Minds On

Which senses help you most?

We use different parts of our bodies to learn about the world around us.

Imagine that you had to describe a plate of spaghetti and meatballs to someone.

  • What body parts could you use to explore and describe a plate of spaghetti and meatballs?

If possible, share your ideas with a partner. You can also record your ideas on paper, on a computer, or as an audio or video clip.

Action

The five senses

There are five senses that humans can use to collect information from their environment. These senses are touch, sight, hearing, taste, and smell.

Our brains collect information from some or all of these senses to help us learn about the world around us.

Press the following tabs to explore information about each of the five senses.

The sense of touch is experienced through the skin.

The skin senses texture, motion, and temperature, then sends the brain information about how things feel. This sense helps people to feel if something is hot, cold, wet, dry, hard, or soft.

A child’s hand touches tree bark.

The sense of sight is experienced through the eyes.

Eyes sense light, then send the brain information about how things look. The sense of sight helps people to see shape, movement, and colour.

The sense of hearing is experienced through the ears.

Ears sense vibrations, then send the brain information about how things sound. The sense of hearing helps people to hear loud and quiet sounds.

The sense of taste is experienced through the tongue and mouth.

The tongue and mouth sense molecules, then send the brain information about how things taste. The sense of taste helps people to taste salty, sweet, sour, bitter, and savoury flavours.

A child’s open mouth with their tongue sticking out.

The sense of smell is experienced through the nose.

The nose senses molecules, then sends the brain information about how things smell. The sense of smell helps people to smell pleasant and unpleasant scents.

People use different senses to experience the world around them.

Sometimes technology is used to help people experience the world around them. Examples of this include glasses, screen readers, and hearing aids.

Senses and body parts

Let’s think about which body parts relate to each of the five senses.

For each body part, select the sense that it is used for.

Using our senses

People use their senses all the time when doing daily activities.

Imagine that a group of students is making popcorn. Complete the following matching activity to determine how the students used each of the five senses when making popcorn.

For each sense, select the action that uses that sense.

Children are seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, and tasting popcorn.

Student Success

Think-Pair-Share

We use our senses for many different activities.

  1. What activity do you enjoy that involves three of your senses?
  2. Which three senses do you use and how do they help you with your activity?

If possible, share your ideas with a partner. You can also record your ideas on paper, on a computer, or as an audio or video clip.

Consolidation

Experiencing Nature

Student Success

Think-Pair-Share

People use their senses to experience nature.

  • What might people hear, see, touch, smell, or taste when they explore nature?
  • How do you use your senses when you explore nature?

Record your responses using a method of your choice. Share your responses with a partner, if possible.

Learners use their senses to explore nature. They touch the rain, smell the flowers, taste fruit, listen to birds, and look at animals.

Reflection

How do you feel about what you have learned in this activity? Which of the next four sentences best matches how you are feeling about your learning? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

I feel…

Now, record your ideas about your feelings using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.