Introduction
Have you ever wondered how you know that a flower smells sweet, music sounds loud, ice feels cold, or a lemon tastes sour?
We use our five senses every day to learn about the world around us. Our eyes help us see, our ears help us hear, our nose helps us smell, our tongue helps us taste, and our skin helps us feel things through touch.
In this WebQuest, you will become a Five Senses Detective. You will work with a small group to explore the five senses, investigate how we use them, and create a digital project to show what you discovered.
Guiding Questions
What are our five senses?
Which body parts help us use each sense?
How do our senses help us learn about the world around us?
Can we use more than one sense at the same time?
Florida State Standard
SC.K.L.14.1: Recognize the five senses and related body parts.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this WebQuest, students will be able to name the five senses, match each sense with the correct body part, use their senses to describe objects and experiences, compare how different senses provide information, and work cooperatively with classmates to create a digital project.
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Remember: Name the five senses.
Understand: Explain what each sense helps us do.
Apply: Use the senses to investigate objects and surroundings.
Analyze: Decide which sense or senses would be useful in different situations.
Create: Work with a group to create a digital Five Senses presentation.
Task
Your group has been chosen to become a team of Five Senses Detectives.
Your job is to investigate the five senses and create a short digital presentation called “Our Five Senses.”
Using Canva or Google Slides, your group will create a presentation containing a page or slide for each of the five senses.
Each sense should include:
The name of the sense.
The body part connected to that sense.
A picture representing the sense.
An example of something you can see, hear, smell, taste, or touch.
A short sentence explaining how that sense helps us.
At the end of the WebQuest, each group will share its presentation with the class.
Process
Step 1: Learn About the Five Senses
With your teacher, explore the Five Senses resources provided in the WebQuest.
As you learn, think about these questions:
What do I use my eyes for?
What do I use my ears for?
What can I smell with my nose?
What can I taste with my tongue?
What information can I get by touching something?
Internet Resources
PBS KIDS Five Senses Activities:
https://parents.prod.pbskids.org/parents/five-senses
KidsHealth Five Senses Resources:
https://kidshealth.org/classroom/index.jsp?Grade=pk&Section=body
Your teacher will help you use these websites safely and choose information and pictures for your group project.
Step 2: Become a Sense Detective
Your teacher will provide several classroom objects or pictures.
Use your senses safely to investigate them.
Examples may include:
A soft cotton ball
A colorful picture
A bell or shaker
A flower
A piece of fruit or another teacher approved food item
Talk with your group about which sense you used.
Students should only taste or smell items when the teacher says they are safe.
Step 3: Work With Your Team
Each student will have an important job.
Sense Researcher: Helps identify the senses and body parts.
Picture Detective: Helps choose pictures for the group’s presentation.
Recorder or Artist: Helps add drawings, words, or sentences to the project.
Speaker: Helps the group explain its project to the class.
Students may help one another with their jobs.
Step 4: Collaborate Online
Your group will use a shared Google Slides presentation or class discussion board to communicate and add ideas.
With teacher assistance, each group member will contribute at least one picture, drawing, word, or idea.
Students who are working at different times can look at what their classmates have already added and contribute another idea. This allows the group to continue working together even when everyone is not working at the same time.
Step 5: Create Your Presentation
Create your Five Senses project using Canva or Google Slides.
Include:
Sight and Eyes
Hearing and Ears
Smell and Nose
Taste and Tongue
Touch and Skin or Hands
Add pictures and simple sentences showing how we use each sense.
Step 6: Share What You Learned
Each group will present its project to the class.
Every student should have an opportunity to participate. Students may speak, point to a picture, identify a sense, demonstrate an action, or answer a teacher question.
Evaluation
| Criteria | 4 Points | 3 Points | 2 Points | 1 Point |
| Five Senses Knowledge | Correctly identifies all five senses and the correct body part for each sense. | Correctly identifies four senses and most related body parts. | Correctly identifies two or three senses and some related body parts. | Identifies one or fewer senses and needs significant support. |
| Examples and Understanding | Gives a clear and correct example for all five senses and explains how each sense is used. | Gives correct examples for most senses with minor help. | Gives examples for some senses but needs support explaining them. | Gives few or no correct examples without significant assistance. |
| Digital Group Project | Project includes all five senses, related body parts, pictures, and simple explanations. | Project includes most required information with only one or two items missing | Project is missing several required parts. | Project is incomplete or requires significant teacher assistance. |
| Teamwork and Participation | Works cooperatively, listens to others, completes assigned role, and contributes ideas to the group. | Usually works cooperatively and completes most responsibilities. | Participates with reminders and needs some help completing responsibilities. | Needs frequent support to participate and complete responsibilities |
| Presentation | Clearly participates in presenting the project and demonstrates understanding of the Five Senses. | Participates in the presentation with minor teacher support. | Participates in the presentation with minor teacher support. | Needs significant teacher assistance to participate in the presentation. |
Total Possible Points: 20
Scoring Guide
18 to 20 points: Excellent
15 to 17 points: Good
11 to 14 points: Developing
5 to 10 points: Needs Additional Support
Conclusion
Congratulations, Five Senses Detectives!
You have discovered that your senses help you learn important information about the world around you. Your eyes help you see, your ears help you hear, your nose helps you smell, your tongue helps you taste, and your skin helps you feel through touch.
You also learned that we often use several senses at the same time. When you eat an apple, for example, you might see its color, feel its smooth skin, smell it, hear the crunch, and taste its flavor.
Continue being a sense detective by paying attention to the things you see, hear, smell, taste, and touch throughout your day.
Enrichment Activity
Take a Five Senses Nature Walk with your teacher or family.
Find something interesting to see.
Find something you can hear.
Find something you can smell.
Find something safe to touch.
For safety, students will not taste objects found outdoors.
Draw a picture of your favorite discovery and explain which sense helped you explore it.
Enrichment Resource
PBS KIDS Five Senses Activities:
https://parents.prod.pbskids.org/parents/five-senses
Credits
Florida State Standard information was obtained from CPALMS.
Learning activities and enrichment ideas for the Five Senses were adapted from PBS KIDS and KidsHealth in the Classroom.
Canva and Google Slides were selected as digital tools for students to create and present their group projects.
Teacher Page
Teacher: Natasha A. Greene Cuyler
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Subject: Science
Topic: The Five Senses
Purpose
The purpose of this WebQuest is to provide Kindergarten students with an engaging and age appropriate way to explore the five senses while developing beginning technology, communication, observation, and collaboration skills. The WebQuest combines digital resources with hands on experiences so students can actively participate in their learning.
Learning Objectives
Students will identify the five senses and their related body parts.
Students will describe how the senses help people gather information about the world around them.
Students will use their senses to make observations.
Students will work collaboratively to complete a digital project.
Students will communicate their learning through pictures, words, drawings, and oral responses.
Teacher Instructions
Begin by reviewing students’ prior knowledge of the five senses.
Model how to safely explore an object using the senses.
Place students in small groups and assign each student a role.
Provide visual supports, picture cards, sentence starters, and verbal directions when needed.
Assist students with navigating websites and digital tools.
Allow students to demonstrate understanding in different ways, including speaking, pointing, drawing, matching pictures, or using simple written responses.
Provide additional modeling and support for students who need it.
Encourage students who are ready for a challenge to explain how they can use two or more senses at the same time.
Monitor students as they collaborate on their shared digital project.
Finish the WebQuest by allowing each group to present its work.
Assessment Overview
Assessment will include teacher observation, participation in the sensory investigation, collaboration with group members, completion of the Five Senses digital project, and the final group presentation.
Students will be assessed using a 20 point rubric measuring Five Senses knowledge, examples, digital project completion, teamwork, and presentation skills.