Scientific Organization and Sequencing
Unit 1: Properties of Objects
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Lesson 1: My Five Senses
Big Ideas of the Lesson
 The five senses are touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing.
 Children can learn about the world by using their senses.
 Properties are words that describe objects.
Abstract
This lesson introduces the concept of the five senses for discovering the world. Children build the
foundation for learning how to observe and describe physical characteristics and properties using
their five senses. A classroom library is created and children have numerous opportunities to explore
their world and describe objects based on physical properties.
Grade Level Context Expectation(s)
Children will:
 demonstrate the ability to sort objects according to observable attributes such as color, shape,
size, sinking, or floating (P.PM.01.11).
 plan and conduct simple investigations to observe and determine the properties of various objects
(S.IP.01.13).
Key Concept(s)
attribute/property
material/object
observable
Instructional Resources
Equipment/Manipulative
Bowl (1 large)
Bowls (1 per child)
Clipboards (1 per child)
Glue sticks (1 per child)
Magazines (1 per child)
Pencils (1 per child)
Popcorn
Popcorn popper (1 hot air)
Poster boards (5)
Scissors (1 per child)
Student Resource
Curton, Heather. Supplemental Materials (SC01010101.doc). Teacher-made materials. Waterford,
MI: Oakland Schools, 2008.
Hewitt, Sally. Amazing Materials. New York: Crabtree Publishing, 2008.
---. Hear This! New York: Crabtree Publishing, 2008.
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Unit 1: Properties of Objects
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---. Look Here! New York: Crabtree Publishing, 2008.
---. Smell It! New York: Crabtree Publishing, 2008.
---. Tastes Good! New York: Crabtree Publishing, 2008.
---. Touch That! New York: Crabtree Publishing, 2008.
Teacher Resource
Aliki. My Five Senses. New York: HarperCollins, 2000.
All About Me: My Senses. Eric Clearinghouse. 9 October 2008 <http://askeric.org/cgibin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Health/Body_Systems_and_Senses/BSS0001.html>.
The Art of Teaching: The Five Senses (Kindergarten). TeacherVision.Com. 2000-2002. The Learning
Network Inc. 9 October 2008 <http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-6209.html>.
The Five Senses. Chart. Columbus, OH: Frank Schaffer Publications, 1991.
Great Sites for Teaching About The Five Senses. 1996-2002. Education World, Inc. 9 October 2008
<http://www.education-world.com/a_sites/sites020.shtml>.
Hartley, Karen, Chris Macro, and Philip Taylor. Hearing in Living Things. Crystal Lake, IL: Heinemann
Books, 2000.
---. Seeing in Living Things. Crystal Lake, IL: Heinemann Books, 2000.
---. Smelling in Living Things. Crystal Lake, IL: Heinemann Books, 2000.
---. Tasting in Living Things. Crystal Lake, IL: Heinemann Books, 2000.
---. Touching in Living Things. Crystal Lake, IL: Heinemann Books, 2000.
Kessler, Dawn, and Claudia Douglass. First Grade Unit 1 Teacher Background (SC010100TB.doc).
Teacher-made material. Waterford, MI: Oakland Schools, 2008.
Marshall, James. Goldilocks & the Three Bears. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1998.
O’Brien-Palmer, Michelle. Sense-abilities: Fun Ways to Explore the Senses. Chicago: Chicago
Review Press, 1998.
SEDL: Five Senses. 2001. Southwest Educational Development Laboratory. 9 October 2008
<http://www.sedl.org/scimath/pasopartners/senses/welcome.html>.
The
Senses.
1996-2002.
Eric
H.
<http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chsense.html>.
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Senses: How We Know. Videocassette. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society, 1992.
Sequence of Activities
Advance Preparation: Make a “Senses” story chart with Goldilocks and The Three Bears written
across the top and the five senses listed as subcategories under the title. Make separate charts on
poster board for each sense with the name of the sense and a picture of the part of the body to
accompany it. Set up a classroom library with books about the senses and properties.
1. Introduce this lesson by popping popcorn nearby so that the children have an opportunity to hear
and smell it popping. Give each child some of the popcorn to see, touch, and taste. Discuss with
the children how they were using all of their senses with the popcorn. Ask: “How did you know that
I was making popcorn before you could see it?” [They could hear it popping. They could smell it.]
Ask them: “How did the popcorn feel in your hand and in your mouth?” [Rough, light, spongy.]
Ask: “How does popcorn look?” [Yellow, white.] Finally, ask: “How do you know this is really
popcorn and not an imitation?” [It tasted like popcorn!] Guide the discussion to identify which body
part is responsible for each sense.
2. Read the book, My Five Senses by Aliki. (Alternative books are suggested under Teacher
Resource.) Discuss with the children how they learn about the world by exploring objects with their
five senses. Make a connection to when they were babies and how they explored objects by
looking, tasting, touching, smelling, and listening. Share a poster of the five senses for the children
to use as reference throughout this unit.
3. Show the video, Senses: How We Know. Review with the children the part of their body they use
for each sense and what kind of information they can learn from each sense. For instance, we
learn that we smell with our nose and that some objects smell pleasant whereas other objects
smell unpleasant to us. Children naturally start classifying objects as they discuss the properties of
one of those objects.
4. Read the story Goldilocks and The Three Bears. Have the children listen for describing words or
objects throughout the story. Record information on the Senses Story Chart. Ask the children to
identify which sense the character used to learn about an object. For instance, when Goldilocks
says the chair is too hard, the word “hard” is written under the sense of touch on the chart.
5. Review the song ‘The Hokey Pokey’ and tell the children they are going to change the words in
the song to go with the senses. For example, “Put your smelling body part in, you put your
smelling body part out…” Create a new verse for each sense and end the song with “Put your
whole self in, put your whole self out…”
6. Put children into five groups. Give each group a poster board with one of the five senses as a
header along with glue, scissors, and magazines. Direct the children to find pictures that relate to
their sense. The children cut out objects and glue them onto their chart. Groups share their charts
and make a connection that some objects could be glued on more than one poster, i.e., a toy
could be an object that they could touch, hear, and see. Display charts on a bulletin board in the
classroom or hall.
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This is how the five senses posters might look in a classroom.
Assessment
Give each child a clipboard, a pencil, and a Senses Activity Sheet. Ask the children to take a walk
around the room (or outdoors) and draw objects under the appropriate heading.
Application Beyond School
Children can share with their family how they use their five senses to learn about the world.
Connections
Mathematics
Upon completing the class chart or individual chart, the children could compare which sense had the
most/least objects. The children could place pictures or objects on a floor graph of the five senses.
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