brandenberg. It is a five book series about children who follow a young boy as he tells of all the things he can do with his five senses.

Day 2: Select a book to read about "smell" with the students. I like to read the book Smell from the series called The Five Senses by José María Parramón.

Ask the children, "Which body part do we use to smell?" Brainstorm with the children the things they can smell and chart. Post chart paper. Begin Smell Activity. Have the children work in groups of four to explore the smells in the containers. Children can record the things they can smell by drawing and writing (at whatever level they may be at) in their Five Senses Journal. Encourage children to also include items not used in their exploration. They can include items they generated in the discussion. After a while, gather the children together in a circle and have each share one item they drew or wrote about that he/she can smell.

Day 3: Select a book to read about "taste" with the students. I like to read the book Taste from the series called The Five Senses by José María Parramón.

Ask the children, "Which body part do we use to taste?" Brainstorm with the children the things they can taste and chart. Introduce new vocabulary (salty, sour, sweet) by having them demonstrate what kind of face they would make if they tasted something salty, sour, or sweet. Write on chart paper. Post chart paper. Begin the Taste Activity. Have the children work in groups of four to explore the sense of taste with salty (pretzel), sour (lemon) and sweet (chocolate). You may also want to add some "mild" salsa for the spicy taste. Children can record the things they can taste by drawing and writing (at whatever level they may be) in their Five Senses Journal. Encourage children to also include items not used in their exploration. They can include items they generated in the discussion. After a while, gather the children together in a circle and have each share one item they drew or wrote about that he/she can taste.

Day 4: Select a book to read about "hearing" with the students. I like to read the book Hearing from the series called The Five Senses by José María Parramón.

Ask the children, "Which body part do we use to hear?" Brainstorm with the children the things they can hear and chart. Play the teacher-made CD of various sounds. Encourage children to guess what sound they hear. Children can record the things they can hear by drawing and writing (at whatever level they may be) in their Five Senses Journal. Encourage children to also include items not used in their exploration. They can include items they generated in the discussion. After a while, gather the children together in a circle and have each share one item they drew or wrote about that he/she can hear.

Day 5: Select a book to read about "touch" with the students. I like to read the book Touch from the series called The Five Senses by José María Parramón.

Ask the children, "Which body part do we use to touch?" Encourage the children to name all the body parts that we use to touch (fingers, cheeks, toes, elbows, etc). Let the children know that their skin is the largest sense organ we have. Brainstorm with the children the things they can touch and chart how they feel (hard, soft, cold, bumpy, etc). These are good descriptive words for young authors. Post chart paper. Begin the Touch Activity. Have the children work in groups of four to explore the sense of touch. Children can record how the things feel by drawing and writing (at whatever level they may be at) in their Five Senses Journal. Post chart paper. Encourage children to also include items not used in their exploration. They can include items they generated in the discussion. After a while, gather the children together in a circle and have each share one item they drew or wrote about that he/she can touch.

Day 6: Select a book to read about "sight" with the students. I like to read the book Sight from the series called The Five Senses by José María Parramón.

Ask the children, "Which body part do we use to see?" Play "I Spy" with the children. For example, say, "I spy with my little eye something that is red, white and blue." Let the child who guesses correctly go next. Chart the things they see. Children can record the things they can hear by drawing and writing (at whatever level they may be at) in their Five Senses Journal. Post chart paper. Encourage children to also include items not used in their exploration. They can include items they generated in the discussion. After a while, gather the children together in a circle and have each share one item they drew or wrote about that he/she can see.

Day 7

Step 1: Select a good book to review the senses and read it with the children. I like to read Sense Suspense by Bruce McMillan. It's a fun way to review and assess sense awareness. Tell the children that they are going to make sense masks. Pass out masks for the children to color, cut and wear (see specific directions on Five-Senses Mask reproducible, pages 49-53). You will need to cut the slits for the nose and eyes with an exacto knife. You should cut a small slit in the mouth so the children can breathe easier.

Step 2: When all the children are wearing their masks, pair them with partners. Demonstrate with one of the children how they can ask questions about their senses with their partner. For example, "What part of your body do you use to taste?" or "What do you use your ears for?" Have the children question each other about their senses.

Step 3: Gather the children together in a circle and collect their masks. Go around in a circle and have children share about one body part you have been discussing (eyes, nose, tongue, ears, fingers or skin) and for which sense it is used. Model an example, "I use my nose to smell."

Step 4: Close by singing the "Senses Chant/Movement" once again.

Supporting All Learners

Allow emerging writers to write their own sentences in their Five Senses Journal, while taking dictation for others. Some children may not have developed fine motor skills, so you may need to cut their masks for them. For Spanish speaking students, Sense Suspense is written in both English and Spanish with a written pronunciation. My Five Senses is available in Spanish (Mis Cinco Sentidos). The Five Senses is available in Spanish (Los Cinco Sentidos).

Lesson Extensions

1. Encourage higher level thinking by asking students to evaluate whether or not they like what they smell, taste, hear, touch, or see in their journal.
2. Take a walking field trip around the neighborhood. Provide each child with a small clipboard, recording sheet (see printable) and a pencil. Have the children record one thing for each sense that they use.
3. Add an element of mystery to the Smell, Taste, and Touch Activities by not allowing the students to see the items (closing their eyes for the Taste Activity). Put the items in a paper bag and ask the students to tell/record what they smell, taste, and/or feel.

Home Connection

Ask the children to find things they can use their five senses with at home. Have them use the Five Senses Recording Sheet with their family (see printable).

Assignments

1. Complete My Five Senses Journal
2. Color and cut a Sense Mask

Evaluation

1. Were children able to work in groups and with a partner cooperatively?
2. Did I present the stories in an engaging way and allow for child interaction?
3. Was there enough time for all students to be successful?
4. How might I do this lesson differently next time?