Robyn Volek

Lesson Plan

Grade/Subject: Grade 1 Science

Thursday December 4, 2014

Unit: Topic D: Senses (taste)

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:
1. Identify each of the senses, and explain how we use our senses in interpreting the world.
2. 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.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Apply their knowledge of adjectives to describe how things taste
2. Understand that there are many different types of tastes
3. Experiment with different tastes

ASSESSMENTS
Observations:
Key Questions:
I will walk around and observe how students do What is an adjective to describe how this tastes?
with writing down adjectives to describe how
things taste.
Written/Performance Assessments:
I will talk about the different tastes we tasted from each item and take it up together on the board

LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED

Resource #1: Alberta Education Program of Studies
Resource #2: Edmonton public schools Grade 1 Senses

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

Peanuts
Salt and Vinegar chips
Lemonade
Sour Candy
Dark Chocolate
Tonic Water
Skittles
Raspberries
PROCEDURE

Introduction (5 min.):
Hook/Attention Grabber:
Have the students join you at the carpet
Ask students to put up their hand if they can name the 5 senses
Explain that we will be starting a new sense today taste
Ask students what kind of things do we taste (adjectives to describe things we taste)
Assessment of Prior Knowledge:
Checking previous understanding of taste
Expectations for Learning and Behaviour:
I expect all students to be sitting quietly and listening
Advance Organizer/Agenda:
Introduction to taste

Robyn Volek

Thursday December 4, 2014

Taste testing
Transition to Body:
Bring up the sheet they will be filling out

Body (__min.):
Learning Activity #1 (30 minutes):
Explain to students that we will be scientists today and we will taste test foods to figure out different kinds of
tastes
Explain to students that there are 8 different things to taste test
Explain that you will have 8 stations set up around the room with the numbers 1-8
Explain that there will be 8 groups of students (5 groups of 2, 3 groups of 3)
Explain that each student will be given the sheet of paper. All they need is the paper and a pencil as they go
station to station
Tell students they get two minutes at each station to taste test and write down adjectives (depending on how
quickly they write, shorten or lengthen the time)
Emphasize that when they taste test a snack food, they are only to take one. Remind them that they are taste
testing, so they want to leave the food/drink in their mouth so they can test better. Explain that there are a
couple drinks. Only pour a small glass full. If they dont like it, they need to dump it in the sink.
Explain that each group will be starting at a different number, and when the timer goes off, groups will switch
to the next (if you were in 7, you move to 8. If you were at 2 you move to 3).
Emphasize that they shouldnt spill the beans! Keep the item that you have a secret and dont give away any
adjectives.
Explain that if they think they know what food/drink they are testing, they can write it down. Make sure you
write at least two adjectives in the box.
Have students repeat the directions back to you
Have all students stand on the blue carpet in the corner of the room
Pull out desks and set up the numbered items on each desk
Put two or three sheets of paper on each station (one for each student)
Tell students that when you call out their names, you want them to grab a pencil and come to the station they
are assigned. They are not to taste any food yet! **The food/drink can be set after you have all students at
the stations.
Call out the group names and have them move to their stations
Have them tell you the direction they will move next
Ask students what they are going to write in the worksheet
Once all the stations are set up, set a timer for two minutes on your phone. Walk around and see how
students do with describing food/drink. If students need more time to complete writing and testing, set the
timer for an extra minute.
Repeat until all students have completed the stations
Assessments/Differentiation

Observations and discussion

Sheets of paper with adjectives

Learning Activity #2 (10 minutes):

Once all students have taste tested, have everybody come back to the carpet and take a seat
Go over all of the items asking students what they think #1 was, tell them what it was, ask for describing
words. Write their describing words on the board. If students struggled with writing in describing words, they
should do that now!
Continue until you have gone over all the food items
Tell students that we can taste of lot of things. Explain that our sense of taste allows us to figure out what the
food is we are eating/drinking (although we can see it before)
Have students write their favorite taste on the bottom of their worksheet
Have them return to their desks and glue their worksheet into their science
Assessments/Differentiation:
Observations and discussion
If students are struggling with coming up with adjectives, ask questions that will get them thinking of descriptive taste

Robyn Volek

Thursday December 4, 2014

words

Closure ( __min.):
Consolidation/Assessment of Learning:
With any remaining time, have students return to the carpet
Tell students that there are four main tastes that our tongue recognizes. Explain that they are sweet, salty,
bitter, and sour
Explain that there are different parts of your tongue that are better are recognizing each of these tastes
These are called taste buds
These taste buds are found on something called the papille (tell students you are introducing a huge word!)
Tell students that the bumpy parts on our tongue are the papille
**If there is extra time, play https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hwOL91cjwM (kids health sense of
taste)
Feedback From Students:
Feedback To Students:
Transition To Next Lesson:
Clean up the workspace, move all desks back
Have students sit quietly before they go for lunch
Next class, we will be looking at the importance of our nose and the location of our taste buds

Reflection:
This was a great activity! The students were having fun with it. They struggled to think of two
adjectives, but they were able to understand that there are differences with how things taste. This was a
great cross-curricular activity where students had to remember what adjectives were and think of
describing words.
Students needed three minutes (almost) at each station. It was great that I had my timer on my
phone go off so students knew that they had to switch. Close to the end, students were getting a little
crazier because they had some candy and became more familiar with the activity. Near the end, it
would be good to cut down the time at each station.
It might be better to go over more adjectives to describe food next time I do this lesson.
Students confused taste adjectives with texture/feeling adjectives.