Lesson Overview: In this lesson, students will be introduced to each of the five senses (smell, sight, sound, taste, and touch) through the identification of the body part that controls each. Concepts will be solidified through a sensory walk in which students will use each of their five senses.

Recommended Grade Level(s): Pre-K, Kindergarten, First, Second

Objective(s): Students will be able to...

  1. Identify each of the five senses.

Materials: 

  • 1 large (drawn or cut out) picture of a body
  • 1 set of body parts (to be added to the body)--ears, eyes, nose, mouth
  • 1 (per child) small bag of trail mix (popcorn, Cheerios, dried fruit, etc.)

Anticipatory Set: 

With students gathered together, begin the lesson by stating the objective. Tell students that our body uses certain body parts to sense things and gather information about the world around us. Our senses keep us safe life when we smell something burning and they help us enjoy life like when we are eating birthday cake. Ask students if they can name the five senses. Write answers down as given. Show students the outline of the body (include the hands and hair, but leave off the ears, eyes, nose, and mouth). Ask students what the person would be able to find out about the classroom if they were to visit today. Students should recognize that the person would only be able to feel things.

Guided Practice: 

Ask students what body part the person would use to hear, smell, taste, see, and touch (students should be told that we feel with all of our skin not just our hands). As students name each body part, call on students to tape that part on the person. Draw lines from the words previously written (senses) to indicate which body parts are responsible for each. Remind students that those words represent the five senses, which are how we experience our environment.

Independent Practice: 

Tell students that they are going to go for a sensory walk. They will use their five senses to experience the outside world around them. Take a small bag of trail mix for each child to enjoy as part of the activity. Prepare students by telling them that at different points on the walk, you will clap your hands (try for every 5 minutes). At that moment, students will tell a buddy what they are hearing, smelling, feeling, tasting, or seeing.

Closure: 

After the walk, gather students together. Ask students to share what they saw, heard, tasted, smelled, and felt. Write the answers on chart paper (have five labeled columns with simple visuals for each, as needed). Prompt students to notice that even though they were all in the same place at the same time, some of the answers are different (our senses are unique to each of us).

Give students examples and ask them to verbalize (and point to) which sense would be used. Tell them to refer to the body on the board if they need assistance.

Examples: 

  1. I am eating cake.
  2. I am picking flowers.
  3. I am reading.
  4. I am swimming.
  5. I am turning the radio louder.

Assessment: 

Students will be assessed according to their ability to:

  1. Identify each of the five senses.