Integrated Language Art Unit
By Norma Cierto
Unit Title:
My Five Senses
Curriculum: Science
Grade level: Pre K
CONTENT OBJECTIVES:
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
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The students will identify the five sense as body functions
Students will get notions about science investigations through simple experiments by using the five senses
The students will be able to understand the importance of each sense to know the world around them
READING LANGUAGE ART OBJECTIVES:
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The students will understand oral message by listening concepts about the five senses.
The student will be able to communicate , participate in class by answering or inquiring about the five senses
The students will develop reading skills by reading letter, words, and pictures about the five senses.
The students will develop writing skills by drawing, writing and shaping about the five senses.
The students will increase their vocabulary through new words and sentences about the five senses.
Learning Teaching Activities
LISTENING / SPEAKING / OBSERVING
Previous knowledge exploring, students will listen to oral
messages, questions about the five senses: we have five
senses that tell us the world around us, can some of you
name any of those? Then they will answer the questions
and comment what they know about it. The answers will
be written on the chart; which will be completed
throughout the unit. To complete the concept of the five
senses, students will observe posters, pictures and listen to
my five senses story. Then identify their five senses as part
of the body functions.
NCTE / IRA
Students
Performance
2,3
IRA teachers
competences
(program portfolio
subcategory
addressed)
Standard 3
3.1
2,7,8
READING / TECHNOLOGY
Sight-touch senses Cyberlesson to be completed in a small
group. Students will complete Cyberlesson activities by
reading Seven Blind Mice; through these activities students
will learn how people with vision impairment can use
other senses (touch) to identify things around them.
Standard 2
2.1
Standard 3
3.1
Standard 4
4.1
2,3,4
Standard 1
1.4
Standard 2
2.1
Standard 4
4.1
SMELL SENSE / SCIENCE / LITERACY
Gingerbread Boy story to completed on large group, after
answering questions about the story small group of
students will experiment different scents: cinnamon,
coffee, perfumes, mint, etc. then they will draw pictures of
what they smelled and shape words and read the
vocabulary chart of smell senses.
Science Frameworks
Standards
K.1 objects have
properties that can be
observed and used to
described similarities and
differences.
1.1 Some properties can
be observed with the
senses, and others can be
discovered by using
simple tools or tests.
K.1
1.1
TASTE SENSE / SCIENCE / LITERACY
Whole and small group activity: Let’s Talk About
Tongues story, students will listen the story and
participate answering questions. Blindfolded small group
of students will identify four basic flavors: sweet
(chocolate candy), sour (lemon), salty (potato chips), bitter
(lemon peel). Then they will draw their favorite food,
shape letters and words, and read vocabulary chart about
the taste sense.
2,3,4
Standard 1
1.1
Standard 2
2.1
Standard 4
4.1
K.1
1.1
HEARING SENSE / LISTENING / LITERACY
Hearing Things story, to be completed in whole group.
Students will answer comprehension questions of what the
story is about, what sense you used to listen to the story.
Students, to complete this lesson will identify different
sounds of their environment: a teacher hiding in a
strategic place of the classroom will make sound of
different objects like: whistle, bell, drums, telephone,
radio, etc. students will answer the question: what did you
hear? By drawing the objects, and shape word and read
vocabulary chart about the hearing sense.
2,3,4
Standard 2
2.1
Standard 3
3.1
Standard 4
4.1
K.1
1.1
TOUCH SENSE / LITERACY / SCIENCE
To complete in small group by listening to Seven Blind
Mice story, students will get concepts about touch sense:
blindfolded, they will identify objects contained in a box
by texture like: cotton balls (soft), dry leaves (rough), sea
shells (bumpy), wood blocks (smooth).they will find out
similar materials in the classroom to compare, select and
sort them by their texture. Finally they will write their
favorite objects, reproduce words, and read vocabulary
chart about touch sense
2,3,4
Standard 1
1.4
Standard 2
2.1
Standard 4
4.1
K.1
1.1
SCIENCE /ART
Fingerprint activity, to be completed in a small group.
Students will learn that no one has the same fingerprint by
observing, comparing their fingerprint with each other.
Using washable ink, students will place their fingerprint
on the chart. Using a magnifying glass they will observe
and compare their fingerprints and using crayons,
markers they will decorate it making picture around it.
3,4
Standard 2
2.1
SIGN LANGUAGE/ LISTENING / KINESTHESIA
Signing book. To be completed in whole group and
partner .Students will listen about no verbal
communication using body movements: hands, head, and
facial expression. They will observe pictures of sign
language, then practice basic expressions in daily
activities: days of the week, eat, water, more, stop etc.
both, regular and students with IEPs will practice
(partners) to communicate each other using sign
language cards.
4,9,12
Standard 1
1.2
Standard 2
2.1
BRAILLE SYSTEM /TOUCHING SENSE/LISTENING
The Special Thing story .To is completed in whole and
small group. Students will have the opportunity to
understand to their classmate with visual impairment by
exploring books, alphabetic chart and other learning
materials printed in Braille. They will learn how blind
people use their touch sense to know thing around them
and communicate with others by reading and writing with
the Braille system.
4,9,12
Standard 1
1.2
Standard 2
2.1
K.1
1.1
K.1
1.1
FIVE SENSES /SCIENCE / LITERACY
What is inside my body? To be completed in whole and
small group. Students will listen the reading and observe
pictures including the five senses, how these work
connected to the brain, then they will describe an apple
using the five senses: color (sight), flavor (taste), texture
(touch), scent (smell), sound (hearing). After exploring
they will write their experience describing apple and read
the vocabulary chart of the five senses.
1,2,3,4
Standard 1
1.1
Standard 2
2.1
Standard 4
4.1
K.1
1.1
TOOLS AND RESOURCE:
(List and briefly annotate websites, 5 annotated children’s texts, specific software and hardware, and other needs to support this
unit)
Books children will read:
1. Brandenberg, Aliki (1997) My Five Senses. Hoper Collins, New York. A juvenile nonfiction book is an appropriate
book for children to introduce notions about the five senses. It has great illustrations for good kids understanding
their five senses and an easy way.
2. Rostan, Angela (1991) what’s inside? My Body. DK Publishing INC. New York. This book is specially designed to
help children understand how the human body works. It shows important features, including location of the five
senses and how these work connected to the brain. It is a really helpful book for children learning the five senses
as part of body function.
3. Fowler, Alan (1991) Seeing Things. Children’s Press, Chicago. This is another recommendable book for children to
explore specifically the sight sense; it contains a short and enjoyable story with a variety colorful illustration
appropriate for young children.
4. Fowler, Alan (1997) Let’s Talk About Tongues. Children’s Press. Canada. It’s a great book to introduce learning
science to young children. By reading this book children will learn both tasting and phonological functions of the
tongue, it means that we use the tongue to taste and to talk. In addition this book contains a great list of
vocabulary.
5. Young, Ed (1992) Seven Blind Mice. Penguin Group. New York. In order to connect an understanding of visual
impairment to one of my students, I selected this book; which is really appropriate for this objective. The story
shows how the blind mice discovered a strange thing in their pond just using their touch sense. This learning is
very important for children to understand how blind people and children like their classmate can learn to
identify the things around them just by using their other senses, specially the touch sense.
Other additional books and articles used to develop the unit:
 Bill, Martin Jr. / Erick Carle (1995). Brown Bear, Brawn Bear, what do you See? Henry Holtand Company. New
York.
 Driscoll, Laura (2003) Apples And How They Grow, Grosset & Dunlap. New York.
 O’ Brian-Palmer, Michell (1998) Senses Abilities. Review Press. Chicago.
 Burdette, Teri (1995) Signing, share the Music. Macmillan/McGraw-Hill School Publishing Company. New York.
 Ford Grove, Sandra / Hetchman, Judi (1996) Explore and Discover Five Senses. Creative Teaching Press, Inc.
Cypress, California.
 Humphries, Tom / Padden, Carol / O’Rourke, Terrence. A Basic Course In American Sign Language. T-J
Publishers, Second Edition.
 Montesory Images: Illustrative Learning Materials for Early Childhood Setting
WEBSITES:
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http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/5senses.htm
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http://www.kinderplans.com/content.cfm?pagead=165
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http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us/faculty/kkvre/units/2002/rick/fivesenses.html
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http://www.educationworld.com/a-lesso/lesson183.shtml
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http://wwwmembers.trpod.com/~imaware/fmotor.html
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http://www.calstatela.edu/faculty/jshindl/teaching/brookeSchufreiderISP.htm
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http://www.edcation.com/activity/kindergarten/science
ASSESSMENT:
(How you will assess the students’ learning? List rubrics here, and attach them to your outline. Be as specific as possible)
To complete this Unit students will be assessed in two different ways: Informal and formal. As informal assessment I will
consider the students attention, participation, answer to verbal questions with complete sentences during daily activities.
Due to my topic “The Five Senses: I will focus the informal assessment basically in listening and speaking, students
will demonstrate the correct use of their hearing senses by listening and understanding diverse oral messages during
daily activities, therefore they will express their ideas and answer questions in a correct way. During group work on the
learning centers I will supervise and observe how students are working, cooperating, sharing and helping each another
and I will ask questions to know their daily learning progress. At the ending Unit students will be assessed (formal
assessment), using four basic points:
 Science: I will assess students, in oral form, the last activity of the Unit. I will ask students: what’s an apple like?
Name the five features of the apple that connect to your five senses. Student will answer the question describing:
“the apple is red, yellow or green , is round, is juicy, is crunch and it has special smell”(Rubric attached)
 Knowledge: I will give students a picture of a human body where the parts of five senses will be absent, and then
they will complete the picture by drawing the five senses appropriately.
 Reading: I will give students five incomplete sentences where they will draw the right picture to complete it.
Obviously I will read the first part of the sentences and explain what they are going to do.
 Writing: I will give students the names of the parts of the body that represent the five senses with their pictures
and I will ask them to reproduce (copy) the names. (Rubric Attached)
STUDENT ASSIGNMENT
SCORE 3 (EXCELLENT)
SCORE 2 (GOOD)
SCORE 1 (IN PROGRESS)
SCIENCE: Exploring an
apple using five senses and
describes its five features,
color, shape, smell, flavor,
texture sound (crunch).
Correctly named all five
features of an apple.
Correctly named 3 to 4
features of an apple.
Correctly named 1 to 2
features of an apple.
KNOWLEDGE: Identify the
five senses by drawing the
senses on an incomplete
picture of human body.
Correctly drawn all five
senses on the incomplete
picture.
Correctly drawn 3 to 4
senses on the incomplete
picture.
Correctly drawn 1 to 2
senses on the incomplete
picture.
READING: Understanding
graphics, words in five
sentences by completing it
drawing pictures.
Correctly completed all five
sentences.
Correctly completed 3 to 4
sentences.
Correctly completed 1 to 2
sentences.
WRITING: Distinguishing
the words as a group of
letters logically organized
in the process of writing by
reproducing (copying)
words in correct way.
Correctly reproduced all five Correctly reproduced 3 to 4
words.
words.
Correctly reproduced 1 to 2
words.
CREDITS:
The most activities of this unit were created by myself, taking some ideas from websites mentioned above. Two
colleagues , Julie Morin, a special Ed teacher, and Lucy Sabona a pre-k classroom teacher were my support giving up
some ideas and borrowing me some books and basically allowing me to develop this unit with their class. I really want
to express my gratitude to them. I also want to express my special thanks to my son who was my support, managing
the computer and programs to develop the Cyberlesson and this unit.
REFLECTION:
I really have to be honest, when I started this unit, I was very confused and concerned for two reason: The first one, it
was my first time that I was doing this important assignment for teaching children in this country, I had an idea of
what this was going to be like; because I used to be a teacher for a long time in my country. The unit was the monthly
programming activities for teaching my students, but here I was not sure how I was going to do it. Another reason of my
concern was using the computer to do the Cyberlesson and this unit, because honestly I am not very experienced using
computers, but thanks to my colleagues, classmates, and my son I overcame those concerns and suddenly came up
with many ideas on my mind remembering my experience teaching children and reading many articles and books
about five senses. I chose this topic considering two things: First, I wanted to connect “The Investigator Club”
curriculum program for pre-k with science through teaching five senses, where student would learn investigating
notions through simple science activities using their five senses. Second, I wanted to teach students to understand their
classmates with IEPs especially to the child with vision impairment, by exploring and learning about their five senses. At
the beginning, I thought that it would not be difficult to do, but later I had some difficulties like: selecting a suitable
book for my Cyberlesson (I got it after revising many books), finding out the content area standards , it was incredible
for me because my topic was not in science content area as theme ; therefore, there was not a standard for it. I solve this
difficulty by using science framework standard for Matter and proprieties, where the senses are included as subtheme.
Integrating Language Art and Science in this grade level was not very difficult because I think teaching in this level is
integrating all subjects with early literacy. I have considered literacy after each activities in this unit In order to
apply my learning from Because Writing Matter , giving students more time for writing. I think developing this unit
between fear and difficulties has been really interesting and beneficial for me and my students. I will have in mind this
learning on my future teaching experience in any grade level , and I also will extend and share this learning with
other teachers in order to enhance the students learning.