Exploring the Five Senses

Lesson Duration

30 minutes

Year Level

Year 1

Curriculum Alignment

Australian Curriculum: Science (Year 1)
Strand: Science Understanding – Biological Sciences
Content Descriptor:
• "Living things have a variety of external features" (ACSSU017)
• "Living things use their senses to survive and meet their needs"
Elaboration: Identifying the five senses and exploring how these mechanisms help humans explore and understand the world around them.

---

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Identify the five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell).
2. Match each sense to its respective body part.
3. Discuss how we use the five senses to discover the environment around us.
4. Engage in hands-on activities to consolidate their understanding.

---

Materials Needed

1. Printed worksheets on the five senses (one per student).
2. Objects for sensory exploration stations:
   • Visual: Colourful pictures, a magnifying glass.
   • Hearing: Noise-making items (e.g., bells, clapping, shakers).
   • Touch: Smooth stone, cotton ball, sandpaper.
   • Taste: Pretend plastic food models OR discussion on favourite foods.
   • Smell: Small aromatic objects (vanilla, flowers, lemon peel).
3. Whiteboard and markers.
4. Crayons or coloured pencils.

---

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (5 Minutes)

• Hook: Begin with a quick "mystery sense" game! Present students with simple puzzles like:
  "If I close my eyes, I can no longer use this sense... What is it?" (Sight)
  Collect guesses to spark curiosity about the five senses.
• Create excitement: "Today, we’re going to explore how we use our super senses to experience the world around us!"
• Write the five senses on the board as you briefly name them:
  • Eyes for sight
  • Ears for hearing
  • Hands/skin for touch
  • Tongue for taste
  • Nose for smell

---

2. Learning Activity: Senses Exploration Stations (10 Minutes)

Divide the class into five small groups (3-4 students each) and rotate them through sensory stations for hands-on exploration:

1. Sight Station:
   Students identify colours, shapes, and objects through a magnifying glass.

2. Hearing Station:
   Students explore sound by shaking bells or clapping and describing loud vs quiet sounds.

3. Touch Station:
   Students describe the texture of items (rough, soft, hard).

4. Taste Station (Discussion):
   Students discuss their favourite flavours (e.g., sweet, sour, salty). Note: No real food for safety compliance.

5. Smell Station:
   Smell items in sealed containers and identify scents (e.g., flower, lemon, vanilla).

Rotate every 2 minutes. Use a calm bell sound to signal transitions.

---

3. Worksheet Activity (10 Minutes)

• Distribute The Five Senses Worksheet:

  1. Match each sense to its body part with a line (e.g., draw a line from "hearing" to an ear).
  2. Use crayons to colour a picture of each body part.
  3. Bonus challenge: Draw something they sense every day (e.g., a rainbow you see, a dog you hear).

• While students work, walk around to facilitate and ask questions like:

  • "What’s a sound you hear at school every day?"
  • "Which sense do you use to feel fluffy things?"

---

4. Wrap Up (5 Minutes)

• Interactive Discussion:

  • Bring the class together to review: "What did we learn about senses today?"
  • Ask each group to share their favourite “sense activity” from the stations.

• Extension Question:

  • "Why do you think senses are important for people and animals? How do they help us?"

• Praise participation, and remind students to observe their senses as they explore the world today!

---

Worksheet: The Five Senses

Instructions: Complete the activities below.

1. Match the sense to the body part
   Draw a line to connect the word to the body part:

   • Eyes ➡️ ________ (Sight)
   • Ears ➡️ ________ (Hearing)
   • Skin/Hands ➡️ ________ (Touch)
   • Nose ➡️ ________ (Smell)
   • Mouth (Tongue) ➡️ ________ (Taste)

2. Colouring Activity
   Colour the pictures below:

   • An eye
   • An ear
   • A nose
   • A tongue
   • A hand

3. Draw Something You Sense
   Draw and label something you see, hear, smell, touch, or taste!

---

Differentiation

• For advanced learners: Include questions like: "Can you name an animal that uses its senses differently than humans?"
• For learners needing support: Use picture-based prompts to assist with matching body parts to senses.

---

Assessment

• Observe students’ engagement during sensory station activities.
• Review their completed worksheets for understanding of the five senses.
• Ask individual questions during the lesson to check for comprehension.

---

Reflection for Teacher

• Did students actively participate and engage in the hands-on activities?
• Were the sensory stations effectively managed within time limits?
• Did the worksheet provide appropriate challenge to consolidate learning?

End the lesson with enthusiasm: "You all did an amazing job exploring your super senses today!"