How animals sense and respond to information
I can describe how animals receive information through their senses.
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General
In this lesson, your students will learn how the nervous system allows animals to experience the world through the senses and to react to the environment. The class will discuss the main parts of the brain and their functions. The five senses will be introduced, as well as some animal senses that go beyond the basic ones. They will finish the lesson with a fun activity, where they will match the specialized senses to the animals.
Standards
4-LS1-2
Learning Objective
I can describe how animals receive different types of information through their senses, process the information in their brain, and respond to the information in different ways.
Introduction
Introduce this lesson with two attention-grabbing photos: a woman smelling sour milk in her coffee and a cat smelling fresh fish. Discussion questions to follow: “How are these animals using their senses?” “What sense are they using?” “What responses do you think they will have?”
Instruction
The lesson continues as the nervous system for all animals is introduced and discussed. Explain that this system allows animals to experience the world through their senses and to react to their environment. Continue with a discussion of how parts of the brain process and send different types of information. Students will then complete a labeling activity to review the three main parts of the brain. Next, define “reflexes.” Explain that these are involuntary actions. Continue the discussion by reviewing the five senses. Introduce the fact that some animals are able to detect different types of energy in the environment that humans are not able to detect. Discuss and view several examples of this phenomenon together as a class.
Quiz
Students respond to ten multiple-choice and true/false questions.
Closing
Close the lesson with a fun activity, where they will match the specialized senses to the animals.
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Gynzy is an online teaching platform for interactive whiteboards and displays in schools.
With a focus on elementary education, Gynzy’s Whiteboard, digital tools, and activities make it easy for teachers to save time building lessons, increase student engagement, and make classroom management more efficient.