Human beings experience the world through their senses.
The Five senses
A. Seeing
B. Hearing
C. Tasting
D. Smelling
E. Feeling
How do we learn about the world around us?
1. Close your eyes. If I hold up pictures could you identify them without peeking? Could you identify with your eyes open?
2. Now will you please close your eyes and move around the room without running into anything. Was it hard to move around the room without running into things when you had your eyes closed?
A great deal of our learning is based on our ability to see what is happening around us. Therefore our eyes are very important to our learning. When you cannot see you are said to be blind. Point to the body part we are discussing and name other ways you can use your sight. (Make a chart and hang it in the room.)
1. Place earphones over the children's ears so they can experience life without hearing.
2. (Play an activity record and do not turn up the sound. Tell the children to follow directions as given by the record.)
Our hearing is also important for learning to take place. If a person cannot hear they will not learn to talk. When you cannot hear you are said to be deaf. Many deaf people use hearing aids and sign language in order to communicate. Point to the body part you use to hear. (Make a chart of the things you hear in school and hang it in the room.)
1. Show sugar and salt. Identify by sight. Then taste to confirm the observation.
2. Have a "tasting party" of snacks. Identify foods by taste only. Include foods such as fresh fruits, nuts, cheese, and vegetables. Include familiar foods as well as some foods that may be new to the children.
We use our tongues for tasting. Taste buds are located on our tongues and they help us to determine if foods are sweet or sour. Point to your tongue. Name other things that you can taste. Chart responses
1. Place different foods in small opaque containers with perforated lids. Have children identify foods by smell and then match the smell with a picture of the food, or the real food. Use chopped onions, lemon wedges, tuna, vanilla extract, etc.
2. Our sense of smell is something we might take for granted. Just imagine all of the wonderful smells we would miss if we did not have this special sense. Do you remember how good the kitchen smells when mother is baking a cake? Name other things you can smell in the room. Chart responses
1. Make a "feely box" or bag. Have students identify object by feeling.
2. Try to discriminate containers of warm and cold water without touching.
Our sense of touch sometimes helps to keep us from hurting ourselves. If we feel the heat from a stove, we will not touch it. If we start to feel cold we get a sweater or coat to keep us warm. Our sense of touch lets us enjoy petting a soft kitten or feel the cool water in a swimming pool on a hot, summer day. Point to your hands. Name some other things you could touch in the room. Make a chart and hang it in the room.
INSTRUCTION:
After discussing with the students each activity and what we learn from each, compare learning with and without senses. Explain that the senses are necessary for human beings to experience the world around them.
ACTIVE PARTICIPATION:
Have children list ways each sense is beneficial. Show pictures and have children respond with which sense is used.
CLOSURE:
Hearing, seeing, touching, smelling, and tasting are our senses. We use these senses to learn about the things around us. Tell your neighbor one of your senses and point to the body part you would use. Have children cut out pictures in magazines to put in each part of their individual book.