This is a lesson that I use from a series of five to teach students about their senses. The children are required to use their sense of touch to explore a variety of materials and then describe how the senses feel.

• Read the story “My Five Senses” Big Book by Aliki.
• Explain to the children that for this lesson they are going to focus on their sense of touch.
• Get the children to form a circle (seated) on the mat and close their eyes.
• Pass a mystery bag around the circle to each child; each child feels the object  in the bag and uses one word to describe how the object feels. Repeat the process 3 times using objects with different textures (eg: a ball of wool, sheet of sandpaper, balloon filled with water, an ice pack).
• Explain the activities they are about to participate in.

1. Textured Handprint

• Cut out an outline of a large hand. Glue on one piece of textured material on to each finger and describe how the material feels. Teacher can write down the words the children use.

2. Ice Blocks in Water Trolley

• Water trolley with water and blocks of ice in it as well as animals that live on ice. Opportunity for the children to interact with the animals and ice and use words to describe how the ice feels, how the water feels, how the animals feel.

3. Shaving Cream Painting

• Shaving cream painting on the table. Children use their hands to manipulate shaving cream that has been sprayed onto the table. They can create pictures whilst manipulating and describe how the shaving cream felt.

4. Rice Playdough

• Children manipulate the play dough, creating objects of their choice and discussing how the play dough feels

Conclusion:

• On the mat, a whole class brainstorm of how the different objects felt. Teacher records the children’s answers to use as a display with photos of the children participating in the experiences.
• Reinforce the sense of touch by explaining what it is and how we touch

Assessment:

• Work sample: have the children used relevant words to describe how the materials feel.
• Observations: of the children’s oral language during the activities and their contribution to the whole class brainstorm.

Resources:

• Big Book – My Five Senses by Aliki (You can watch the book being read here > http://www.watchknowlearn.org/Video.aspx?VideoID=34065&CategoryID=9452
• Surprise Bag with several objects to put in
• Large handprint on A4 cardex
• Materials cut into 1cm squares (fluffy materials, sandpaper, buttons, silk, cotton wool etc..)
• Water trolley
• Ice blocks (water frozen in small and large icecream containers work well)
• Toy animals
• Shaving cream
• Playdough with rice
• Large paper for brainstorm and permanent marker

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