Assessment
The five senses labeling worksheet and the gingerbread man books will be assessed according to the rubric below. A numerical or letter grade will not be given. However, students will be able to see their “thumb score” when the rubrics are handed back.
As soon as all books have been assessed, they will be displayed at the library center to be read and enjoyed by all.
Gingerbread Book Rewrite RubricLabeling the Senses Worksheet
Learning Context/ Introduction
This lesson is designed to enable first graders to explore the five senses beyond simply identifying them. They will apply their knowledge of the five senses to create a holiday version of a familiar piece of literature. Content is presented through the use of a Power Point slide show, hyperlinks to various resources on the internet, a SMARTBoard as well as various center activities. Student work is assessed with a rubric.
Objectives:
1.Students will be able to identify the five senses and corresponding body parts.
2.Students will be able to choose appropriate holiday clip art for each of the five senses.
3.Students will be able to use appropriate “describing words” to illustrate the holiday item for each of the five senses in written form.
Duration
The total time involved in creating the PowerPoint presentation, gingerbread man book page design and rubric (not including Internet search time) is estimated to be at least 6 hours.
Implementation of this lesson is designed to take place during thirty-minute increments for 15 days. However, it could be broken into 15 minute sessions if necessary.
The assessment is designed to take students one 45 – 60 minute session in the computer lab and four 20 - 30 minute sessions.
Instructional/Environment Modifications
Students will need to be seated in a fashion that best accommodates viewing the PowerPoint presentation as well as student access to the SMARTBoard.
Students with disabilities will be assisted according to the plan set forth in their IEP.
Procedure
WEEK 1
Day 1: Anticipatory Set
The teacher will show students the first slide of the PowerPoint presentation, showing graphics of the body parts specifically used for each of the five senses. Students will be asked to name each of the body parts and identify which of the five senses goes along with it.
Students will then listen to an excerpt from the song, The Senses Boogie, by Mark and Morgan Kasmer, performed by Jeff Shroeder. Students will be taken, by hyperlink on slide 2 of the PowerPoint presentation, to the lyrics and music for the song. Using the SMARTBoard, students will highlight each of the body parts and senses found in the lyrics.
Days 2-4 : Sight
Students will view the first slide of the PowerPoint presentation again. Using the SMARTBoard, a volunteer will click on the eye. Via hyperlink, students will be taken to a “Sight Fact” page where they will be presented with the concepts that light is a very important factor to sight, people who lose their sight are referred to as blind and that Braille is a tool they use to read. As a learning center activity, guided by a parent or student volunteer, students will write their own names using Braille.
The teacher will read aloud Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr. Students will be directed to listen for what the characters can see. Following the reading, students will be asked to orally identify words in the text that tell what the characters could see. At this point, students are most likely to simply name each of the animals.
Displaying a graphic of a detective (Slide 4), the teacher will ask the class to pretend to be detectives for a little while. Explaining that detectives look for clues, the teacher will inform the class of their assignment. They must search for “describing words” that tell more about each of the animals from Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? (Slide 5).
Using the SMARTBoard, students will highlight the describing words, color words, in the text (Slide 6). Students will then be asked what all of the highlighted words have in common (color words). The teacher will display slide 7 to show students that your sense of sight also allows you to describe the size and shape of what you see. A whole-group discussion will follow using slide 8 to brainstorm more describing words for each of the animals that relate to size and shape. As a learning center activity, students will complete this fill-in-the-blank activity independently (Simply print copies of slide 8).
Days 5-7 : Hearing
Students will view the first slide of the PowerPoint presentation again. Using the SMARTBoard, a volunteer will click on the ear. Via hyperlink, students will be taken to a
“Hearing Fact” page where they will be presented with concepts such as loud vs. soft, pleasant vs. unpleasant sounds, what it means to be deaf, sign language and hearing aides. As a learning center activity, guided by a parent or student volunteer, students will cut and paste pictures of the signs needed for each letter of their names using Sign Language.
The same procedure will be followed as before with sight, except using the book Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr. The detective work will ensue for “describing words” related to hearing (Slides 9 - 11 ). Students will brainstorm a list of sounds.
Day 8: Smell
Students will view the first slide of the PowerPoint presentation again. Using the SMARTBoard, a volunteer will click on the nose. Via hyperlink, students will be taken to a
“Smelling Fact” page where they will be presented with the concept of good vs. bad smells. The teacher will display the poem "Holiday Senses" on the SmartBoard (slide 12). The detective work will ensue for “describing words” related to smell. Students will identify and highlight the describing words and items mentioned for the sense of smell. A brainstorming session will follow for additional describing words related to smell (slide 13).
Day 9: Taste
Students will view the first slide of the PowerPoint presentation again. Using the SMARTBoard, a volunteer will click on the tongue. Via hyperlink, students will be taken to a
“Taste Fact” page where they will be presented with the concepts of good vs. bad tastes.
The teacher will display the poem "Holiday Senses" on the SmartBoard (slide 12). The detective work will ensue for “describing words” related to taste. Students will identify and highlight the describing words and items mentioned for the sense of taste. A brainstorming session will follow for additional describing words related to taste to include sweet, sour, salty and bitter (slide 14). As a learning center activity, students will label and color a picture of the tongue showing the taste areas for sour, sweet, salty and bitter.
Day 10: Touch
Students will view the first slide of the PowerPoint presentation again. Using the SMARTBoard, a volunteer will click on the hand. Via hyperlink, students will be taken to a
“Touch Fact” page where they will be presented with the vocabulary: cold, hot, rough, soft and hard.
The teacher will display the poem "Holiday Senses" on the SmartBoard (slide 12). The detective work will ensue for “describing words” related to touch. Students will identify and highlight the describing words and items mentioned for the sense of touch. A brainstorming session will follow for additional describing words related to touch (slide 15). As a learning center activity, students will describe what they feel in various “mystery bags”.
Day 11: Holiday Clip Art Search
Students will review the poem "Holiday Senses" on the SMARTBoard (slide 12) once more. Students will be asked to identify the holiday items mentioned for each of the five senses. The teacher will pose the following question to the class: “Are these the only things we can see, hear, taste, smell and touch at holiday time?” When the class responds with a resounding, “No!”, the teacher will present them with their next challenge. Each student will be responsible for finding one more holiday item, not mentioned in the poem, for each of the five senses. Therefore, each student will end up with five holiday clip art pictures.
Students will be taught to use the icons in Microsoft Word to insert clip art into last column of the Clip Art Chart. Everyone will type in the word “Christmas” to run the search. Students will also use the icons in Microsoft Word to save and print. The ideal situation is for the class to use the computer lab so everyone can complete this activity during a 45 minute – 1 hour lab session.
Days 12-15: Gingerbread Man, Gingerbread Man What Do You See? Book Rewriting Activity
Days 12-15: Gingerbread Man, Gingerbread Man What Do You See?
Book Rewriting Activity
Day 12: Students will be reminded of the two books by Bill Martin Jr. that they have read: Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? and Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear?. The teacher will present the class with their last challenge:
Since it’s Christmas time and we've found so many wonderful Christmas clip art pictures, we're going to make our own book swith the title,
Reflections and Feedback
During a time of the year when anticipation of Christmas often overshadows the learning process at this age level, this unit proved to be one that captivated the students’ interest and attention. It drew upon their excitement and put it to good use in the learning process!
As is often true of this time of year, many holiday activites within the school interrupted the normal routine and schedule of the school day. This unit proved to be flexible enough to teach in 10 – 15 minute sections whenever there were “free moments” available. Some sections could very easily be left out without altering the overall intent of the unit if time constraints warranted such eliminations.
I have previously taught this unit without all of the technological perks! Advantages of adding in the technology include the flexibility to resume teaching with a moments notice whenever time permits, capturing the students’ attention, and teaching students computer skills that they will definitely use and build upon in the future!
Student Work
Student work will consist of the completed five senses labeling worksheet and their gingerbread man book. Student books will be assessed according to the included rubric.
Gingerbread man book - Sample 1Gingerbread man book - Sample 2Gingerbread man book - Sample 3
Related Resource
Teacher Resources:
LCD projector, SMART Board, PowerPoint slide show, Internet access, Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? and Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin Jr., "Holiday Senses" by Theresa Moonitz, Mystery bags for touch center
and Rubric
Student Resources:
Braille name writing worksheets, Microsoft Word or any program with clip art capabilities, Clip Art Chart, Sign language name signing worksheet, Tongue taste area worksheet from enchantedlearning.com, Five Senses labeling worksheet, Gingerbread men book pages
Five Senses Power PointHoliday Senses PoemBraille AlphabetName in Braille WorksheetAmerican Sign LanguageName in Sign Language Wksht.
