Sensory Exploration Fun

Overview

In this 45-minute lesson, Year 2 students in New Zealand will explore and use their five senses to describe a variety of classroom objects. This is Lesson 1 of 10 for the unit "Descriptive Adventures Ahead." The goal is for students to articulate detailed sensory observations, enhancing their descriptive language skills aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum.

WALT (We Are Learning To)

• Use our five senses to explore and describe objects.
• Articulate sensory details using specific descriptive language.

Success Criteria

• I can identify and name the five senses.
• I can describe objects using words related to touch, smell, sight, sound, and taste.
• I use descriptive words to share my observations.
• I listen respectfully to others' descriptions and add my ideas politely.

Curriculum Links

• English achievement objectives - Year 2:
  • Speaking, writing, and presenting: Share ideas, experiences, and feelings clearly, using an increasing range of vocabulary and sentence structures, including descriptive language to express sensory experiences.
  • Vocabulary: Use precise vocabulary related to sensory attributes and physical sensations relevant to the topic and audience.
• Literacy key competencies:
  • Thinking: Developing descriptive language by observing and classifying sensory experiences.
  • Relating to others: Listening and responding appropriately during group sharing tasks.
• Teaching considerations:
  • Scaffold vocabulary explicitly with visual aids and sentence stems.
  • Use inclusive teaching strategies that welcome diverse learners, including dyslexia-friendly reading selections and language supports.

Materials

• Collection of safe, everyday objects with varied sensory properties (e.g., soft fabric, lemon slice, bell, textured sponge, vanilla essence).
• Picture cards illustrating the five senses.
• Descriptive word bank with sensory adjectives (e.g., rough, sweet, loud, smooth, bright).
• Visual sentence stems (e.g., "I hear...", "I see...", "It feels...", "I smell...").
• Dyslexia-friendly printouts of the sensory words with clear fonts and spacing.
• Large sensory chart for class visuals.

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Engage: Begin with a short class discussion: "What are our five senses?" Use picture cards to visually introduce each sense.
• Activate prior knowledge: Ask students to share quick examples for each sense.
• Set purpose: Explain that today we will use our senses to explore different objects and describe what we find.
• WALT and success criteria displayed visually and read aloud.

2. Sensory Exploration Activity (20 minutes)

• Divide students into pairs or trios, providing each group with a variety of sensory objects.
• Guided exploration: Students take turns exploring each object using different senses (one sense per turn).
• Teacher scaffolding: Circulate, modelling use of descriptive words and sentence stems. E.g., "The lemon smells sour and fresh," or "The fabric feels soft and smooth."
• Recording: Students partner-write or draw simple sensory words/pictures in a shared notebook or whiteboard.
• Sentence stems support for early writers and ELL students.
• Support options:
  • For students needing extra help, provide one-to-one support or use tactile and visual aids.
  • For advanced learners, encourage the use of more complex descriptive language and multi-sensory sentences.

3. Sharing and Discussion (10 minutes)

• Whole class circle time: Partners share an object and describe it using sensory words.
• Use sentence stems to guide speaking and listening.
• Encourage respectful listening and questions from peers, reinforcing metacognitive strategies such as self-reflection ("How did I use my senses?").
• Gather several examples and write a group sensory description on the board.

4. Reflection and Extension (5 minutes)

• Reflection prompt: "Which sense did you like using the most today? Why?"
• Extension task for advanced learners: Write a short descriptive sentence or draw a picture incorporating multiple senses.
• Dyslexia-friendly option: Provide a word mat with sensory vocabulary and pictures for independent reference.

Differentiation Strategies

• Visual and tactile supports for learners with special needs.
• Sentence stems and word banks for English language learners and reluctant writers.
• Alternative communication options including NZ Sign Language signs for senses.
• Pairing stronger readers/writers with peers for peer modelling.
• Provide rich oral description opportunities for students who find writing challenging.

Assessment

• Formative assessment through observation: Monitor students’ use of sensory vocabulary and sentence structures during activities.
• Check students' ability to express sensory observations clearly.
• Use questioning during the sharing session to assess understanding of senses and descriptive language.
• Collect written/drawn contributions for evidence of descriptive language use.

This lesson plan models effective, inclusive, and engaging teaching strategies consistent with the New Zealand Curriculum’s guidance for Year 2 English learning, emphasising vocabulary development, oral language, and descriptive writing skills through experiential learning with sensory exploration【4:1,4:5,4:11†Te Mataiaho English Single Page.pdf】.