ENGAGEMENT'
The following activities will allow your students to become engaged in the FIVE SENSES unit.
TOUCH
We have the ability to tell whether objects are cold, hot, smooth or rough. To demonstrate the different types of receptors in the skin, gather a number of objects that are:
1. smooth (an apple)
2. rough (sand paper; rock)
3. cold (ice)
4. warm (a sun-warmed piece of metal)
Tell someone to close their eyes (or use a blindfold) and touch the items
to the person's hands or fingers. Ask them what they feel.
Sand Paper Rankings
To demonstrate the exquisite sensitivity of our sense of touch, try this one. Get 5 to 10 different grades (roughness) of sandpaper from the hardware store. The degree of roughness should be printed on the back. Cut the sandpaper into pieces about 3 in by 3 in. (If you want to get fancy,you could glue the sandpaper on to block of wood, but this is not really necessary) Make sure you write down the grade of roughness on the back of each cut piece of sandpaper! Mix-up the pieces of sandpaper and place them with the rough side up. Using your (or have someone else do it) finger,line up the pieces of sandpaper in order from the smoothest to the roughest.
Questions and Comparisons
* Check to see if you (or your test subject) did it right.
* Where were mistakes made? At what grade of sandpaper?
Materials:
* Sandpaper - various grades
* Wood Blocks (optional)
[---------------------------------------------------------------------]
SIGHT
Our built-in reflexes really do protect us. Another demonstration of these built-in capabilities is the blink reflexes. Have a students stand behind a see-through barrier like a window or a wire screen. Throw a cotton ball at the person. Did he blink? Probably. This is the blink reflex and serves to protect our eyes from damage.
Materials:
*Cotton balls (or rolled up paper towels)
*A transparent barrier (wire screen, plastic or glass window)
[--------------------------------------------------------------------]
SMELL
Collect pairs of items that smell and place them in containers that you cannot see through. Poke holes in the tope of the containers. Mix up the containers and try to match the containers that have the same item. When you have made your decision, open up the containers and see how you did.
Suggested smells:
lemon
banana
dirt
orange peer
coffee
moth balls
rose flowers
perfume soaked cotton
[------------------------------------------------------------]
HEARING
It is surprising all the noises that you can hear in the classroom even when everyone is quiet. Write down everything you can hear when everyone is trying to be quiet. Can you hear breathing? Talking?
This is an outside activity. Find a place to sit. Make sure everyone is quiet. Write down everything you hear. Go back to the class and compare the sounds that everyone heard.