Science Lessons for Grade 1 on the Five Senses

Many teachers agonize about planning science lessons2. Students will be able to demonstrate ways that
for Grade 1. They think that the students are toomaterials can be used to alter their smell and taste
young to take part in science experiments. This is3. Students will demonstrate ways we can use
because they associate science experiments withmaterials to make different sounds
using chemicals and Bunsen Burners. At this grade4. Students will describe ways in which materials can
level, there are many experiments you can do in classbe changed to alter their appearance and texture
with the students that are perfectly safe and do not5. Students will demonstrate how each of the senses
put the students in any danger.helps us to recognize, describe and safely use a
For example, it is easy to plan a lesson related to usingvariety of materials.
the five senses. A taste test, or an experiment whereYou can teach all of these objectives using fun
the children are blindfolded and have to identify certainactivities to keep the students interested. You have to
foods by the way they taste, smell and feel, isthink of the age of the students and realize that these
perfectly acceptable. The only precaution you wouldactivities are very simple, yet relevant to students in
have to take in this type of lesson is to make sure thatGrade 1.
none of the children have any allergies to the foodsWhat kind of activity could I use to teach Objective 3 -
you plan to bring into the classroom.Students will describe ways in which materials can be
To teach the concept of using the sense of hearing, itchanged to alter their appearance and texture? You
is quite easy to make a tape recording of certainhave to keep in mind that you don't have to get the
noises and see whether the students can identifystudents to do all the experiments. You can do some
them. In order to evaluate the lesson to see whetherwith them watching and then ask them questions
or not the students have achieved the objective, youabout what happened. For this objective, you can take
can have them draw a picture to tell what theya piece of paper towel. Pass it around to all the
learned, retell it to you or have them write a sentencesstudents so that they know what it looks and feels like.
in their journal or learning log.Soak it in water and then show the result. Students
If you wish you can also have the students createcan immediately see how the appearance and the
noises of their own using materials that you bring in,texture of the material have changed.
such as scraping a comb over glass or the sound ofWhen you are teaching Science lessons in Grade 1,
chalk on the chalkboard. Many of the activities that youyou should always look for appropriate children's
use with science lesson plans dealing with sound willliterature so that you start the lesson off with a story
also achieve the objectives for your music curriculumto peak their interest.
as well, so you might want to work with the music"How Paper is Made" by Arthur Lockwood is a good
teacher on this section.book to use for this lesson because it describes the
Some of the outcomes that you need to address inchanges in the appearance of a tree from the time it
Science lessons for Grade 1 are:is cut down until it is made into paper.
1. Students will be able to identify the five senses