Feast for the Senses
In this workshop, participants explore how animals use their senses to find food.
This workshop uses interactive sensory activities to help participants understand how animals use their senses to locate food. To begin, they will learn about the five senses and sense organs while playing with Mr. Potato Head. They will test their senses by playing various matching games using their sense of smell, hearing and touch. They will experience how animals see by wearing different types of lenses. Lastly, they will work in groups and use all of their senses to help them find food on a “hunt”.
What You Need
Physical Requirements
- The Final Workshop Task: Going on a Hunt requires open space to put the scent trail and the marsh box.
Introduction
- Cloth bag
- Dog bone
- Mr./Mrs. Potato Head
Activity 1: What’s the Smell?
- Laminated Discovery Mat
- Jars with scents (6)
- Vanilla
- Vinegar
- Lemon
- Flower
- Candy (peppermint)
- Pine Tree
- Plastic or real representation of each scents (1 each), such as
- Lemon
- Empty vinegar bottle
- Ice cream cone
- Flower
- Candy cane
- Pinecone
Activity 2: Where’s the Food?
- Cloth bags (6)
- Plastic “food”
- Fish
- Mouse
- Frog
- Leaves
- Worm
- Fly
- Touch mat (with one of each of the plastic “food”)
- Pictures of animals (6), for front of bags
- Clips for bags (6)
Activity 3: Animal Eye View
- Binoculars (3)
- Bug-eye views (3)
- Picture of marsh scene (2)
Activity 4: Listen up!
- Clear containers (6), with lids glued shut, each with the following material:
- Rocks
- Marbles
- Sugar
- Elastic Bands
- Beads
- Soil
- Opaque containers (6), with lids glued shut, each with the following material:
- Rocks
- Marbles
- Sugar
- Elastic Bands
- Beads
- Soil
Debrief and Final Task
- Mirrors (4)
- Coroplast cards with animal information (6)
- Coroplast pieces with scent-painted bands-aids (4 of each scent)
- Lemon
- Vanilla
- Vinegar
- Flower
- Candy
- Pine tree
- Small paintbrush (6)
- Relaxing sound machine
- Marsh box (blue or green cardboard box)
- Plastic “food” to put in each box
- Egg
- Frog
- Twig
- Mouse
- Snake
- Leaves
- Wool to put inside marsh box to represent plant life
Guide:
Safety Notes
Ensure that all plastic pieces are larger than the diameter of a film canister.
What To Do
Activity prep
- Check the kit to make sure the scents in Activity 1: What’s that Smell? and the scents for the scent trail in the Final Task: Going on a Hunt still smell.
- Tape two copies of the marsh scene on a wall in the classroom for Activity 3: Animal Eye View. Place a masking tape line on the floor to mark off a spot that participants should look at the picture from.
- Before the workshop (or as participants are working on an activity) set up Final Task-Going on Hunt.
Introduction
- Hold up the cloth bag with the dog bone inside it.
- "How can we find out what is inside the bag?".
- Place the corresponding body part on the Mr./Mrs. Potato Head.
- For example, we can use our hands to feel the bag, which is our sense of touch.
- Pass around the bag so everyone can feel, smell and listen for what is inside.
- After everyone in the group had the chance to guess what is inside, open up the bag to find the dog bone.
Activity 1: What’s that Smell?
- Introduce how animals use their sense of smell to find food and avoid danger.
- Take off the lid of one jar and smell the contents.
- Match the smell to a picture from the Discovery Mat.
- Pass the smell jar onto the next person and repeat these steps with the next scent.
Activity 2: Where’s the Food?
- To find out what is inside the bag:
- Feel the bag and describe how the object feels (i.e. hard, soft, bumpy, smooth, etc...).
- Touch the objects on the Touch Mat to see if they match one of the objects inside the bag.
- Pass the bag onto the next person and repeat the steps with the next bag.
- Do not open the bags – the facilitator will open the bags after the task is complete.
Activity 3: Animal Eye View
- Stand in the line and look at the marsh picture using the different types of eyes.
- Start by looking at the picture with the naked eye.
- Next, look at the picture using a bug-eye viewer and binoculars.
- Describe the differences in what you see.
Activity 4: Listen up!
- Sit in a circle and work together for this activity.
- Shake each container and discuss the different sounds made by each container.
- Shake each opaque “mystery” container and discuss the different sounds created.
- Match each opaque “mystery” container with the clear container containing the objects/materials.
- Continue with all containers and try to reach a final decision with the group.
- Fully explore the sounds by shaking the containers slowly and rotating the container in different ways.
- Refer to page 12 of the Feast for the Senses manual for the Container Answer Key.
Debrief of Activities
- Pass around a mirror to look at your taste buds. Go over the four main areas and type of taste buds.
- Bitter – back of tongue
- Sour – sides of tongue
- Salty and Sweet - front of tongue
- Discuss possible foods that are sweet, salty, sour and bitter (if time is available).
Final Task: Going on a Hunt!
- Turn the sound machine on to one of the nature settings. Place near the marsh box.
- Divide students into six groups (or less).
- Give each group a card that identifies the animal they are, the food they are hunting for and the scent they should follow.
- Have groups sit in a circle and smell their scent.
- One at a time, groups should find their scent and follow the trail (there will be 4 scent markers).
- When one group has found their trail, let the next group go (this avoids confusion at the marsh).
- Remind participants to listen for the sounds of nature.
- When they find the marsh at the end of their scent trail, they should have each group member will reach inside and try to find their “food”. If they think they have found it, they can take the food out and use their sense of sight to look at it and see if they are correct.
- If they have pulled out the wrong food, they can reach inside and try again.
- Group members can bring their food back to the circle. There are two of each type of food in the marsh box as well as other food.
Wrap-up
- Revisit Mr./Mrs. Potato head from the introduction and make sure the participants can identify all five senses and their location and function.
Discovery
Activity 1: What’s that Smell?
We use our nose to smell particles that are in the air. Smell can help animals find food, avoid predators or choose a mate. Smell lets us know when we shouldn’t eat something because it smells rotten. It also sends messages to the brain that help us taste when we’re eating. Smell also protects animals from danger. For instance, if you smell smoke, you know there might be a fire nearby. Humans are able to distinguish over 10,000 different smells but some animals such as dogs can distinguish over 200 thousand different smells!
Activity 2: Where’s the Food?
While our other four senses (sight, hearing, smell, and taste) are located in specific parts of the body, our sense of touch is found all over through our skin. Skin is the largest organ in the body. The epidermis, or top layer of skin, contains many nerve endings that send messages to our brain telling us what kind of things we are feeling. We can touch something and our skin lets us know it is strange or familiar, wet or dry, hot or cold, rough or smooth, hard or soft. Our sense of touch also protects us. For example, if we feel something very hot, we feel pain and we immediately take our hand away.
Animals have specialized body parts that sense touch- for instance, a cat has special hairs (whiskers) that sense touch, a star-nosed mole has specialized sensor cells called Eimer’s organs (for touch not smell!) and spiders have hair all over their body to sense touch.
Activity 3: Animal Eye View
Our eyes have many parts that work together to help us see things. Using the binoculars, students are able to see like a predatory bird, such as an eagle. They should observe that they are able to see more details in the picture using the binoculars than with their naked eyes. This is because an eagle’s eye is at least four times sharper than a human’s eye. Eagles have a double fovea – which means they can see forward and to the side at the same time! They are able to see fish in the water from several hundred meters up.
Other animals without such strong eyesight might rely on their other senses to find food. In this activity, participants should see that it is much harder to focus on the marsh picture using the bug eye viewer. This is because some insects have compound eyes that consist of 2 to 30 000 lenses that see only form and movement. These types of eyes help insects see when a predator is around since they can look in many directions at once. Most insects rely on their other senses to hunt for their food.
Activity 4: Listen up!
Our ears allow us to hear sounds around us. Sounds are vibrations in the air around us. We cannot see air, but we can feel it when there is a breeze or wind. Air consists of many tiny particles called molecules. When an object vibrates or moves back and forth quickly, the air molecules around it also vibrate. Each molecule bumps into its neighbours, causing them to vibrate. When the air molecules in your ears start vibrating, you hear sounds.
Participants should notice that some sounds are easier to guess than others. For instance, the marbles are so loud that they may be able to guess how many marbles are in the container, whereas the elastics and soil are so quiet that it may be difficult to tell them apart.
All of our senses (smell, touch, taste, eyesight and hearing) are very important as they provide us with information about the world around us, keeping us safe. Our senses also allow us to connect to the world around us and enjoy many parts of life, such as eating, talking to our friends and listening to music.
- If working with a younger group, you may want to do all the activities as a class instead of rotating through the activities in small groups. Have students sit in a circle and walk them through each activity.
- If you are working with a younger group you can limit the scent trail to one card instead of using four.
- To add complexity to Activity 4: Listen up! have students try to guess how many objects are in the container in addition to the source of the sounds.
- How does sound travel? (Hands-on Activities) - try out this cool activity to hear sound vibrations.
- How do I see colour? (Hands-on Activities) - how is light connected to the colours we see? In this STEAM activity make a colourful light catcher and discover why we see different colours.
- Is feeling always believing? (Hands-on Activities) - get your hands cold for science and explore the topic of sensory adaptation. This activity is suitable for Grades 6 to 9.
- Why do we need two eyes to see? (Hands-on Activities) - ever wonder why we have two eyes (and not one, three or more)? Find how your two eyes work together in this hands-on activity. This activity is suitable for grades 4 to 8.
Workshop modification for groups with many neurodiverse learners:
Feast for the Senses Accessibility Modifications Guide
Web
Neuroscience for Kids - Amazing Animal Senses
Hickman, P. (1998). Animal Senses – How Animals See, Hear, Taste, Smell and Feel. Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press
Kessler, J. H. (1997). The Best of Wonder Science; Elementary Science Activities. Delmar Publishers.
O’Brien-Palmer, M. (1998). Sense-Abilities – Fun Ways to Explore the Senses. Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Review Press.
Attachments
What's Happening?
Activity 1: What’s that Smell?
We use our nose to smell particles that are in the air. Smell can help animals find food, avoid predators or choose a mate. Smell lets us know when we shouldn’t eat something because it smells rotten. It also sends messages to the brain that help us taste when we’re eating. Smell also protects animals from danger. For instance, if you smell smoke, you know there might be a fire nearby. Humans are able to distinguish over 10,000 different smells but some animals such as dogs can distinguish over 200 thousand different smells!
Activity 2: Where’s the Food?
While our other four senses (sight, hearing, smell, and taste) are located in specific parts of the body, our sense of touch is found all over through our skin. Skin is the largest organ in the body. The epidermis, or top layer of skin, contains many nerve endings that send messages to our brain telling us what kind of things we are feeling. We can touch something and our skin lets us know it is strange or familiar, wet or dry, hot or cold, rough or smooth, hard or soft. Our sense of touch also protects us. For example, if we feel something very hot, we feel pain and we immediately take our hand away.
Animals have specialized body parts that sense touch- for instance, a cat has special hairs (whiskers) that sense touch, a star-nosed mole has specialized sensor cells called Eimer’s organs (for touch not smell!) and spiders have hair all over their body to sense touch.
Activity 3: Animal Eye View
Our eyes have many parts that work together to help us see things. Using the binoculars, students are able to see like a predatory bird, such as an eagle. They should observe that they are able to see more details in the picture using the binoculars than with their naked eyes. This is because an eagle’s eye is at least four times sharper than a human’s eye. Eagles have a double fovea – which means they can see forward and to the side at the same time! They are able to see fish in the water from several hundred meters up.
Other animals without such strong eyesight might rely on their other senses to find food. In this activity, participants should see that it is much harder to focus on the marsh picture using the bug eye viewer. This is because some insects have compound eyes that consist of 2 to 30 000 lenses that see only form and movement. These types of eyes help insects see when a predator is around since they can look in many directions at once. Most insects rely on their other senses to hunt for their food.
Activity 4: Listen up!
Our ears allow us to hear sounds around us. Sounds are vibrations in the air around us. We cannot see air, but we can feel it when there is a breeze or wind. Air consists of many tiny particles called molecules. When an object vibrates or moves back and forth quickly, the air molecules around it also vibrate. Each molecule bumps into its neighbours, causing them to vibrate. When the air molecules in your ears start vibrating, you hear sounds.
Participants should notice that some sounds are easier to guess than others. For instance, the marbles are so loud that they may be able to guess how many marbles are in the container, whereas the elastics and soil are so quiet that it may be difficult to tell them apart.
Why Does it Matter?
All of our senses (smell, touch, taste, eyesight and hearing) are very important as they provide us with information about the world around us, keeping us safe. Our senses also allow us to connect to the world around us and enjoy many parts of life, such as eating, talking to our friends and listening to music.
Investigate Further
- If working with a younger group, you may want to do all the activities as a class instead of rotating through the activities in small groups. Have students sit in a circle and walk them through each activity.
- If you are working with a younger group you can limit the scent trail to one card instead of using four.
- To add complexity to Activity 4: Listen up! have students try to guess how many objects are in the container in addition to the source of the sounds.
- How does sound travel? (Hands-on Activities) - try out this cool activity to hear sound vibrations.
- How do I see colour? (Hands-on Activities) - how is light connected to the colours we see? In this STEAM activity make a colourful light catcher and discover why we see different colours.
- Is feeling always believing? (Hands-on Activities) - get your hands cold for science and explore the topic of sensory adaptation. This activity is suitable for Grades 6 to 9.
- Why do we need two eyes to see? (Hands-on Activities) - ever wonder why we have two eyes (and not one, three or more)? Find how your two eyes work together in this hands-on activity. This activity is suitable for grades 4 to 8.
Workshop modification for groups with many neurodiverse learners:
Feast for the Senses Accessibility Modifications Guide
Resources
Web
Neuroscience for Kids - Amazing Animal Senses
Hickman, P. (1998). Animal Senses – How Animals See, Hear, Taste, Smell and Feel. Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press
Kessler, J. H. (1997). The Best of Wonder Science; Elementary Science Activities. Delmar Publishers.
O’Brien-Palmer, M. (1998). Sense-Abilities – Fun Ways to Explore the Senses. Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Review Press.