Exploring Through Senses

Lesson Objective

Students will use adjectives to describe what could have been touched and smelt during the Great Fire of London (GFoL), using their prior understanding of sensory experiences to write descriptive sentences. This links to the Year 1 History curriculum, specifically building familiarity with historical events such as the GFoL, while also developing literacy skills. Links to the National Curriculum for English: Students will use expanded vocabulary (adjectives) to create simple descriptive sentences.

Adaptation Focus: Inclusive practices to support students with autism, including structured and predictable activities, visual aids, and sensory-friendly approaches.

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Lesson Structure

1. Starter Activity – Sensory Warm-Up (10 minutes)

Objective: Recalling sensory information (touch and smell) with a focus on GFoL.

1. Recap:

   • Start by revisiting the previous week's lesson. Use a soft, rhythmic clapping pattern to grab the students’ attention, ensuring a welcoming start.
   • Ask: “What did we SEE and HEAR during the fire last week?” Guide responses back to adjectives they used (e.g., “bright flames,” “crackling wood”).

2. Sensory Focus - Touch & Smell:

   • Place visual picture prompts around the board showing scenes from the GFoL (e.g., people holding singed belongings, buckets of water, smoke in the air, bread baking in ovens). Allow students to briefly point to what stands out.
   • Use a “feely bag” (adaptation for tactile learners) featuring safe, everyday items to explore senses of touch and smell: (e.g., a rough pumice stone, charred wood chips, burnt toast, a soft towel). Let students pass these around to describe textures (rough, smooth, scratchy, hot).
   • Facilitate with prompt questions: “How do you think the fire felt on people’s skin?” “What smells might have filled the air?”

Scaffold:

• For students needing extra support, provide a ‘Help Card’ with choices (e.g., “The fire felt: 1. Rough 2. Hot 3. Soft”).

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2. Main Activity – Sentence Writing (25 minutes)

Objective: Construct sentences using adjectives to describe touch and smell during the GFoL.

1. Introduce Word Mats (5 minutes):
   • Hand out two word mats:
     • Adjectives Word Mat: A revised version of last week’s adjectives mat, now including descriptive words for touch and smell (e.g., “bitter,” “fiery,” “dusty,” “sour”).
     • GFoL-Specific Word Mat: A topic-specific display (e.g., "ashes," "burnt wood," "smoke," "firefighters").
   • Display the word mats on the board to reinforce understanding.

Adaptation: Colour-code the mats: one for senses, one for topic-specific vocabulary. Visual learners will benefit from keywords paired with symbols (e.g., a wavy line next to “smoky,” a fire icon next to “fiery”).

2. Model Sentence Writing (5 minutes):

   • Teacher-led example: Write out a sentence on the board using both word mats to show the process. Use think-aloud strategies:
     • Touch: “The fire felt … let’s look at our adjectives… Oh! Here’s a good one, ‘hot’. I’ll write: The fire felt hot and rough.”
     • Smell: “The air smelled… hmm, smoky and bitter! I’ll write that too.”
   • Repeat once more with student contributions: “What adjectives shall we pick together for this sentence?”

3. Independent Writing (15 minutes):

   • On mini-whiteboards, students independently write either 1-2 sentences about what could have been touched or smelt during the GFoL. Encourage use of capital letters and full stops.
   • Struggling writers receive a sentence starter sheet (e.g., “The air was ____. It smelled like ____.”)

Extension: Confident writers can add a third sentence focusing on feelings and emotions tied to touch or smell (e.g., “The burning wood smelled terrible and made me feel sick.”).

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3. Plenary – Sharing and Reflecting (10 minutes)

Objective: Reinforce learning by reviewing sentences and reflecting on their sensory descriptions.

1. Sharing Time:

   • Use an interactive method: Allow students to walk around with their whiteboards and pair up to read their sentences aloud to a partner.
   • Bring the group back together, and ask for 2-3 volunteers to share a sentence with the entire class.

2. Reflective Questions:

   • “What was the most interesting thing you learned about touch or smell during the fire?”
   • “Can anyone tell me their favourite adjective they used today?”

3. Celebrate Achievements:

   • Praise everyone for having a go! Use specific reinforcement: “I loved how James used the adjective ‘scratchy’ to describe burnt wood – that was fantastic!”

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Resources Needed

1. Visual picture prompts of GFoL (images of fire, smoke, people, etc.).
2. Adjectives Word Mat (tailored for touch and smell).
3. Fire-Specific Word Mat (topic vocabulary).
4. Feely Bag (e.g., rough stone, towel, burnt toast).
5. Mini-whiteboards and pens.
6. Sentence starter sheets (for scaffolding).

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Assessment Opportunities

• Observe students during the feely bag activity: Do they verbally describe textures and smells accurately, with support from prompts?
• Monitor engagement and accuracy during the independent writing task: Are students selecting suitable adjectives? Are sentences grammatically correct?
• Use sharing time as an opportunity for peer-to-peer feedback and to assess clarity of expression in written sentences.

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Differentiation and Adaptations

• For students requiring extra support: Provide sentence starters, limited adjective choices, or one-to-one assistance during writing.
• For more confident students: Challenge them to include feelings/emotions in their sentences or write an extended paragraph.
• Sensory considerations: Ensure the sensory materials are not overwhelming (e.g., monitor strong smells). Offer breaks if needed.
• Visual aids: Keep picture prompts and mats visible throughout the lesson for continuous support.

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Evaluation

• Were students able to construct sentences using adjectives from both topic-specific and sensory word mats?
• Did all students engage in the feely and sharing activities? Have they demonstrated a deeper understanding of the GFoL through the senses of touch and smell?
• Listen to feedback from the group about what they enjoyed.

Follow-up: Next week, the lesson could explore "What did people feel emotionally during the fire?" emphasising empathy through historical events.