A Senses Unit with a L.A. Touch

Unit Theme

The unit theme is: We use our senses to find out about our world.

Length of unit

The unit should take about six weeks to complete.

Goals for the Unit and the “I can” statements

My specific goals for the unit are connected to the Province of Prince Edward Island’s curriculum outcomes. They are listed below under their respective Language Arts and Science headings. I have also connected the goals to the “I can” statements.

Language Arts

Speaking and Listening:

-Express opinions and give simple explanations for some of their opinions

-Express thoughts and feelings and describe experiences

-Ask and respond to questions clarify information or gather further information

-Listen to others’ ideas and opinions

Translated Into:

-I CAN share what I really think about the stories in book club.

-I CAN answer why I think a certain way about a story.

-I CAN share my feelings about a story.

-I CAN ask questions so I can learn more.

-I CAN answer questions to learn more.

-I CAN listen to what my classmates really think about the stories.

Reading and Writing:

-Regard reading as a source of interest, enjoyment, and information

-Uses a variety of strategies to create meaning

-Make connections between texts

-Predict content using text information along with personal knowledge and experiences

-Use writing and other forms of representation for a variety of meanings

-Begin to develop, with assistance, some ways to make their own notes

-Use a variety of familiar text forms and other media

Translated Into:

-I CAN take an interest in reading.

-I CAN use pictures and words to help me explain the story.

-I CAN see how the stories I read share many of the same things.

-I CAN guess what will happen next in the story when I think about my life and the book.

-I CAN write my questions down on the Wonder Wall and journal.

-I CAN express my feelings and what I think about stories in my journal.

-I CAN use KWL charts and Venn-Diagrams.

-I CAN use Compare and Contrast charts.

-I CAN make a non-fiction story about the senses.

-I CAN make a poem about the senses.

Science

-Students will be expected to identify each of the senses

-Demonstrate how each of the senses helps us to recognize, describe, and safely use a variety of materials

-Demonstrate ways that materials can be changed to alter their smell and taste

-Describe ways in which materials can be changed to alter their appearance and texture

-Demonstrate ways we can use materials to make different sounds

-I CAN name the 5 senses.

-I CAN use the senses to help me understand my world.

-I CAN use my senses to keep me safe.

-I CAN change food so that it tastes and smells different.

-I CAN change things so that they look different.

-I CAN use many things to make different sounds.

Annotated Bibliography and Related Readings

Brandenberg, A. (1989). My Five Senses. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Incorporated.

In this book Aliki has incorporated illustrations of a boy using his five senses in various ways. It starts with the boy only using one sense as he smells a rose and tasting ice cream with his tongue. As the text progresses he begins to use his different senses simultaneously. Towards the end of the text the boy is laughing and playing with his puppy, which requires four senses to do so: seeing, hearing, smelling, and touching. Through the text students get a greater appreciation of how we use our senses through everyday life events.

Cartwright, P. (1994). Lets Feed the Birds. Scarborough, Ontario: International Thompson Publishing.

This story entails the things Leah does during a snowy winter day. Her first goal was to the feed the birds but she got distracted and was playing with her dog and making a snowman. Along the way she loses all of her seeds on the ground which does feed the birds. It is a level D reader.

Caviezel, G. (2005). My Own Five Senses. Milan, Italy: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.

This is a picture book that explains the five senses with good detail. Every two pages shows different ways that particular sense is used while also giving hints on how to protect that sense. The texts also have a picture of the inner organ as well.

Davis, A. (1997). The Enormous Potato. Scarborough, Ontario: International Thompson Publishing.

A farmer plants a potato seed which later grows to be extremely large. This causes the farmer to seek assistance from many others in pulling out the potato. Once it is out, all of the townspeople come to enjoy the potato. This a level F reader.

Green, S. (1994). What Bugs Do. Scarborough, Ontario: International Thompson Publishing.

This informational text explains how different insects travel from place to place. Each insect described has a focus on how they use a particular sense. They point out a bee buzzes while an ant carries food along with other examples. It is a leveled C reader.

Green, S. (1994). Cookie Day. Scarborough, Ontario: International Thompson Publishing.

Jon and Kala are making cookies. Jon’s dad decides to help out as they follow step by step to complete the task of baking cookies. This is a leveled E reader.

Hoyt-Goldsmith. D. (1999). Tsmishian Carver. Scarborough, Ontario: International Thompson Publishing.

This is a non-fictional text about a boy named David who teaches us about his father the woodcarver. His father carves many things from Totem poles to wolf masks. This is a level F reader.

Lobel, A. (1972). A List. Scarborough, Ontario: International Thompson Publishing.

Toad has many things to do when he wakes up and makes a list. He is walking with his friend Frog and the wind blows away his list. Frog reminds him to go to sleep, the last thing on Toad’s list. This is a level F reader.

McLaughlin, J. (1999). Millie and Patrick. Scarborough, Ontario: International Thompson Publishing.

Millie drives a taxi and Patrick drives a school bus. One day Patrick’s bus breaks down and Millie helps out. Another day Millie is shopping and needs the help of Patrick who kindly returns the favor. This is a leveled E reader.

Rius, M., Parramon, J.M., Puig, J.J. (1985). The Five Senses: Hearing. Hauppage, New York: Barron’s Educational Services, Inc.

This illustrated book starts out with a girl asking a boy if he can hear the sound of birds chirping. The pair go onto listen to: bells ringing, the sound of music, the sound of waves as well as several other events. The book concludes with an informational page on hearing at the back of the text which is to be used for a teacher read-aloud. The reading is accompanied on the next page of the labeled parts of the inner and outer ear.

Rius, M., Parramon, J.M., Puig, J.J. (1985). The Five Senses: Touch. Hauppage, New York: Barron’s Educational Services, Inc.

This story entails a boy who starts out touching a petal on a rose, which is soft. This is followed by the boy touching the thorn on the rose, which is sharp. The boy goes onto explore his world as he recognizes it through the touch sense. The next to last page explains that you use your skin to touch different things. The book concludes with an informational page on hearing at the back of the text which is to be used for a teacher read-aloud. The reading is accompanied on the next page of the labeled parts of the outer and inner layer of skin.

Rius, M., Parramon, J.M., Puig, J.J. (1985). The Five Senses: Taste. Hauppage, New York: Barron’s Educational Services, Inc.

In this story a boy and a girl taste a variety of things like honey and milk. They use adjectives like sweet and sour to describe what the different foods taste likes. The next to last page explains that the way you taste something is through your tongue. The book concludes with an informational page on taste and a labeled picture of the tongue.

Siamon, S. (1998) A Baby’s Elephant Trunk. Scarborough, Ontario: International Thompson Publishing.

This informational text explores how they use their trunk to help them survive. It is a leveled D reader.

Siamon, S. (1998) Dear Max. Scarborough, Ontario: International Thompson Publishing.

This fictional text shows us a class who is attempting to contact a musician through a variety of ways, hoping that he will come and perform at the school. Eventually through the phone call he is able to come and visit the class. This is a leveled D reader.

Siamon, S. (1998) Jack and the Beanstalk. Scarborough, Ontario: International Thompson Publishing.

Written in reader’s theater format, the story entails Jack making the mistake of selling the cow for magic beans. Jack must take the beanstalk up into the sky to gather food. Once there, he steals a chicken and comes back down in the nick of time, as the giant was getting close before Jack’s mom chops the beanstalk. This is a leveled E reader.

Wild, M. (1994). But Granny Did! Scarborough, Ontario: International Thompson Publishing.

Simon and Susie take Granny to the fair. Simon and Susie don’t want to ride the rides or try some of the games at the fair, but Granny did. It is a leveled C reader.

Wishinsky, F. (1998). Our New Car. Scarborough, Ontario: International Thompson Publishing.

In this leveled reader story Mom buys a new car. The son comments on how the car smells, feels and sounds. They eventually take the car for a ride. It is a leveled C reader.

Wishinsky, F. (1998). At Bat. Scarborough, Ontario: International Thompson Publishing.

The main character is a girl and it is her first time at bat. The girl is able to overcome her nervousness and produce some excitement for everyone at the game. It is a leveled D reader.

Related Readings:

A Picture Book of Louis Braille

A Picture Book of Helen Keller

Science and Technology: Looking at Shoes

Why it Works: Light and Dark

Why it Works: Pushes and Pulls

Why it Works: Materials

Why it Works: Electricity

Classroom Library, Book Additions and Read-Alouds

I want to add The Five Senses: Sight and The Five Senses: Smell to the list of books that will be in the Senses library. They along with the other senses books from the same series will be used during the daily read-aloud session. I will also keep the variety of informational senses book I have in the “Special Library” section of my classroom. A Picture Book of Helen Keller and A Picture Book of Louis Braille will also be placed in the library along with the scientific books Looking at Shoes and books from the Why it Works series. This will help students during silent reading time and allow them the chance to explore the topic further.

I also aspire to add chapter books on Helen Keller and Louis Braille to be used for the read-aloud sessions. Also, acquiring fictional picture books showing how a character that has lost one of his/her senses deals with living is a goal of mine.

Unit Lessons, Activities and Goals

Writing

We will write into the unit by accessing and developing prior knowledge. Students will write or draw what are the senses. Students will also draw or write how a blind person might travel from home to the store. Students will write and/or draw how we can change an apple’s appearance and how it smells. After performing these writing activities, we will come together as a group to discuss our answers. Students will then work in pairs to answer the prompts again. Throughout the unit, students will also have the opportunity to post questions about the senses on the “Wonder Wall”. They will also have opportunities to journal questions they might have during independent reading or use sticky notes to symbolize their questions. Before we start reading various texts, students will also put new vocabulary words in their journals. These writing activities connect to my goals of: students being able to identify each of the senses, using writing and other forms of representation for a variety of meanings, and begin to develop, with assistance, some ways to make their own notes.

We will use the leveled readers in guided reading groups to mainly focus on writing as a tool for reflecting on reading. We will also use the leveled readers and the informational texts in book club to write through the unit. To focus on the literary elements in particular, students will use webs to describe: story problems, detail the main characters, describe the setting, list the main events and describe the resolution. Students will be engaged with driving questions as they read and listen. We will also focus on sequencing, summarizing and visualizing to display comprehension through a Beginning-Middle-End think sheet. During guided reading students will make predictions in their reading logs about what they think will happen next. They will be engaged to review/evaluate their predictions which will lead to the chance of making new predictions. This will address the unit goals of predicting content using text information along with personal knowledge and experiences as well as using writing and other forms of representation for a variety of meanings.

In Book Clubs we will finish My Own Five Senses and the Why it Works scientific readers. To utilize writing as a tool for gathering information we will use graphic organizers, note taking and inquiry questions to gather our information. Also we will use: KWL charts, Venn-Diagrams and compare-and-contrast charts. During read-aloud time we will look at the Louis Braille and Helen Keller stories along with the various senses texts. Students will then make posters with words and pictures that address how they can protect their senses. These activities will address the goals of using writing and other forms of representation for a variety of meanings as well as making their own notes.

The writing out of activities will begin from this point. They will begin to pen personal and creative responses in their journal. In these various journals they will write about: feelings evoked, connect to personal experiences and putting themselves in the character’s situation. Students will also reflect on how the character/animals in the leveled reader stories used their senses. This will connect to the goals of using writing and other forms of representation for a variety of meanings.

After this concludes I will make a Think Sheet where students will respond to prompts asking them how the characters/animals in the various stories they have read used their senses. Students will also respond to their favorite “senses” moment from the stories, the moment in one of the stories where the character/animal used his/her senses wisely. These two activities connect to the reading goal of making connections between texts.

With regards to writing and practicing literary forms, students will attempt to mimic the nonfiction genre, creating informational stories based on the senses books and/or things that we use our senses to understand. The Why it Works series should serve as good templates to help students create informational stories. For using writing to share ideas with others, students will make poems about the senses and we will have a poetry reading where we will visit other classes or parents will come in. Students will also write a thank you letter to Mrs. Sasaki, a woman in our community who is deaf and who has been kind enough to visit my students each of the past 3 years. These writing activities about the senses will address the goal of using a variety of text forms.

Speaking

After doing the unit’s beginning writing activities, students will be able to help fill in the class KWL chart on the senses during community share. Students will also have the opportunity to partake in a guided discovery discussion where students will be asked questions like:

1. What is their favorite food?

2. What is your favorite music and how do you know it sounds good?

3. What sense are we using when we taste something?

Students will also get the chance to listen to different kinds of music and discuss in community share how they feel. This and the above activities will address the goals:

1. Express opinions and give simple explanations for some of their opinions

2. Express thoughts and feelings and describe experiences

3. Ask and respond to questions clarify information or gather further information

4. Listen to others’ ideas and opinions

Students/groups will be afforded the opportunity to speak when groups come back to community share and present charts, webs or Venn-Diagrams on the different topics in the Why it Works series. They will present in a Q and A fashion on the carpet floor. Students will be encouraged to ask questions and to make comments on the groups posters. This same format will be used with the posters on how to protect the senses and as well during the poetry readings. These activities will address the following speaking and listening outcomes:

1. Express thoughts and feelings and describe experiences

2. Ask and respond to questions clarify information or gather further information

3. Listen to others’ ideas and opinions

Students will also be given the opportunity in groups to discuss what the ground rules for book club discussion should be, then present their ideas for their book club to the class during community share. Students will then have the chance to meet in groups again and add/change to their book club discussion rules. We will meet again as a whole group and listen to any decisions that have changed. Each group’s rules will be placed in the center of the table during Book club. This activity addresses the listening outcomes of expressing thoughts and feelings and listening to other’s ideas and opinions.

Reading

My reading activities will be based on teaching children reading strategies and thinking/learning about the senses. Students will spend time in book clubs with the informational texts and guided reading groups for the leveled readers. Before reading the units various texts, we will go over vocabulary they may not know. I will also activate prior knowledge and build background knowledge. For example, in the leveled reader story At Bat, I will ask students to think about what they think this text is about. I will also lead them to think about how this story might be like their life. Another background knowledge strategy I will put into play will be making predictions. These activities/lessons are connected to my goal of helping students regard reading as a source of interest, enjoyment and information as well as predicting content using text information along with personal knowledge and experiences.

A text processing strategy I will use will be sequencing, summarizing and visualizing. I will use this because my grade 1 students truly enjoy drawing pictures of key moments in the text (visualizing), so throwing in the skills sequencing and summarizing can build on their natural love of drawing. This also addresses the goal of using a variety of strategies to create meaning.

During Book Club I will also focus student to make inferences. I will encourage them to draw on their own experiences and to use clues in the text to get deeper meanings of the text. Another strategy we will focus on is analyzing literary elements. We will do this through graphic organizers which will help us better understand the characters, setting and plot. We will also focus on trying to get a better sense of the character’s actions and feelings. We will use these strategies to address the goal of using a variety of strategies to create meaning.

For monitoring strategies, we will use evaluating and adjusting predictions. We will do so because it will give us a chance to see if our predictions turned out to be wrong and to review/evaluate our predictions. We will also use Question-Answer Relationships to monitor our understanding of the texts. These two activities connect with the unit goal of students being able to: predict content using text information, using a variety of strategies to create meaning and the QAR strategy allows room for us to make connections between texts.

Students will also have the chance to engage in independent reading of senses texts from our classroom library. They will post questions they have in their journals to be discussed with the whole group. Students will also be encouraged to bring any knowledge gained during independent reading to their book club discussions.

Science Based Activities

To address the Science goal of students identifying each of the senses and the writing goal of using writing and other forms of representation for a variety of meanings:

1. Students will journal complete statements like what their favorite toy looks like, sounds like:

My favorite toy (food, animal) is…It looks like…It smells like… It feels like… It sounds like… It tastes like…

2. Students will also address this goal by taking their journals and a snack to the local park. They will be asked to consider each sense and to think about what they see, hear, etc. They will then draw a picture and write sentences for things they saw, heard, smelled, touched and tasted at the local park.

To address the goal of students being expected to demonstrate how each of the senses helps us recognize and describe materials, along with using writing and other forms of representation for a variety of meanings:

1. Students will be blindfolded and asked to guess the fruit or vegetable that is laid into their hand by a parent volunteer. The object will be removed from their sight and the student will then draw what they think the object was, along with the name of the object and how it felt.

To address the Science outcome of demonstrating ways that materials can be changed to alter their smell and taste, in groups students will discuss and journal daily a piece of fruit or vegetable that will be left at their tables over a period of days. They will describe changes using their senses.

1. Also, students will smell and taste chocolate powder. They will add water and taste it again to see if it tastes different. Does it smell different?

2. Another activity will be for students to sample a piece of dough and then a cookie. What are the differences do you notice between the smell and taste?

Students will discuss their findings for the above activities, which will also address the goal of describing experiences.

To address the Science goal of students identifying each of the senses and the speaking goal of expressing thoughts, students will engage in an interview with myself. They will be asked:

1. What senses would you use to describe the following: fur, plastic, bird, car, dog, flower, perfume, whistle, drums, shakers, salt, sugar. What words would you use to describe them?

To address the goals of demonstrating ways we can use materials to make different sounds and describing experiences, student can describe in whole group the sounds that various objects at their exposal make when they tap it on their desks. They will also describe the sounds made by spoons, combs and rubber bands make.

To address the goal of describing ways materials can be changed to alter their appearance and texture and giving simple explanations, students will engage in the following interview:

1. Describe this piece of aluminum foil. Can you change the way it looks? How? What does it look like now?

Assessment Plans

As we are in guided reading groups and book clubs, I will make informal observations on how well students are able to make predictions. As students read I will use Evaluation Sheet 6 from Book Club Plus! to monitor student’s ability to read fluently when they are in their guided reading groups, book clubs and also during independent reading. I will check for comprehension of the material in these books by exercising comprehension checks using the reading logs. I will also create rubrics to score how children perform with the various poster/chart activities and share this rubric with them before they begin the activities.

For speaking assessments, I will make anecdotal recordings of how students are discussing the topics in book club and guided reading groups. Students will also use the rubric they made for book club discussions to measure how well they are performing at the end of each book club discussion. Students will make a rubric to measure their ability to speak during the poetry readings. This rubric will also be used to measure how the students perform during their presentations of KWL charts and Venn-Diagrams. I will also use anecdotal recording to measure how well students contribute to community share classroom discussions.

For the science activity where children change cocoa powder and try dough before tasting a cookie, I will make a rubric for how well students are able to express their ideas. Exceeding the benchmark will be shown as the ability to clearly explain how the material has changed. Meeting the benchmark will be shown as the ability to simply explain how the material has changed. Working on the benchmark will be shown as not able or having difficulty in explaining how the material has changed.

For a summative assessment of the science goal of students identifying each of the senses and the speaking goal of expressing thoughts, students will engage in an interview where their performance will be graded via a rubric. The benchmark for exceeding expectations will show the student being able to identify each of the senses with ease while using a variety of adjectives with ease to describe the objects. The benchmark for meeting expectations will show the students being able to identify each of the senses while using simple adjectives to describe the objects. The working on the benchmark standard will show the student struggling to identify each of the senses and in describing the objects with their senses.

Students will also engage in interview to demonstrate ways we can use materials to make different sounds. They will do so with regards to how materials can be changed to alter their appearance and texture. I will use a checklist to assess whether their answers meet the outcomes.

With regards to sharing students’ progress with parents, I am lucky in the sense that the PYP program emphasizes the importance of students sharing portfolios with parents during report card time. Also, on our report cards there is a special space for the PYP units and I will be able to report how students performed with regards to the reading, writing and speaking activities in the unit.