BACKGROUND:
Children have learned that they have 5 different senses
consisting of sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell. However, developing
an understanding of each of these senses requires a more in depth study
of the matter and an understanding of the how the brain interprets these
signals.
The sense of touch is dependant on the skin and the thousands
of receptors that bring the information to the brain. It illustrates that
the skin is composed of a bottom layer called the dermis and an upper layer
called the epidermis. Under most of the skin there is a layer of
fat. Certain parts of the body are more sensitive than others.
The eyes are our window into seeing the world. The different
parts of eye, including the lens, cornea, iris, retina, and optic nerve
allow light to be translated in our brain as objects.
The sense of tasting uses the tongue, which can detect salt,
bitter, sugar, and sour in different places. It also looks
at why certain flavors taste the way they do.
The smelling is due to tiny receptors in our olfactory membrane
in our nasal cavity that sends information to the brain.
The ears can translate sound waves into a recognizable form for
the brain.
The brain grows from 13 ounces as a baby to almost 3 pounds as
a 6-year old. Electricity helps spark measures to our brain for interpreting.
It explains that damage to your brain can cause other damage, because the
brain is so important for relaying messages from one part of the body to
another.
PROCEDURE:
- Give students the worksheet. Students should
research more information about each of the senses pictured on the worksheet
(hearing, touching, seeing, tasting, and smelling).
- They should try and determine how and where in the brain
does the translation occur. Each of the sensory organs have ways
to detect its surrounding. Students should find out where they are
located and how they work.
- You may want to have students do search on the Internet
or go to a children’s encyclopedia.
