Lesson Plan

Grade/Subject: 1/Science

Unit: Senses

Lesson Duration: 1 hour

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General Learning Outcomes:
Student will:
1-9 Use the senses to make general and specific observations orally and by producing captioned pictures.
1-10 Describe the role of the human senses and the senses of other living things, in enabling perception and action.
Specific Learning Outcomes:
Student will:
1. Apply a particular sense 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. Explain how our sense of taste works by understanding taste buds, receptor cells, nerves, and messages to the
brain.
2. Identify the four tastes that our brain can detect and explain which area of the tongue is most receptive to
each taste.

ASSESSMENTS
Observations: While going through the worksheets
make sure the students are following along,
participating, and completing the assignment.

Key Questions/Considerations:
How do our brains detect taste?
What are the four different tastes our brain can detect, and
where on our tongues can we detect those tastes the strongest?

Written/Performance Assessments:
-Completion of the Master #17 worksheet, Sweet, Salty, Sour, or Bitter and Master #18 worksheet, My Tongue

LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED

Resource #1: Grade 1 Topic D: Senses Edmonton Public Schools Lesson Resource

MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

Unit Booklet (Worksheets: Master #17 and #18)

Book: YUM! A Book About Taste
Marshmallows, pretzels, sour candies, unsweetened chocolate pieces (enough for 24 students)
Plastic trays
Smartboard

PROCEDURE
Introduction (5 min.):
Hook/Attention Grabber:
Assessment of Prior Knowledge:
SAY: The last couple of lessons we have been learning about the 5 senses. We have learned what they are (See, hear,
touch, smell, and taste), what body part goes with each sense, how our brain controls our senses through the nerves
connected to our brains, how our senses can warn us of dangerous situations and keep us safe, and how we can
describe objects only using our sense of touch! Weve talked about our favourite things to touch and how we can
identify all the different textures around us. Weve also spent some time learning more about our eyes and how people
who have trouble seeing or who might not even be able to see at all are able to live their every day lives just like you
and me.
ASK: Who remembers what we learned about in our last lesson?
SAY: Right! Last lesson we talked more about our ears, how they work, and how we can take good care of them.

SAY: Today we are going to talk more about sense of taste! Did you know that your sense of taste is the weakest of all
our senses?
ASK: Who remembers what our strongest sense is? (Eyes!)
SAY: Your mouth and nose are connected (at the back of your throat) and they work together to help you taste. Your
tongues are covered in taste buds. Those taste buds contain receptor cells that are clustered together like flower petals.
(that is where the term taste buds comes from!)
SAY: The taste buds are joined to nerves that send messages to the brain about 4 different types of taste.
ASK: Who knows what those types of tastes might be?
Transition to Body: continue to discuss ideas with the class

Body (50 min.):

Learning Activity #1: Discussion/ Worksheet My Tongue
SAY: Those are all great ideas. Sweet, sour, salty and bitter are the 4 different tastes our brain can detect. Different
flavours are created when the brain combines smell with these four tastes.
SAY: When you see or smell an appealing food, your eyes or nose send a message to the brain. The brain believes that
the food will be eaten and it signals the glands in your mouth to start producing saliva. Your tongue also sends the
brain important messages about the temperature and texture of the food.
SAY: Im going to read you a book that reviews what weve talked about and explains more about the 4 tastes we
experience.
DO: Read YUM! A Book About Taste
Transition: have helpers pass out booklets and open up to the appropriate page.
SAY: We are going to label the 4 tastes on the diagram of the tongue in our booklets.
ASK: Who remembers what areas of the tongue go with each taste?
SAY: Although you have taste buds and receptors all over your tongue, there are particular areas of the tongue that are
more receptive to certain flavours.
DO: Discuss and label the tongue diagram accordingly.
SAY: A cool fact: The taste buds near the back of the tongue are very sensitive to bitter taste, which may protect you
from poisons They automatically trigger the gag reflex which causes you to spit out the substance!
Behaviour/ Management HELP: If students are being too loud or Im unable to get their attention quickly try teaching
them the Hands on top/ that means STOP! saying.
Learning Activity #2: Sweet, Salty, Sour, or Bitter? Worksheet
Assessment: Make sure to monitor the students progress.
Transition:
SAY: Now that weve learned what the 4 tastes are and where we can find them on our tongues, Im going to give you
a chance to taste some foods that are sweet, salty, bitter, and sour.
SAY: I will call you up row by row and you can grab a tray and a cup of water. PLEASE do not touch your food
samples until everyone has their tray and were ready to begin.
DO: Call up row by row and distribute. Have the students turn to the Sweet, Salty, Sour, or Bitter? worksheet. Then
pick one of the 4 foods (raisin, pretzel, sour candy, or unsweetened chocolate) to taste. Have everyone taste the same
thing at the same time and then discuss where it might fit. Write the name of the food in the box on the worksheet and
have the students do the same. Continue with each item.
DO: Refer to the tongue diagram when reviewing that taste buds on particular areas of the tongue are more receptive
to certain flavours.
SAY: Cool fact: Different people react to the same foods differently. People react to food tastes out of habit or past
experience. Cultural habit plays a role in determining likes or dislikes. Example- Mexican spicy food or Japanese
sushi.
SPONGE ACTIVITY: Once the four foods are categorized, brainstorm for other foods that fit in each category. These
could be recorded in picture or word form.

Transition:
SAY: Now that weve labeled where everything goes. I want you to please close your booklets. When I call your row,
please return your booklet and your empty tray to the middle table. Ill give a prize to the row I think does this the
quietest! (Save some sour candies to reward to the winning rows/all if they do it quietly.)

Closure (5 min.):
Consolidation/Assessment of Learning:
SAY: Today we learned more about our sense of taste! We learned how our taste buds are full of receptor cells that
detect the 4 different tastes. Those tastes are sweet, salty, bitter, and sour. We learned that our taste buds are connected
to nerves that send a message to our brains. Our sense of smell helps our sense of taste. We also learned that we all
experience taste a little differently based on our habits or past experiences.
Transition To Next Lesson:
SAY: Thanks for being such good workers for me today, Grade Ones! Its almost time for gym, so when (the helper)
sees youre ready we can begin our end of the day routine.
Feedback To Students/ further assessment: while students are in gym, look through the booklets and circle any wrong
answers on the completed worksheets, so they can fix any mistakes before beginning the next science lesson.