Date: June 11, 1999 

Grade Level(s): 2, 3, 4

Subject(s):

• Health/Body Systems and senses

Duration: 1 hour

Description: The purpose of this activity is to teach elementary students about the functions of the 5 body senses.

Goals: Elementary school children will explore how their bodies receive information from the outside world using a combination of storytelling and a simple game.

Objectives: There are two objectives for learners:

(1) Students will listen to a story about the 5 body senses read aloud by the teacher;
(2) Each student will describe how they used a sense to gather information about the world
      around them as shown on the Body Cube.

Materials:

• Illustrated health or science book that includes information on the 5 body senses,
• e.g., Meredith, S., Needham, K. & Unwin, M. (1994). You and Your Body . London: Usborne Publ. Ltd.
• medium-sized square cardboard packing box decorated with line drawings or other illustrations of body parts; (optional) classroom posters or bulletin board illustrating children seeing, hearing, touching, tasting, and smelling.

Prior to the class session:

Seal the openings of a medium-sized square cardboard packing box.
Decorate each side with colorful illustrations (line drawings, magazine cut-outs, or photographs) that illustrate the 5 body senses: eyes for seeing, ear for hearing, fingers and toes for touching, mouth and tongue for tasting, and nose for smelling.
On the sixth side, paste illustrations of a girl and boy or a smiley face and write the words, "Roll again."
Begin class by describing the purpose of the lesson.
Read selections from an illustrated health or science book that describes how our bodies receive information from the outside world.
Introduce the Body Cube game.
The rules are simple. Each student will roll the Body Cube on the floor. The player must describe how they used a sense to gather information about the world as shown on the side of the cube, e.g., I used by tongue to taste morning snack before recess.
Answer students' questions before beginning the game.
Peers may assist students who have difficulty describing use of a body sense.

Variations:

(1) When playing Body Cube with older students, increase the complexity of the rules and ask players to describe what life would be like without the use of that sense;
(2) Expand the activity by directing pairs of older students to conduct original research to learn about modifications for people with impaired senses, e.g., assistive devices for those with a hearing impairment, or Braille signage for those with a visual impairment.

Assessment:

Student's accurate descriptions of how he or she used a sense to gather information about the world around them as shown on the Body Cube.

Useful Internet Resources: