Lesson Plan
Discovering My Senses Lesson Plan
Help the student identify and understand his or her sensory preferences through 9 engaging, individualized sessions while connecting these experiences to emotions.
This lesson supports sensory integration, self-awareness, and emotional understanding in kindergarten students, allowing them to explore how different senses influence feelings.
Audience
Kindergarten Student
Time
9 x 30 minutes sessions
Approach
Individual, engaging, and multi-modal activities with emotional reflection.
Materials
Discovering My Senses Lesson Plan, Worksheet, Discussion Guide, Activity Cards, Sensory Game Materials, and Warm Up Music and Movements
Prep
Pre-Class Preparation
30 minutes
- Review the Discovering My Senses Lesson Plan for session outlines.
- Gather and prepare all materials including worksheets, discussion guides, activity cards, and game supplies.
- Set up a quiet and engaging space for individual sensory exploration.
- Ensure warm up music and movement instructions are accessible for each session.
- Prepare prompts and visuals that connect sensory experiences to emotions.
Step 1
Session 1: Introduction and Warm-Up
30 minutes
- Begin with a simple warm-up using music and movement to activate the senses.
- Introduce the five senses with visual aids.
- Conduct a brief discussion asking the student which senses they notice first in their daily activities.
- Use an introductory worksheet to review the senses.
Step 2
Session 2: Exploring Touch
30 minutes
- Warm-up with a movement activity focusing on feeling differences (soft, hard, rough).
- Provide tactile activity cards and a worksheet to identify textures.
- Discuss how the sense of touch helps us understand our environment.
- Play a sensory game that matches objects with textures.
Step 3
Session 3: Discovering Sight
30 minutes
- Start with a visual warm-up (looking at colorful images).
- Guide the student through activities that emphasize observing and comparing colors and shapes.
- Use a worksheet that includes matching and sorting based on visual cues.
- Engage in a discussion about what they like to look at.
Step 4
Session 4: Listening and Hearing
30 minutes
- Begin with a warm-up of sound (e.g., clapping, soft music).
- Conduct a sound identification activity using different audio clips or objects.
- Complete a worksheet where the student matches sounds to their sources.
- Discuss how hearing helps us communicate and learn.
Step 5
Session 5: Tasting and Smelling
30 minutes
- Warm-up by discussing favorite smells and tastes.
- Use safe, real samples (like fruits or scented items) for exploring taste and smell.
- Provide an activity sheet that highlights differences between tastes and aromas.
- Engage in a conversation about how these senses contribute to enjoying food.
Step 6
Session 6: Combining the Senses
30 minutes
- Begin with a full sensory warm-up (a brief review of all five senses).
- Organize a multi-sensory activity that prompts the student to use more than one sense at a time (e.g., matching textures with sounds).
- Complete a combined senses worksheet.
- Discuss how using multiple senses can help in everyday situations.
Step 7
Session 7: Sensory Preferences Discussion
30 minutes
- Warm-up with a gentle stretching or mindful movement exercise.
- Facilitate a discussion where the student identifies which senses they enjoy the most and why.
- Have the student share experiences using a visual chart (worksheet support).
- Introduce questions about how certain sensations make them feel (happy, calm, excited, etc.) and encourage follow-up questions.
Step 8
Session 8: Game-Based Sensory Exploration
30 minutes
- Warm-up with a fun, energetic activity.
- Play a sensory game that requires the student to match sensory clues to corresponding actions or items.
- Review the sensory concepts in a playful context.
- Use discussion prompts afterwards to reflect on the activity, including how each sense might influence feelings.
Step 9
Session 9: Review, Reflection, and Emotions
30 minutes
- Start with a calming warm-up and recapitulation of the five senses.
- Guide the student through a final worksheet that reviews all sensory experiences explored, including prompts to reflect on their emotional reactions to each sense.
- Discuss what was learned and have the student express their sensory preferences along with how these experiences make them feel using simple verbal or visual cues.
- Conclude with a reflective game that reinforces key concepts and emotional connections in an enjoyable way.
Worksheet
Sensory Exploration Worksheet
This worksheet is designed to help you explore and understand your five senses. Complete each activity as you learn about touch, sight, hearing, taste, and smell.
Activity 1: Identifying the Senses
Look at the pictures of different objects and think about which sense you use to explore each one. Write the sense you use next to each object.
- Soft teddy bear - Sense: __________
- Colorful painting - Sense: __________
- Loud drum - Sense: __________
- Yummy fruit - Sense: __________
- Flowery garden - Sense: __________
Activity 2: Matching Textures
Draw a line from each texture word to the picture that shows a similar texture.
- Soft
- Rough
- Smooth
- Bumpy
[Space for pictures or teacher provided drawings]
Activity 3: Sorting Colors and Shapes
Cut out the shapes (if provided) and glue them in two groups: one for objects with the same color and one for objects that are similar in shape. Explain your choices in your own words below:
Explanation:
Activity 4: Sound Matching
Listen carefully to the sounds played by your teacher or from the audio clips. Write down what you think each sound is.
Sound 1: __________
Sound 2: __________
Sound 3: __________
Activity 5: Taste and Smell Sensing
Take a moment to explore a safe-tasting food or a scented item provided by your teacher. How would you describe the taste or smell? Write or draw your answer below:
Taste/Smell Description:
Reflection: My Favorite Sense
Which sense do you think is your favorite, and why? Use this space to draw or write about it:
Favorite Sense: __________
Why?
Remember to check with your teacher if you have any questions. Enjoy exploring your senses!
Discussion
Sensory Preferences Discussion Guide
This discussion is designed to help you explore and talk about your sensory preferences. Follow the prompts below and share your thoughts about your senses. Use the space after each question to write or draw your ideas.
Introduction
- Let's start by talking about our five senses: touch, sight, hearing, taste, and smell. What do you notice when you use these senses in your day-to-day activities?
Discussion Prompts
1. Exploring Your Senses
- Which of your senses do you feel you use the most? Why do you think that is?
- Can you share a time when one of your senses, like taste or hearing, made you feel really happy or surprised?
2. Favorite and Least Favorite Senses
- Out of all your senses, which one is your favorite? What makes it special to you?
- Is there a sense that you don't enjoy using as much? What makes it less fun or useful for you?
3. How Your Senses Help You
- How do you think your senses help you learn new things every day? For example, how does sight help you with colors or shapes?
- Do you feel that using more than one sense at a time (like touching and seeing) helps you understand things better? Can you give an example?
Follow-Up Questions
- If you could change one thing about how you experience the world through your senses, what would it be?
- What kind of activities do you enjoy that use your senses a lot?
Reflection
Take a moment to think about what you learned from our chat today. Draw or write about one new thing you discovered about your senses.
Remember, there are no right or wrong answers. We just want to hear about your unique experiences with your senses!
Activity
Sensory Activity Cards
These cards are designed to give you fun, hands-on tasks to explore your senses. Each card has a simple activity or challenge that helps you use one of your five senses. Follow the instructions on each card and enjoy discovering more about how you sense the world around you!
How to Use the Cards
-
Pick a Card: Each card focuses on one of your five senses — touch, sight, hearing, taste, or smell.
-
Follow the Instructions: Each card has a simple task. Read the instructions and complete the activity. For example, one card might ask you to feel and compare different textures, while another might have you listen carefully to a variety of sounds.
-
Discuss Your Experience: After you complete the task, think about what you felt, saw, heard, tasted, or smelled. You can talk about it with your teacher or draw your favorite part on the back of the card.
Example Activity Cards
Touch Card
- Activity: Feel these objects: a soft cloth, a rough sponge, and a smooth stone.
- Prompt: Which object feels the nicest? Write or draw your answer.
Sight Card
- Activity: Look at a colorful picture. What shapes and colors do you see?
- Prompt: What do you notice? Share your thoughts by drawing or writing.
Hearing Card
- Activity: Listen carefully as different sounds are played (like a bell, a clap, or soft music).
- Prompt: Which sound do you like the most? Write it down or draw it.
Taste Card
- Activity: Try a small sample of a sweet fruit (with your teacher's help).
- Prompt: How does the fruit taste? Describe or draw your experience.
Smell Card
- Activity: Smell a scented item, like a flower or a spice.
- Prompt: What does it remind you of? Write your thoughts or draw a picture.
These cards can be used during different sessions of the lesson to make sensory exploration fun and interactive. Enjoy your sensory adventure and keep exploring your amazing senses!
Game
Sensory Matching Game
This is a fun, interactive game designed to help you match sensory clues with the objects or actions they describe. The game will reinforce your understanding of the five senses in a playful way.
How to Play
-
Get Ready: Make sure you're in a comfy space with your teacher. You might use prepared cards or pictures that show different objects, textures, sounds, tastes, or smells.
-
Pick a Clue: Your teacher will show you a card with a sensory clue, for example, "I feel soft and cuddly" or "I make a loud sound like a drum."
-
Match the Sensation: Look at the other cards or objects and decide which one matches the clue. For instance, match "soft and cuddly" with a teddy bear, or match "loud sound" with a drum image.
-
Check Your Match: After making your choice, discuss with your teacher why you think it’s the right match. This helps you think about how each sense works.
-
Repeat: Continue matching using different clues until all the cards have been matched correctly.
Game Materials
- Sensory clue cards (text or pictures)
- Object or action cards (corresponding images or real items)
- A flat play area to spread out the cards
Game Objectives
- Improve understanding of the five senses: touch, sight, hearing, taste, and smell.
- Encourage critical thinking and reasoning by matching clues to appropriate objects.
- Create a fun and engaging environment for sensory exploration.
Have fun playing, exploring your senses, and learning through play!
Warm Up
Sensory Warm-Up Activities
Begin each session with fun physical and sensory exercises that warm up your body and mind!
Warm-Up Routine
1. Movement and Music (3-5 minutes)
- Activity: Play soft, upbeat music. Encourage the student to move freely, stretch, and even dance a little. This movement helps wake up the body and focus the mind on the day ahead.
2. Sensory Scan (3 minutes)
- Activity: Guide the student through a quick check-in on their five senses:
- Sight: Look around the room and notice one new color or shape.
- Hearing: Listen to the sounds in the room — is there a soft hum, the rustle of papers, or distant chatter?
- Touch: Feel the texture of the table or a nearby object.
- Smell: Take a gentle sniff of the air or a familiar scent around them.
- Taste: Imagine a favorite flavor, like a sweet fruit or a tangy snack.
- Sight: Look around the room and notice one new color or shape.
3. Focus and Relaxation (2 minutes)
- Activity: End the warm-up with a simple breathing exercise. Ask the student to breathe in deeply through their nose and exhale slowly through their mouth. This helps calm the mind and prepare for the sensory learning activities ahead.
Encourage the student to notice how their body feels and to mention if any particular movement or sound makes them feel extra happy or relaxed.
Slide Deck
Welcome to Discovering My Senses!
Interactive Elements:
- Clickable icons for each of the five senses (touch, sight, hearing, taste, smell).
- A simple prompt: 'Which sense do you notice first when you wake up?'
Introduce the lesson by welcoming the student. Explain that today's session will help them explore their senses and see how these senses make them feel. Encourage the student to interact with the images and prompts on the slide.
Session 1: Introduction and Warm-Up
Interactive Elements:
- Visual tour with images for each sense.
- Clickable areas that play a short sound or show a visual effect.
- Prompt: 'What do you feel first? Touch, Sight, Hearing, Taste, or Smell?'
For Session 1: Introduction and Warm-Up. Use warm-up music if available and invite the student to click on visuals representing each sense. Ask them to choose which one they feel drawn to at that moment.
Session 2: Exploring Touch
Interactive Elements:
- Touch simulation: Swipe through images showing different textures (soft, rough, bumpy).
- Activity prompt: 'Drag and drop to match textures with objects.'
- Emotional connection prompt: 'How does this texture make you feel?'
For Session 2 focusing on Touch. Highlight textures through interactive images and animations. Ask the student to explore and select which texture feels the nicest.
Session 3: Discovering Sight
Interactive Elements:
- Clickable color wheels and shape match-up games.
- Prompt: 'Explore the slide and tap on your favorite color or shape!'
- Follow-up question: 'How does this image make you feel?'
For Session 3 on Sight. Use vibrant images to emphasize differences in color and shape. Encourage discussion on favorite colors and visual details.
Session 4: Listening and Hearing
Interactive Elements:
- Audio play buttons for different sounds.
- Matching game: Drag sound icons to the correct image (drum, bell, etc.).
- Discussion prompt: 'Which sound makes you feel happy or calm?'
For Session 4 with a focus on Listening. Incorporate audio clips with questions to match sounds to sources. Encourage the student to listen carefully.
Session 5: Tasting and Smelling
Interactive Elements:
- Clickable images of fruits and scented items.
- Prompt: 'Select the image that makes your mouth water or reminds you of a lovely smell.'
- Emotional prompt: 'What feelings do these tastes or smells bring up?'
For Session 5 exploring Taste and Smell. Engage the student with images and prompts that evoke sensations like yummy fruits or pleasant scents.
Session 6: Combining the Senses
Interactive Elements:
- A mini game that combines two or more senses (e.g., matching textures with sounds).
- Interactive quiz: 'Which combination of senses helps you understand your environment better?'
- Follow-up: 'How do these combinations make you feel?'
For Session 6: Combining the Senses. Present interactive scenarios where multiple senses are activated. Encourage the student to make connections between different sensory experiences.
Session 7: Sensory Preferences & Emotions
Interactive Elements:
- Visual charts with interactive icons that the student can tap to indicate their preferences.
- Prompt: 'Tap on the sense you love the most and share a feeling it gives you (e.g., happy, calm, excited)!'
- Space to draw or record a brief response.
For Session 7: Sensory Preferences Discussion. Use visuals and charts to invite the student to share which senses they prefer and how they connect to their emotions.
Session 8: Interactive Sensory Matching Game
Interactive Elements:
- Drag-and-drop sensory clues onto matching object images.
- A timer or score display for playful competition.
- Follow-up prompt: 'Tell me how matching these clues made you feel!'
For Session 8: Game-Based Sensory Exploration. This slide offers a fun sensory matching game. Ensure the student is comfortable with the interactive clues.
Session 9: Review, Reflection, & Emotions
Interactive Elements:
- A review carousel that shows images and interactive summaries of each sense.
- Reflection prompt: 'Which sense do you like best and why? How does it make you feel?'
- Space for digital drawing or recording a short video message to express feelings.
For Session 9: Review and Reflection. Recap all the senses and the experience of connecting them to emotions. Invite the student to reflect on what they learned.