Senses of the

Outdoors
Science Lesson Plan Grade
Primary
Samantha MacDonald

Grade Primary
Exploring the World of Living Thing with Our Sense
Time estimated: 2 Hours (with time to get ready to go outdoors)

Senses of the Outdoors

Introduction
Introduce the lesson by reading the
story The Mitten by Jan Brett.
Discuss with the class how the
animals in the story all make their
home inside the boys mitten. Also
discuss how each animal has
different needs of the mitten.

Objectives
The objective of this lesson is to
have the students be able to go
outside in nature to spot tracks and
habitats of different animals in
nature. They should also be using
language taught in previous lesson
about senses (what is seen, felt,
smelled, heard, tastes and thought).

Outcomes
202-1: use personal observations when
asked to describe characteristics of
materials and objects studied.
203-1: communicate questions, ideas
and intentions while conducting their
explorations.
100-1: develop vocabulary and use
language to bring meaning to what is
seen, felt, smelled, heard, tasted, and
thought.

Modifications
-If the student has issues with different
texture have the partner touch the track
and describe how it feels.
- If the child has sensitivity to being
outdoors provide a video and have them
base their drawings off the video.
- Make sure that any child with specified
needs has what they need to complete the
task at hand.

Procedure
Science Literacy focus:
This lesson will be an inquiry because the
students will be inquiring about the animals
and habitats around their school.
Activity:
The main activity for this lesson is to go
outside and observe the nature around their
school using their sense. Each group of
students (groups of 2 or 3) will be given a
laminated sheet of paper with local wildlife
tracks and habitats. As a class we will go on a
nature walk and see what wildlife we can see.
The students will be given opportunities to
describe what they are seeing, feeling,
touching and thinking throughout the walk.
Productive Questions:
-Take a deep breath in through your nose.
What does the air smell / feel like?
-What do you feel when you touch the
animal tracks? Are they smooth, bumpy or
flat?
- Why do all of the different animals have
such different track?
Closure:
Bring the students inside and have a class
discussion with them about what they learned
outside (during the discussion write down
what the students are saying about what they
Connections
have learned for assessment). Next have
-Students will be aware that many
them draw 3 different pictures.Materials
One picture
things
including
animal
prints have a
Laminated
track
guides
of something they learned, one of what they
texture
or
a
smell.
Pencils
already knew and something they
wish they
-Students
will also become aware that
Pencil crayons
knew more about.
our
senses
Paper are not just used in looking
at The
objects
indoors but also outdoors in
Assessment
Mitten
nature
Be walking around the class as
the clothing
Outdoor
-Students
become aware of the
students are doing their drawings
Markingwill
sheets
nature
around
them.
taking notes on what they areGrouping
drawing list
-Worksheet will help students
and how it relates to the activity.
understand
Collect the drawings and have
a list ofwhat they already knew
the topic, what they learned from
all possible ideas that couldabout
be drawn
the
lesson
and give a mark out of five on the and that there is more to
assessment sheet how welllearn
they about the topic.
-The
understood the task. Also place astory will introduce the concept
of habitats
comment on the childs drawing
so and animal tracks outdoors.
-Groupings
they know what they need to improve will help the students learn
to work well with others.
on.

Grade Primary
Exploring the World of Living Thing with Our Sense
Time estimated: 2 Hours (with time to get ready to go outdoors)
Extensions
-Allow the students to think and
discuss other things that appear in the
snow and how they would look or feel.
-After have students describe in words
or a drawing what the tracks they
found felt like or looked like

Assessment sheet
Student A Student B

Grade Primary
Exploring the World of Living Thing with Our Sense
Time estimated: 2 Hours (with time to get ready to go outdoors)

Each childs name will be placed in a block and a number out of five
will be given based on the childs understanding of criteria of the
assignment.
Criteria:
The student took advantage of class time to do the drawings.
The student drew three pictures that were relevant to the list discussed
by the students.
The student included at least one of the 5 senses in their drawing.

Grade Primary
Exploring the World of Living Thing with Our Sense
Time estimated: 2 Hours (with time to get ready to go outdoors)
Name:_________________________
Knew:

Date:_________________________________

Learned:

Wished I knew more: