Includes 5 Different Lab Versions
The 5 senses (see, hear, taste, touch and smell) make fun labs no matter what grade your students are. These labs can be altered based on grade and which set of skills you want to reinforce.
For a quick review on versions: Science Labs – Choose Your Format https://firedup4science.com/science-lab-choices/
Inquiry Lab: How do the outer ears affect hearing?
What does hearing better mean? The students get to decide. For example, detecting the direction, distance, or volume level of sound.
The purpose of this format is for the students to be curious, try new ideas, and generate more questions.
At the beginning of the lab, have the students test their ears as a control.
To design ears, the students cut out different ear shapes and sizes, as well as use different materials.
Students plug one ear, hold their designed ear so that it funnels sound into the open ear, and test out the hearing.
This process is repeated with the other designs.
Investigation Lab: How sensitive is skin?
Do all skin locations have the same sensitivity? Does temperature affect sensitivity? How long does it take for you to stop noticing something touching you?
Let the students choose which factor they want to use in their experiment.
The students brainstorm ideas on sensitivity and factors that may affect it.
A couple ideas include temperature and texture.
The students choose one idea to test and set up an experiment using the experimental design format.
The end goal is for them to see a pattern. How does one factor affect skin sensitivity?
Expand by having the students apply what they learned to a product that is/can be made and sold.
CER Lab: How does sense of smell affect the sense of taste?
Many people are aware that when they have a cold, their sense of taste is off. But, how much does our sense of smell affect our sense of taste? Does it matter when we are healthy? Does age matter? Do our other senses affect our sense of taste?
The students develop a claim through experimentation.
Have students learn about the sense of smell and taste. You can have links for them to explore, a text to read, or have them research on their own.
Then have them design an experiment and test it out.
Afterwards the groups come up with a claim by using the evidence from their learning and their experiment to back it up.
Finally, they give their reasoning to explain how their evidence supports their claim.
Model Lab: How do the structures of the eye affect vision?
By making a model of how the lens in the eye focuses light, students can understand how eye shape and distance matter. Do we all have the same eye shape and size? Do all the eye parts work the same?
What can be learned by manipulating the eye parts to help eye doctors understand and help people see clearly?
The students cut out a shape in a square black construction paper. The shape must have an up or down, like an arrow or a heart.
The paper is taped over a flashlight so that the image is in the center of the light area.
The student stands about an arms length from the wall, and shine the light through a magnifying glass onto the wall.
They adjust the distance between the magnifying glass and the wall and then between the flashlight and the magnifying glass.
When is the image the clearest? When is it the largest? Did they notice any patterns? They record their observations and distances.
Finally, how does this model compare to the eye? What kinds of vision problems does it demonstrate? What are the benefits and limitations to using a model of an eye?
Design & Engineering Lab: Is there a problem?
Each of the senses plays an important role in safety and enjoyment. What happens when one of the senses does not work well? Do the resources available for assistance provide enough help? What if you or someone you know lost a sense, what would need to be done differently?
Make a different scenario for each sense and let the students decide which problem they want to learn about.
Have them research the problem and solutions. The students then make a proposal to either modify a solution or make a new solution. The limitations benefits of the solution are included in their proposal. Examples of scenarios include becoming blind or deaf, having too much sensitivity or too little, and losing your sense of taste or smell. Have the students present their solutions to the class.
Time
Time is always a problem for teachers. Each lab can take one to three days depending on the amount of research you assign and how you want them to share what they learned. I suggest choosing one of the 5 labs to be the longer version that may take 3-4 days. Then, have the other labs be the 1-2 day versions.
Another option is to have each group choose which sense they test. Then have each group make a presentation on what they learned.
The 5 Senses Overview
Use the following link to teach or refresh your memory on the basics of the 5 senses. https://www.visiblebody.com/learn/nervous/five-senses
TPT 5 Senses Labs
If you are in a time crunch and would like to purchase my 5 Senses Labs, check out my TPT store! https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/5-Senses-Lab-Bundle-7618667