Senses In the City

           By Shelley Rotner 

 

 

           Summary

           Shelley Rotner uses her camera to explore the sights, smells, and sounds of the city.  Children from various ethnic backgrounds are presented as they have fun in a city full of magical wonders.

 

 

Activities

 

1.   Language Arts

 

      A.   Activity      Senses Book

Take the students on a “senses” walk around your school.  Have them look for things around campus that are experienced through different senses.  After returning to class, make a “Senses in Ward Elementary” book. 

           TEKS:         110.2:  4.B, 8, 11, 5G

 

      B.     Activity      Vocabulary Fun      

Introduce vocabulary by using visual clues such as touch on fingers, smell on a nose etc. Other words used in the book need clarification such as skyline, escalator, murals, subway etc. The pictures help with showing what the words mean. Use this book as an introduction on a whole unit of senses.

           TEKS:         110.2:  4.B, 8, 11, 5G

 

2.   Math

 

      A.   Activity      Graphing

Graph the children’s eye colors using Graph Club.  For younger students make construction paper eyes of different colors and graph on the rug.  , and count by twos and fives using fingers and partners.

             TEKS:         11.14:  2.11.A, B

    

3.   Science

 

      A.   Activity      Sight and touch

Collect some objects in a bag.  Blindfold students and have them pull out an object and describe it while guessing what the object is. 

      B.   Activity      Hearing

Find several similar opaque containers.  Put one object in each of the containers.  Have the children shake them and guess what is in each container.

      C.   Activity      Smelling

Obtain several closed containers.  Dampen several cotton balls with liquids that have an odor and place in the containers.  Have students try to identify the smell.

      D.   Activity      All Senses

At end of unit tell students they will be eating something using all of their senses. Pop popcorn while identify hearing, smelling, seeing, touching and tasting. Graph favorite foods, smells, sights, sounds, classify items we touch in categories.

             TEKS:         112.4:  2D;  115.3:  4A;  117.5:  1A;  112.3:  2C

 

 

4.   Social Studies

 

      A.   Activity      How Big is My City?

Compare and contrast your city to a bigger city. Examples could be Dallas, Fort Worth, New York City.  This would be a good time to discuss vacation or personal experiences in visiting other cities.  Have students bring pictures their families have taken of other cities.  Photocopy them and put them into a book.  Have children write about things in the pictures that can be described with the senses.  Add maps to help students find the location of each city.

             TEKS:         113.2:  15B, 16B

 

    

 

Literary Connections

Caple, Kathy.  The Biggest Nose.  Houghton Mifflin Co., 1985.

Fleming, Denise.  Lunch!.  Henry Holt and Co., 1992.

Isadora, Rachel.  Listen to the City.  G. P. Putnam, 2000.

Shaw, Charles Green.  It Looked Like Spilt Milk.  Harper, 1947.

Taback, Simms.  There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Fly.  Viking, 1997.