Life Processes 1 Humans 1.1 The Senses

Sc2: Life Processes

1 Humans

1.1 The Senses

P.O.S.

Key Stage 1 Sc1 1b, 2g

Key Stage 1 Sc2:1b, 2g

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

  • To experience or encounter sensory events.
  • To actively explore sensory material.
  • To be able to link 3 senses to appropriate organ.
  • To begin to develop the skill of observing

ICT

  • Use tape recorders and sound tapes.
  • Use various switches in the light room.
/ LINKS
DT - Food Technology.
Literacy & Communication /

VOCABULARY

Action words e.g. see, smell, ear, touch, taste. Parts of body words e.g. nose, ear, eye, mouth, hand. Also – hot, cold, rough, smooth, wet, dry, shiny, loud, soft, quiet, sweet, sour, light, dark, colour words, noise, noisy, like, don’t like
ACTIVITIES
Touch:
  • Use a variety of textures (e.g. feathers, furniture fabric, brush) either for adult to touch pupils or pupils to explore.
  • Use large parachute, fans, hairdryers, sprays of water, hot and cold air, warm and cold water, go out in rain to experience more abstract, environmental aspects.
  • Whole body experience on different textures e.g. ball pool, vibrating mattress, swimming pool, resonance board, trampoline, and shredded paper.
  • Pupils walk on a variety of surfaces in bare feet.
  • Use hands to feel a variety of foods e.g. pasta, jelly, corn flour paste, breakfast cereals.
  • Use hands and feet to paint with/print.
  • Explore and touch both familiar and unfamiliar objects.
  • Use feely bags.
  • Try to identify familiar objects that are wrapped up.
/ RESOURCES
  • Selection of materials with variety of textures.
  • Large parachute.
  • Fan, hairdryer.
  • Water sprayers
  • Shredded paper
  • Surfaces to walk on e.g. carpet, grass, bubble wrap.
  • Foods to feel.
  • Paint, paper
  • Feely bags and objects
  • Paper to wrap familiar objects.
/ POINTS TO NOTE
  • Ensure at lowest levels of experience that stimuli are single-channel i.e. . only visual, only auditory, etc.
  • Be aware that some pupils are tactile-defensive.
  • Allow pupils time to react to stimuli.
  • Beware of sensory over-load for some pupils.
  • Safety issues with tasting experiences e.g. food allergies, swallowing large pieces of food.
  • Ensure pupils do not sniff powder into nostrils: use film canister with holes punched in lid.
  • Some massage oils are toxic when concentrated and need to be used with care. Some pupils may be allergic to these oils e.g. don’t use with UV light.
  • It is important that pupils are made aware that they sense touch with all parts of the body.

ACTIVITIES
Sight:
  • Use objects with high contrast and/or reflective surfaces and the light-room to focus and use vision purposefully.
  • Use objects with high contrast and/or reflective surfaces to encourage tracking.
  • Encourage pupils to focus on e.g. human faces – pair the faces with a motivating outcome such as a smile, music, food.
  • Use coloured spectacles, acetate sheets, filters, torches to look at objects.
  • Experience different types and intensities of light e.g. candle, torch, UV, strip light, dimmer switch.
  • Experience darkness by turning off light in dark room, building tunnel under table, blindfold.
  • Use different mirrors and spoons to look at objects and faces.
  • Blindfold pupils to touch and guess an object; write name; touch other pupils and play other “games” as appropriate e.g. pin the tail on the donkey.
  • Use a “body bag” to experience the one-way vision effect. This is a large bag made of a material that allows pupils to see but not to be seen.
/ RESOURCES
  • Shiny objects
  • Boldly coloured objects.
  • Coloured spectacles
  • Acetate sheets
  • Filters – coloured.
  • Torches
  • Light sources
  • Blindfolds.
  • Tables, sheets etc to make tunnel
  • Body bag.
/ POINTS TO NOTE
Hearing:
  • Listen to a variety of sounds e.g. music, recorded sound effects, bodily noises, instruments, toys.
  • Experience silence (near silence) to show contrast between silence and noise.
  • Experience contrast between different types of sound e.g. drone; shout; sharp sounds; pleasant; unpleasant.
  • Pupils create voluntary or involuntary sounds using their body or other objects.
  • Use a selection of musical instruments or other noisy objects – have 2 sets of these, one which is hidden. Teacher makes a noise on one instrument and pupils select same one from the other set.
  • Play sound lotto using a tape.
  • Carry out activities e.g. turning on tap; opening the door; someone moving with a bell. Pupils locate these noises when blindfolded.
  • Tape record pupils’ vocalisations and playback.
/
  • Tape of sound effects
  • Noisy toys
  • Musical instruments
  • Taped/live music
  • Objects to make sounds with – use everyday objects.
  • Sound lotto and tape.
  • Tape and tape recorder.

ACTIVITIES
Taste and Smell
  • Experience a variety of smells e.g. food, chocolate, peppermints, orange, massage oils, perfume, toothpaste, contrasting smells (sweet/sour such as honey/vinegar).
  • Make choices with smells using adult help e.g. select oil for massage, select food for snack.
  • Experience different foods with distinctive smells and tastes, i.e. orange, chips, crisps, popcorn.
  • Visit places with distinctive smells e.g. zoo, farm, swimming pool.
  • Experience cooking smells to distinguish between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ food i.e. perfectly cooked food versus burnt food.
  • Develop own preferences – make own sandwich – select filling, types of bread.
  • Identify through blind tasting e.g. crisps, fruit, vegetable.
  • Discriminate between similar foods e.g. different types of crisps, biscuits.
/ RESOURCES
  • Selection of foods and other substances with range of tastes
  • Selection of foods to cook/burn e.g. bread to make toast.
  • Bread “selection”
  • Fillings for sandwiches
  • Range of crisps or biscuits
  • Variety of substances to smell e.g. coffee, herbs, chocolate, toothpaste, massage oils.
/ POINTS TO NOTE
OWN ACTIVITIES
POSSIBLE INVESTIGATIONS
  • A grouping and sorting investigation e.g. objects that are hot or cold; loud and quiet sounds.
  • Find out which materials stop sound – by covering the ears with different materials.
  • Identify other pupils from recorded or live voices and use photographs to indicate who it is.

OTHER RESOURCES
“Sensory Science” F Longhorn. Publ. ORCA Services Ltd 1993; “Sensory Science using Ultra-Violet Light” F Longhorn; “See, Hear, Touch, Taste, Smell” _ big Book
“Balance and Motion” Big Book
Other Big Books about the senses
VISITS
  • Sensory trail around town, supermarket – bread cooking, restaurants, markets, different food shops, gardens, rivers, chemists, shoe shops, garden centres, flower shops.
  • Forests at different time of year
  • Seaside smells, air etc
  • Busy roads, railway station.

Name:

Date Record Began:

Outcomes: ‘P’ Level 1 NC Level 1

P1 (i) /
  • Is present during experience but shows no response e.g. brushed with feathers, visits the light room.

  • May be resistance. May show simple reflex responses.

  • Pupil is supported throughout.

P1 (ii) /
  • Shows a random, fleeting response to experience e.g.
-Touch, brief look at object being touched with.
-Sight, brief look at object being shown.
-Hearing, turn to sound, blink, vocalize.
-Taste/smell, , grimaces briefly. or shows startle response to a smell.
P2 (i) /
  • Begins to show a consistent response to the same experience e.g.
-Touch, pulls away each time from same touch.
-Sight, maintains gaze briefly each time object shown.
-Hearing, turns head briefly each time to same sound.
-Taste/Smell, vocalises briefly each time to same taste or smell.
P2 (ii) /
  • Shows more consistent attention and differentiated response e.g.
-Touch: will tolerate some objects touching only some parts of body.
-Sight: will follow and track a moving light
-Hearing: shows ‘stilling response’ to some sounds/music.
-Taste/Smell: closes mouth when they don’t want a food.
P3 (i) /
  • Begins to communicate intentionally e.g. shows likes or dislikes of food

  • Participates with less support e.g. tries to copy sound made by others.

P3 (ii) /
  • May respond to options and choices with actions or gestures e.g. choose noisy rather than quiet instrument.

  • Actively explores using all senses, with support.

P4 /
  • Explores objects and materials provided for longer and with less support

  • Shows interest in wide range of foods, textures, sounds

P5 /
  • Begins to initiate an interaction e.g. reaches out for object – this example covers all senses.

  • Begins to cooperate with turn taking and sharing e.g. gives food samples to others.

  • Shows anticipation e.g. covers ears before a loud noise is made.

P6 /
  • Participates actively e.g. joins in making noises

  • Comments on the activity e.g. says, or signs, that something is “yucky”.

  • Begins to make simple generalisations, connections and predictions e.g. avoids prickly surface when walking barefoot.

  • Touches and explores the object in an appropriate way.

P7 /
  • Begins to use appropriate senses when asked to smell or taste.

  • Begins to make the link between the sense and correct part of the body.

  • Observes one feature of an object

P8 /
  • Indicates what each sense organ is for.

  • Names the sense organs

  • Observes more than one feature of an object

N.C. Level 1 /
  • Uses everyday words or signs to describe sensory experiences

  • Names the 5 senses

Further Comments