Lesson # Animal senses, # 9 Date To be determined

Subject/Grade Time
Science grade 1 75 minutes
Level Duration

Unit Senses Teacher Miss. Carmichael

OUTCOMES FROM ALBERTA PROGRAM OF STUDIES

General 1-10 Describe the role of the human senses and the senses of other living things, in
Learning enabling perception and action.
Outcomes 1-1 Bring focus to investigative activities, based on their own questions and those of
: others.
1-4 Demonstrate positive attitudes for the study of science and for the application of
science in responsible ways.
Specific 5 Recognize that other living things have senses, and identify ways that various
Learning animals use their senses; e.g., sensing danger, finding food, recognizing their own
Outcomes young, recognizing a potential mate.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Recognize that animals have senses
2. Identify ways that animals use their senses
3. Describe differences in the sight of humans and insects
ASSESSMENTS
Observations: Do students recognize that animals have senses (1)
Can students identify why animals need senses (2)
Can student describe how insects see differently from people (3)
Key Questions: What senses do animals have? (1)
Why do animals need senses? (2)
How do insects see differently from people? (3)
Products/Perfo Poster (one per group)
rmances:
LEARNING RESOURCES CONSULTED MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
Alberta program of studies -Cardboard tube (2 per student)
Perkins, A. & Brewer, C. (2010). Through their -Picture: butterfly
eyes. Science and Children, 48(1), 64-68 -Picture: snake
-Picture: insect eyes (animal book)
-Poster or large sheet paper (6)
-Crayons/colouring supplies
-Glue
-Puzzle pieces
-Poster questions
PROCEDURE
Prior to lesson Before students arrive, remove any safety hazards. Place poster/large sheet of
paper, colouring supplies and glue at table groups.

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 Introduction (5 minutes)
Consider: Students sit on the carpet at the front of class (large class discussion)
Attention
Grabber Hook/Attention Grabber: Today, as junior scientists we will conduct an
Assessment of experiment to learn how insects see.
Prior Knowledge
Expectations for
Assessment of Prior Knowledge: Key questions:
Learning and
Behaviour Do animals have senses? (Signal thumbs up for yes, thumbs down no)
Advance What senses do animals have? (most students will think they have the
Organizer/Agend same senses as people)
a Why do animals need senses? (Same reason as people-to orient
Transition to themselves to their environment, find food, escape danger etc.)
Body Do animals use their senses the same as people? (many students will
not know they use them differently)

-Explain animals can have different senses than people or the same senses but
use them in a different way
-Show a picture of a butterfly. Ask, then show how they taste with their feet by
standing on food-no mouth/have a long straw like structure to drink nectar and
juices
-Show a picture of a snake. Ask, then show how they use their tongue to bring
smell into their mouth to smell

-Ask: Do you think insects see the same as people? Close your eyes-Thumb up
for yes, thumb down for no

As junior scientists we will use our senses to make observations about how
insects see

Expectations for Learning and Behaviour: Safety- more around the classroom
safely. Do not run. When I say 3, 2, 1, freeze- students will stop what they are
doing, look at me and quietly wait for instructions.

Transition to body: Listen and watch carefully as I demonstrate how to hold

and use the binocular.
Body (60 minutes)
Consider: Learning Activity # 1: Binocular Vision (people)- 15 mins
Variety of Before handing out the cardboard tubes, demonstrate the task
Learning Styles - Cover one eye with hand
Questioning
- Hold the tube up to the other eye (be careful, do not touch your eye
throughout
with the tube)
Differentiation
for students -Focus on an object on the wall (e.g. light switch, part of a picture etc.)
Focused - Slowly move your hand away from the covered eye
formative - Stop when you can see the object on the wall through your hand
assessment Choose a few students, one at a time, to stand up and show what it
looks like to use the binocular- focusing on pictures at the front of the
class

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 Call students up in groups to take one cardboard tube from the bin and
find a spot on the wall that has something on it that they can focus on.
Be careful to not bend or damage the tube.
Students perform the activity
Think Pair share: think about what you can and cannot see as you look
through the binocular and slowly move your hand from the covered
eye. As people, what can you see? Cannot see? Students turn to their
neighbour and share their answer
I will choose a few students to share their answer with the class

Formative Assessment
Observation: Are students following the instructions properly, holding the tube
safely, focusing on an object, and slowly uncovering their eye and stopping as
soon as they can see the object (or are they moving their hand away too quickly
or too far). Can students describe how people see using binocular vision?

Differentiation
Adaptations for students who need extra help
Walk students through the activity as they try, demonstrate and provide
prompts
Pair with another student
Extension for students with high ability
Students can focus on a different second object while covering their other eye

Transition to activity 2: I will say 3, 2, 1, freeze- students will stop what they are
doing, look at me and quietly wait for instructions. Students have 30 seconds to
pick their own partner, but must pick someone of the opposite gender (after 30
seconds the teacher assigns). Ask student to bring their tube and collect a
second tube from the bin (2 total) and quietly sit on the carpet next to their
partner. When I have the attention of all students I will tell them: Now we are
going to experience how flies see.

Learning Activity # 2: Insect searching for food 20 mins

Show picture of insects eyes, ask, where are the insects eyes placed on
their head, and show placement on side of head
Students practice holding the 2 tubes to their eyes-pointed out to the
side of their head like insect eyes (demonstrate how to safely hold the
tubes and move head from side to side, then have students practice)
In pairs, one student is the fly, the other is the cheese; have the cheese
stand up and put their tubes in the bin
Flies close their eyes, while the cheese goes to stand somewhere in the
room (no peeking)
Flies hold 2 tubes up to their eyes-pointed out of the side of their heads
like insect eyes
Only look through the tubes to find your partner, turn your head back
and forth to navigate as you move around the room
Flies- when looking for cheese think about what you can and cannot see

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 when only looking through the tubes
Discuss safety (no running, be careful, do not bump into people or
objects, be aware of your surroundings- if you see someone moving
close to you, stop until they pass)
Change roles so everyone gets to be a fly and cheese

Formative Assessment
During the activity I will observe, make sure everyone is moving around the
class safely, following the instructions and will give prompts
-Did the flies find the cheese quickly and with little difficulty or did it take them
a long time to find the cheese; Did the flies hold the tubes properly, pointed out
to the side of their head (observations)

Differentiation
Adaptations for students who need extra help
Have the cheese stand in a more visible spot in the classroom, not around
anyone and not behind anything
Extension for students with high ability
Have the cheese crouch down, behind something, to make it more difficult for
the fly to find

Transition to Break (recess)

After recess, in groups you will create a poster to show what you have learned
about insect and people vision

BREAK

Transition to activity: I will call students to the carpet. I will give each student a
puzzle piece and when I say go, they will look for other students that have a
similar piece to make up the full puzzle, and that will be their group. Who can
find their group the fastest? (Get to choose their table first). Once students
have located their group, they will go directly to a table with poster and
coloring supplies and wait for further instructions.

Learning Activity # 3: Group poster 25 mins (including above transition)

Teams create a poster to share their findings (Six groups of 4 to 5
students)
Assign jobs: recorder, artist, facilitator (keep on task), and checker (if 5
assign a second recorder). Also, assign 2 students to present
Students will write their names on the back of the poster
Explain assessment rubric: Poster should be neat and include the
question, answer, evidence and at least one drawing-later presented to
the class
Assign a different question to each group
(Do flies see the same as people? As a fly how hard was it to move
around? How did you find the cheese? How long do you think it would
take to find real food as a fly? How hard was it to maneuver around
obstacles in the room? What if there had been any predators, would

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 you have been able to see them?)
As soon as groups have their question they can start working on it, read
the question and discuss it before you start to record
Glue question onto the poster and create poster around it
Provide a 3 minute time reminder

Formative Assessment
Observation: As students work on their poster, I will circulate the classroom,
initially to ensure groups are on task and understand their question and what to
do, and after that to deepen their understanding of animal and human vision. I
will provide prompts, if needed. Are groups working well together, are all
students contributing, have they glued their question, recorded an answer,
provided evidence and included a drawing? I will ask questions to deepen
understanding: Why do you think flies eyes work differently from ours? Do you
think flies see the same colours as humans? How does the placement of eyes
make a difference in how people and insects see and process information?

Summative Assessment
Poster rubric (see below)
-neatness, information recorded, drawing, presentation

Differentiation
Adaptations for students who need extra help
Students who are unable to write in full sentences can write key words
Students who cannot write can draw their answer
Teacher assigns question based on student ability
Students who have difficulty understanding the question will be given prompts
In handing out the puzzle pieces to randomly assign groups, I could discreetly
hand specific pieces to a few specific students to assign groups
Extension for students with high ability
Teacher assigns question based on student ability
Students will write in complete sentences
Student will provide a more detailed answer to the question, e.g. minimum of 5
evidence to support your answer

Transition to closure: I will say 3, 2, 1, freeze- students will stop what they are
doing, look at me and quietly wait for instructions. Once I have the attention of
the class, I will call students back to the carpet and ask them to sit down quietly
with their group. One group presenter will bring the poster and put it in a pile
on the floor next to the teacher.
Closure (10 minutes)
Consider: Student sharing of posters (large class discussion)
Consolidation I will pick the poster on top and have a student hold it up for all to see
of Learning (continue in this manner until all groups have presented)
Feedback from Students will present poster in pairs
Students
Group presenters will state the question and explain the answer
Feedback to
Students
(I will look at the posters in greater detail after students have left-rubric
assessment)

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 Transition to
Next Lesson Students close their eyes and signal thumbs up for yes, thumbs down for no.
Ask: Do animals have senses? Do insects see the same as people?

Remind students as junior scientists, we need to be aware of our personal

biases and not wrongly assume that all living things see the same as us.

Assessment of learning
Pre-post questions: Do animals have senses? Do insects see the same as
people? By comparing the answers of the pre and post questions and by
listening to the poster presentations, I will know if the learning objectives have
been met.
At the end of class, I will make anecdotal comments to record observations of
student learning (of several students, different students each lessons and
overtime all students) E.g. Emily was engaged in the entire lesson, presented
the poster in a clear voice, and could tell me that insects cannot see the colour
red.

Feedback from students: Thumbs up if you liked this lesson (down for no)
In 1 or 2 words tell me what you liked best (all students)

Feedback to students: Good job today everyone (be specific, e.g. great work on
the poster), I hope you learned a lot about how insects see!!!!

Transition to next lesson: Tomorrow we will be making a senses book.

Everyone will get to make their own book and you can take it home to share
with your family

Poster Group Mark Rubric

Criteria 1 point 2 points 3 points
Neatness Lacks neatness Partial neatness, most All work is neat and
throughout the work is legible. legible throughout
poster. Work is the poster
largely illegible
Information recorded No written Written information is Written information is
information is present present, but unclear, accurate, clear and
missing detail or not good detail is
accurate provided
Drawings Little colour and Colourful, but a little Very clear image with
unclear or no drawing unclear or lacks detail detail and colour
Oral Presentation Unclear presentation. Included some Clearly stated the
Did not clearly state essential information. question, answer and
the question, answer Some information evidence
or evidence missing, confusing or
incorrect

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 Scavenger hunt in the classroom
Divide students into 2 groups: hiders and seekers
Seekers stand facing the corner with eyes closed
Hiders hide cheese balls (crunched up paper) around the classroom
Seekers find as much cheese as possible (without running)
Sponge
Activity/Activities
Who can find the most cheese, group 1 or 2
Switch roles
Write in your notebook: Was it more difficult to find cheese as a
human or a fly? Why? Verbally pair share your answer with your
neighbour
Choose a few students to share their answer with the class
Purpose of lesson
I created this lesson with the goal of having students actively involved in the learning activities
so that they could experience how flies see, and how it differs from the vision of people.
Students who are actively involved in learning are more engaged and learn better.