Subject
Objective
Description/What to do in the classroom
Things to consider/science behind it
Number of TryScience.org features used
Titles of TryScience.org features
Materials Used
Results of student feedback and teacher assessment of activity
Attachments

Subject
The Five Senses

Objective
Have students participate in a number of stations to investigate how well they can use their senses to determine unknown substances.

Science Standards: (List as applicable)
New York State Learning Standards
Mathematics, Science, and Technology (#1 and #7)
1. Use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to pose questions, seek answer, and develop solutions.
7. Apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life problems and make informed decisions.

Description/What to do in the classroom
1. Break students up into small groups of 4 or 5.
2. Assign each group to a station #1 through #5.
3. Allow students 5 minutes at each station before rotating to the next station.
4. After all groups have participated in all stations, collect group reports and score for accuracy.

Things to consider/science behind it
1. Students disabilities related to the senses, examples: deaf, blind.
2. A functional understanding of how matter interacts with sensory organs.
3. Students are able to recognize the unknowns used in the stations, example:
students are able to identify common smells, such as peppermint, cherrry, vanilla, etc...

Curriculum topics
1. Physical Science (Sound, Touch, Sight)
2. Life Science (Smell, Taste)

Integration of TryScience.org features
Before beginning the game, we enaged the students using the Shark Sense of Smell to peak their interest in the senses, and to let them compare their sense of smell to that of a shark. We modified this activity by using various common smells in order to test their ability to determine unknowns by smell.

In the game itself, we used Exploring with Sound as the activity for the station on sound.

Number of TryScience.org features used
0-5

Titles of TryScience.org features
Experiments: Shark Sense of Smell and Exploring with Sound

Materials Used
1. Station #1 ~ Mystery Box
Materials: large cardboard box that has four holes cut out with socks covering the holes, so that students can reach in without seeing the object; any common object, such as a stuffed animal, to place in the box

2. Station #2 ~ Eye Spy
Materials: Two similar pictures where six features are slightly different in picture one than in picture two.

3. Station #3 ~ Exploring with Sound
Materials: shoe box with, tape, marble, two rectangular blocks, each about one-third the width of the shoe box.

4. Station #4 ~ Yummy (Taste)
Materials: Cotton Swabs, four cups with 10 ounces of water in each, four spoons to stir (one per cup). Place vinegar (1 ounce) into cup one, one tablespoon of each of the following: Epsom salts (cup two), sugar (cup three), table salt (cup four).

5. Station #5 ~ The Nose Knows (Smell)
Materials: Five cups with 10 ounces of water in each, five spoons for stirring, 5 drops each of the following: peppermint extract (cup one), vanilla extract (cup two), cherry extract (cup three), cinnamon extract (cup four), and perfume (cup five)

Results of student feedback and teacher assessment of activity
Students used attachment #6 to evaluate each activity. Teacher assessed activity based on student performance during the game and considered the comments on attachment #6.

Students found activities to be engaging and enjoyable overall, although some students expressed displeasure with the taste station. Several students had difficulty finding the six differences in the Eye Spy activity. In the future, picture one and picture two should have move obvious differences than the pictures that were used.