Robyn Volek

Lesson Plan

Grade/Subject: Grade 1 Science

Unit: Topic D: Senses

Tuesday December 9, 2014

Lesson Duration: 50 minutes

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General Learning Outcomes:

19 Use the senses to make general and specific observations, and communicate observations
orally and by producing captioned pictures.
Specific Learning Outcomes:
Apply particular senses to identify and describe objects or materials provided and to describe living things and
environments. Students meeting this expectation will be able to describe characteristics, such as colour, shape,
size, texture, smell and sound.
Recognize the limitations of our senses, and identify situations where our senses can mislead us; e.g., feeling hot
or cold, optical illusions, tasting with a plugged nose.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Experiment with where their taste buds are located
2. Understand the different sensitivities of the tongue
3. Learn about other uses for the tongue

ASSESSMENTS
Observations:
Key Questions:
I will observe how students do with tasting
What part of the tongue is most sensitive to each taste?
foods and finding the sensitive areas. I will
What are the parts of the tongue? What are other uses
observe how students communicate and draw
for our tongue?
in their notebooks
Written/Performance Assessments:
I will assess their notebooks after class and see how they did with labeling the tongue. I will assess conversations
and discussions they have.

LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED

Resource #1: Alberta Education Program of Studies

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

Lime juice
Sugar water
Salt water
Tonic water
Little cups
Q-tips

PROCEDURE
Introduction (8 min.):
Hook/Attention Grabber:
Have students join you at the carpet with the piece of paper we created yesterday
Ask them what are the papillae?
Tell students we are going to find out what part of the tongue tastes sours the best (explain that they should
feel a kind of tingly feeling) demonstrate on the board
Demonstrate how they are going to test their tongue sensitivity warn students not to go too far back on their
tongue
Tell students that there will be 4 cups one with sweet, sour, bitter, and salty. Each group will get a turn with
it. They need a new colour for each taste
Tell students you will time out two minutes for each taste so they have to test their tongue and colour on
their paper in two minutes
If students finish early, they can compare with their tables quietly
Tell students that once they finish testing, there cannot dip their q-tip in the water again. They must throw it

Robyn Volek

Tuesday December 9, 2014

away (put an extra cup on the table for used q-tips)

Tell students they need to find 4 pencil crayons or crayons of different colour (one for each taste)
Have students repeat back to you the instruction
Assessment of Prior Knowledge:
Checking how well students remember parts of the tongue
Expectations for Learning and Behaviour:
I expect all students to listen to instruction and participate in the activity
Advance Organizer/Agenda:
Mapping out the areas of the tongue
Other uses for the tongue
Video
Transition to Body:
Have students return to their desks and hold up their 4 crayons once theyve found them

Body (__min.):
Learning Activity #1 (15 minutes):
Pass out the labeled cups of each taste
Pass out the q-tips
Give students two minutes with each taste (set a timer on phone or IPad)
If students do struggle, they can talk with others in their table group about what they think
Assessments/Differentiation

By working near other students, all students should be able to keep up with the activity
I will walk around and assess how students are doing and offer guidance
If I find two minutes is not enough time, I will give them an extra minute to complete

Learning Activity #2 (15 minutes):

Once all students have finished testing their sensitivities on their tongues, have them join you at the carpet
with their scrap piece of paper (have them write their name on the back before they come to the carpet)
Bring up the Smart Board picture of where the taste buds are
Check and see how well students did with recognizing the sensitive parts (ask students how many people
labeled their sweet where it is here on this diagram?)
Explain that there are taste buds that will recognize the taste on most of our tongue, but these areas on the
board are the most sensitive (because students will have lots of variations of the areas of the tongue)
Tell students you want them to go to the next blank space in their notebook
Have student bring out 4 pencil crayons or crayons (the ones they already used are fine)
Tell students they will draw a tongue on the page in their science (demonstrate)
Tell students they will use a pencil to separate the different areas of the tongue (demonstrate)
Draw a legend on the side of the tongue showing the different areas
Have students return to their desks and begin drawing (they cant go any further than what you have on the
board)
Tell students to grab their first colour and colour the tip of the tongue (demonstrate on the board)
Then have them colour the legend on the side - sweet/salty (demonstrate on the board)
Continue until all parts are labeled and coloured
Assessments/Differentiation:

By seeing the differences between the students testing of the tongues sensitivity and the actual, I will be able to see where
students are at with understanding the experiment

All students should be able to keep up

Me drawing it on the board offers them a nice visual because having a legend is still a new concept for them

Learning Activity #3 (10 minutes):

**The other activities could take longer depending on student understanding, how well they listen to instruction,
and how long math goes. Depending on time, we may or may not get to this activity.
Ask students what do we use our tongue for other than tasting?
Play kid health video: How your tongue works
Ask students again, what else do we use our tongue for? (they should be able to name all three from the

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Tuesday December 9, 2014

video!)
Tell students we are going to test out the letters of the alphabet and using our tongue
Show students the handout on testing the letters of the alphabet
Explain to students that with a partner, they will say each letter of the alphabet (both!) and decide (yes or no)
whether or not they use their tongue to say it.
Explain that if they come across a letter they use their tongue for, have them try to not move their tongue and
say the letter
Have students move back to their desks
Hand out the sheet and have students write their names at the top of the page
Pair up the students based on where they are sitting
Let students start the activity (move the traffic light to yellow)
If students finish quickly, have them try to find words they cant say without moving their tongue
Once students are done, have everyone come to the carpet
Ask students what letters require our tongue to move
Have all students try the sounds out without moving their tongues
Have students move back to their desk and glue this into their science notebooks

Assessments/Differentiation:

Saying the letters of the alphabet (sounds) is great practice for the grade 1s

By pairing them up, they will have to be able to test out the sounds and figure out if they use their tongue

I will walk around and assess how students do and check what theyve written down in their worksheet

Closure (2 min.):
Consolidation/Assessment of Learning:
Ask students what are the papillae
what are taste buds?
what do the microvilli do?
what part of the tongue recognizes sweet/salty?
what do we use our tongue for?
Transition To Next Lesson:
Have students put away their science and clear their desks
Next class, they will be looking at the nose and tasting