Exploring the five senses

Introduction

Guiding Question: 

How do our five senses help us explore and learn about the world around us? 

We use our five senses every day to learn about the things around us. We use our eyes to see, our ears to hear, our nose to smell, our tongue to taste, and our hands to touch. In this WebQuest, students will become little explorers and learn how their five senses help them discover new things. Students will work with their classmates to explore each sense and create a simple project to share what they learned. 

Learning Objectives: 

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

  • Name the five senses. 
  • Identify the body parts we use for each sense. 
  • Describe how they use their senses in everyday activities. 
  • Work with classmates to complete a group activity. 

Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards:

Children use their senses to explore and learn about their environment. They recognize and describe information they gather through seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching.

Bloom’s Taxonomy: 

Students will: 

  • Remember: Name the five senses. 
  • Understand: Explain what each sense helps us do. 
  • Apply: Use their senses to explore objects around them. 
  • Create: Work with classmates to create a project about the five senses. 

 

Task

Students will work in small groups to become Five Senses Explorers. Each group will explore one of the five senses with support from their teacher through fun, hands-on activities and classroom discussions.

The group activity will include:

  • Exploring one of the five senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch).
  • Identifying the body part used for that sense.
  • Looking at or interacting with different objects related to that sense.
  • Talking about what they notice and sharing their ideas with their classmates.

After completing the activities, students will make a simple drawing of something they explored using their assigned sense. The teacher will help students label their drawings and display them on the classroom bulletin board so everyone can see what they learned about the five senses.

Process

  1. The teacher will introduce the five senses by reading a short book and asking students questions about how they use their senses every day.
  2. Students will watch a short video about the five senses.

      3. Students will work in small groups to explore one of the five senses. They will look at pictures, listen to sounds, touch different textures, smell safe classroom items, or taste a small snack with teacher and parent permission.

      4. Each student will have a simple job. One student will help pass out materials, one will help clean up, one will share what the group learned, and one will draw a picture of their favorite activity.

     5. The teacher will post pictures of the activities on ClassDojo so families can see what the students did. Student's drawings will also be displayed on the classroom bulletin board.

     Resources

Evaluation

Students will be evaluated based on their participation, effort, and understanding of the five senses during the activities. 

Students will be successful if they can:

  • Identify the sense they explored.
  • Identify what body part is used for that sense.
  • Share something they like about the activity.
  • Participate and work with their classmates.

Simple Rubric:

4 - Meets Expectations: Student participates, identifies their senses, and shares ideas with the group.

3 - Developing: Student understands most of the activity and participates with some help.

2 - Needs Support: Student needs reminders and extra help to participate.

1 - Beginning: Student needs significant support to complete the activity.

Conclusion

Great job, explorers! You learned that our five senses help us understand and discover the world around us. We use our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, and hands every day to learn new things.

For an extra activity, students can complete a Five Senses Scavenger Hunt. Students can look around their classroom or home and find something they can see, hear, smell, taste, or touch.

Enrichment Activity:
https://www.pbs.org/parents

Credits

The following resources were used to create this WebQuest:

 


 

Teacher Page

Grade Level: Preschool (Ages 3–4)

Subject: Science

Lesson Time: About 30–40 minutes

Objective: Students will learn about the five senses through simple hands-on activities. They will explore sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch while working together in small groups.

Materials Needed:

  • A book about the five senses
  • Pictures or real objects for each sense
  • Different textured materials
  • Safe items to smell
  • A small snack for tasting (with parent permission)
  • Paper, crayons, and pencils

Teacher Notes:
Guide students through each activity and encourage them to talk about what they observe. Help students work together, ask questions, and support them as they complete the activities. Share photos on ClassDojo and display student's drawings on the classroom bulletin board.