Culture Through Senses

Learning Objectives

By the end of this 60-minute lesson, students will be able to:

• Understand and identify the five senses and how they relate to sensory imagery in poetry.
• Reflect on their own cultural backgrounds and identify specific cultural elements linked to each sense.
• Compose a short poem using sensory imagery to express aspects of their cultural identity.
• Share their poem with peers and reflect on how sensory details bring their culture to life through words.

Linked Curriculum References:

• English programmes of study: Writing – Composition (KS2): Develop positive attitudes towards and stamina for writing by writing poetry (including narrative poetry).
• English programmes of study: Reading – Comprehension (KS2): Develop understanding of figurative language, including imagery.
• PSHE (Personal, Social, Health and Economic education): Understanding self and cultural identity.
• National Curriculum – English Appendix 2: Vocabulary, grammar and punctuation – use of imagery and descriptive language.

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Introduction (10 minutes)

Hook: "The Senses Around Me"

• Greet the class and briefly introduce today’s theme: My Culture Through My Senses. Explain that poetry can help us share how our culture feels, looks, sounds, tastes, and smells through the five senses.
• Quick interactive warm-up: Ask students to close their eyes for 30 seconds and think about one thing they associate strongly with their culture (could be food, a festival, a place, a tradition).
• Invite 3-4 volunteers to briefly share what came to mind - note how diverse and unique everyone’s culture is, showing value in every story.

Explain Sensory Imagery

• Briefly recap the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch.
• Share a simple example poem or stanza (created for the lesson) that uses sensory words about a cultural festival or family tradition. E.g., mention vivid smells, sounds, colours.
• Highlight the sensory words and ask students what senses they notice in the poem. Write these under headings on the board.

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Guided Activities (20 minutes)

1. Explore the Senses & Culture Chart (10 mins)

• Distribute a handout titled My Culture Through My Senses Chart (or write the table on the board/projector):

Sense	What I Experience in My Culture… (Examples to prompt)
Sight	Colours, clothes, decorations, traditional dress
Sound	Music, language, celebrations, traditional instruments
Smell	Foods, spices, flowers, incense
Taste	Favourite meals, traditional sweets, drinks
Touch	Fabrics, crafts, weather, handmade objects

• Model filling in your own example based on your cultural background or a universal example.
• Ask pupils to fill in their own chart independently, writing down sensory details linked to their culture or family traditions.
• Circulate to prompt elaboration with questions such as “What colour do you see most often during celebrations?”, “Is there a particular sound you associate with your culture?”

2. Pair Share and Discussion (5 mins)

• Pupils share their charts with a partner, highlight one or two sensory details they find interesting or unique.
• Key questions to encourage:
  • How do these senses help you remember or feel connected to your culture?
  • Do you think others may have similar or very different sensory experiences?

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Poem Writing Exercise (20 minutes)

Structure & Technique Introduction (5 mins)

• Explain a simple poem structure suitable for Year 5: a sensory poem with 5 lines, each line representing one sense. Example format:

  • Line 1: Something I see in my culture
  • Line 2: Something I hear
  • Line 3: Something I smell
  • Line 4: Something I taste
  • Line 5: Something I feel (touch or emotion)

• Encourage using vivid, descriptive language, including adjectives and strong verbs to create imagery.

• Remind students to refer to their completed charts for inspiration.

Independent Writing (15 mins)

• Pupils write their own My Culture Through My Senses poem in their books or on paper.
• Teachers encourage sensory details, showing proofreading and editing as part of writing process.
• Support pupils as needed with vocabulary suggestions or scaffolding sentence starters (e.g., “I smell…”, “The sound of…”, “I taste…”).

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Sharing and Reflection (10 minutes)

Sharing Poems (7 mins)

• Invite 5-6 volunteers to read their poems aloud to the class, encouraging loud, clear voice and expression.
• After each reading, quickly ask: What senses did the poet use? How did the poem help you imagine their culture?

Whole Class Reflection (3 mins)

• Discuss how using sensory imagery helped us understand and feel connected to someone else’s culture.
• Highlight the power of poetry to preserve and celebrate identity.
• Ask: How did writing about your senses help you think differently about your culture?

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Assessment and Differentiation

• Formative Assessment:
  • Observation of participation in discussions and pair-share.
  • Review of completed charts and poems for inclusion of sensory vocabulary and clear connection to culture.
• Differentiation:
  • Support provided through sentence starters and vocabulary banks for less confident writers.
  • Extension challenge: Write an additional stanza expanding on one sense in detail.
  • Encourage bilingual or multilingual expressions if relevant, respecting linguistic diversity.

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Resources Needed

• Whiteboard/interactive board
• Markers
• My Culture Through My Senses chart handouts or printed sheets
• Writing books or plain paper
• Example poem for sensory imagery demo

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Teacher Tips

• To deepen engagement, invite pupils to bring a small cultural object or photo for inspiration in future lessons.
• Link this poetry lesson to PSHE themes of identity, diversity, and community, embedding cultural respect and curiosity.
• Consider showcasing poems in a cultural celebration display or class book to foster pride and belonging.