Neuroscience For Kids
The Senses - Working Together
The Sense Chart
Grades K-2
This is a good project to start young children toward learning about their senses. Draw or make a chart with a picture of an eye, ear, nose, tongue and hand. Write down words or hold up pictures that "go" with each of the senses that are represented by the eye (vision), ear (audition), nose (olfaction), tongue (gustation) and hand (tactile sense). For example under the:
- Eye: light bulb, sun, flashlight
- Ear: piano, music
- Nose: garbage, skunk
- Tongue: ice cream, apple, hamburger
- Hand: glove, pencil, book
Of course, most of these items could go under a few of the categories, but that is part of the project. Our senses work together to tell us about the outside world.
Materials:
- Blackboard and chalk OR a poster chart
- A list of words or pictures to be placed under the appropriate catagories.
Food Party
For grades K-6
It is not often that you get to EAT your experiment, but here is your chance. If possible, bake a cake or a batch of cookies within smelling distance of the class. Popping popcorn is also a good idea. Have all the students describe the sounds, taste, smell, feel, sight of the food. Make a list of everything that was experienced by each of the senses. Of course eat the treats too and describe the texture of the food.
Materials:
- Food (cake mix, cookie mix, popcorn)
- Cooking appliance
- Bowls or plates to serve food
Sensory Stations
Grades K-3
Explore the 5 senses in different "stations" around the classroom. Set up tables with hands-on materials for kids to touch, smell, taste, hear and see. Some possible station items:
- Hearing: bells, drums, whistles, rice-filled containers, spoons to tap.
- Touch: sandpaper, playdough, clay, ice, finger paint
- Vision: microscope, magnifying glass, colored water, prism
- Olfaction: vanilla, perfume, chocolate, spices
- Taste: jellybeans, cookies, crackers, fruit slices, salty chips, dill pickles
Sensory Concentration Game
Grades K-12
Test your memory with this on-line
concentration game by locating the pictures of different sense organs
(ear, eye, nose, skin, tongue). The game requires that your browser is
"JAVA-enabled."
Sensory Sensory Pile On Game
Grades 3-12
Play "Sensory Pile On" by grouping words into touch, smell, taste, hearing and seeing piles.
Materials:
Mystery Objects
Grades 3-12
Put several objects inside of a box or can and close it. Pass the box around to each person who must draw a picture of what he or she thinks is inside. People can shake the box to listen to sounds and estimate its weight. Perhaps the smell of the object provides a clue to its identity. The only rule is that people cannot look inside the box.
After everyone has a turn, open the box see what was inside. Compare drawings and discuss how people made their decisions.
Materials:
- Box or can
- Mystery objects: Examples include an apple, tennis ball, small stuffed animal, rice, coins
Find an Experiment!
Grades 3-12
Goal: To learn something new and interesting about one of the five senses through an experiment of your choice.
- Choose a sense that you would like to learn more about: Sight, Hearing, Taste, Touch, Smell
- Search the website: http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chsense.html
- Find an experiment that you could do during the next class period that will help you to learn about the sense that you chose.
Guidelines for experiment:
- Location: The activity must be able to be performed in the classroom
- Materials: These should be found in the class or brought from home
- Time: The activity must be done within one class period
- Be ready to share the experiment with classmates
- Have fun!
Turn In: Write a summary on a separate sheet of paper that includes the following:
- Name and date
- Sense that you chose
- Description of activity
- If the teacher requests: Question, Hypothesis, Results, Conclusion
- A paragraph (3-5 sentences) which describes what you learned and what you could do to find out more.
("Find an Experiment" was developed by Randy Lehnen, middle school science teacher)
Copyright © 1996-2006, Eric H. Chudler All Rights Reserved.
