| Sensory Development
Lesson Abstract |
| Summary: |
In this lesson, students interpret sensory impressions
and relate these impressions to the human emotions they evoke. Activities are
designed to awaken students’ senses to the aesthetic beauty
near streams and their watersheds. |
| GLE: |
SC7.1.B.6, 7.1.C.6 |
| Subject Areas: |
Science, Fine Arts |
| Show-Me |
Goals – 1.3, 2.4 |
| Standards: |
Strands – SC 3, 4; FA 3 |
| Skills: |
Observing, defining emotional characteristics related
to beauty, communicating and refining sensory impressions, using imagination
and senses to define personal relationship with the natural world |
| Duration: |
1 to 2 class periods (50 minutes) |
| Setting: |
Stream and classroom |
| Key Vocabulary: |
Spontaneity, aesthetics, stewardship |
Rationale:
- The development of a person’s senses
and the ability to communicate perceptions gained through the senses
is important to scientific observation and aesthetic appreciation.
- As students better appreciate the beauty of a stream
and watershed, they may take more ownership in caring for the land.
Student relevance:
- Students benefit from developing sensory observation
skills, analyzing their observations, communicating impressions made
by the observations, and relating these impressions to the human emotions.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion, students will be able to . . .
- View photographs of streams and apply aesthetic
considerations when making judgments related to human emotions.
- Use perceptual exercises as tools for sensory development.
- Discuss the cause and effect relationship between
sensory experiences and the enjoyment of scenic beauty.
Students Need to Know:
- The senses help our perception of natural
beauty.
- How we feel about the natural world affects our
willingness to take care of it.
- Appearances can also affect attitudes.
Teachers Need to Know:
- Students benefit from pre-activity perceptual
exercises which prepare them to perceive scenic beauty.
- Students are motivated to learn about the stream
if they develop a relationship with the environment based on aesthetics.
- As students develop their senses, their powers of
observation are likely to be enhanced, which may redefine or strengthen
their value system.
Resources:
National Geographic, Missouri Conservationist
and other magazines
Cornell, Joseph. Sharing Nature with Children.
Ananada Publications, 1979.
Hammerman, Donald R., William M. Hammerman, and Elizabeth
L. Hammerman.
Teaching in the Outdoors. Danville, IL: Interstate Publishers,
Inc., 1994.
Herman, Marina Lachecki, Joseph F. Passineau, Ann L.
Schimpf, and Paul Treuer.
Teaching Kids to Love the Earth: Sharing a Sense of Wonder . . . 186
Outdoor Activities for Parents and Other Teachers. Duluth, MN: Pfeifer-Hamilton
Publishers, 1995
Leopold, Aldo. A Sand County Almanac. New
York: Oxford University Press, 1949.
Van Matre, Steve. Acclimatizing: A Personal and
Reflective Approach to a Natural
Relationship. Martinsville, IN: American Camping Association, 1974.
Materials Needed for Lesson:
Ice water
Cups
Assortment of photographs of aesthetically pleasing streams from nature/outdoor
magazines or nature calendars
Assortment of photographs of aesthetically displeasing streams from magazines
or
Newspapers
Photographs of calm and flowing waters, waterfalls; fast-moving water,
large rocks,
narrowing streams, slowing water (widening stream), slow-moving (meandering)
water, cliff, high stream banks, calm pool with afternoon shade, and overhanging
trees.
Procedure:
Part One: Brainstorm the Pictures Frame
- Ask students to privately make a list of things
that they consider beautiful.
Have students compare their list with a neighbor.
- Ask students to raise their hand if water, such
as a stream or river, was included on their list.
- Have students name 10 words which describe the most
beautiful part of a stream.
- Ask students to write down what they feel when they
see a beautiful stream.
- Have students describe what conditions, both natural
and human, need to exist for a beautiful stream to exist.
- Show two pictures, one of an aesthetically pleasing
and one of an aesthetically displeasing stream; have students make a
list of emotions that each stream evokes in them.
- Repeat this activity in small groups using an assortment
of collected photographs.
- Tell students that they will be visiting a stream
and making personal and group observations based on their senses.
Part Two: Calming, Awakening, Contemplation
Conduct this activity at an aesthetically pleasing
stream.
Calming activity
- Sitting by the stream, encourage students to close
their eyes, breath deeply, relax and calm themselves, just as a stream
becomes calmer as it moves from rapids to slow-moving pools.
- Instruct students to let go of thoughts and concentrate
on their breathing, just relax and calm their minds and bodies.
- Allow several minutes for students to relax and appear
calm.
Awakening activity
- After the calming activity, encourage students to
focus their attention on one sense at a time by trying to awaken each
sense individually and perceiving as many different sensations with
each sense.
- Start by directing them to the sense of hearing (with
eyes still closed); then move to the sense of smell (eyes closed); then
move to the sense of touch. Encourage them to first direct their attention
to touching the wind, the sun, the coolness of the ground, the texture
of the grass, etc.
- Then move to activity touching, encouraging them
to pick up something around them and examine it without looking at it.
- Finally hand each student a cool stream pebble. Encourage
them to hold it in their hand, feel the coolness, and let it remain
in their hand until losing its coolness.
- Move to the sense of taste providing each with a
drink of water (small sip).
- Then move to the sense of sight directing their visual
attention to light and shadow reflections, textures, movements, aquatic
life, animal behavior, and changes in vegetation as it nears the stream.
Then direct them to visual clues of the season, time of day, weather
conditions, etc.
- After the students have been challenged to focus
their senses on some of the simplest forms of beauty, explain that you
will be challenging them to use their imaginations to perceive beauty
from different points of view.
- Direct the group to focus their perceptions on one
animal or plant. Have them examine it in detail (without getting up);
then using their imaginations project themselves into that animal or
plant (imagine you are the animal or plant).
- Encourage them to try to perceive from the point
of view of that animal or plant. What sensations would they feel? How
are the physical properties of this plant or animal affected by interaction
with its environment? Is there evidence of the environment altering
growth patterns?
Contemplation activity
CAUTION: This activity involves varying degrees of
obtrusiveness. It would not be suitable for unique protected natural
areas. For Missouri Department of Conservation areas, check with park
managers or read signs that define rules regarding disturbing the natural
state. Even when these activities are done on private lands, it is imperative
that the landowners are aware of the purpose and extent of obtrusiveness.
Before doing these activities, it would be helpful for the students
to discuss the consequences, including how there must be an effort to
match obtrusiveness for educational purposes to areas which can reasonable
absorb these activities.
- Direct students to become an active part of
the ecosystem and contemplate the consequences of each of their activities.
Then space them 100 feet apart along a stream path.
- Direct students to walk on the trail and, at times,
off the trail.
- Direct students to walk slowly and quietly, then
faster and scoot their feet.
- Direct students to look under rocks, peel back the
bark of a dead tree, and roll over rotted logs.
- Direct students to break off small branch tips of
cedar, pine, or other fragrant trees, crush them in their fingers and
smell the fragrance.
- Direct students to skip or throw a rock in the water.
(Give each student a rock to take on the walk.)
- Weather permitting, direct students to wade barefooted
in the edge of the stream in the mud. (Have a towel at the wading station.)
- Direct students to walk off the trail and find evidence
of animal presence such as scat, fur, feeding, nesting, burrows, and
trails. (Find an area where these can be observed.)
- Direct students to strip off seeds of grasses or
wildflowers, examine them, then drop them as they walk.
- Direct students to throw a stick into the stream
and watch it until it is out of sight.
- Direct students to bring back any pieces of litter
they find near the stream.
Part Three: Closure
- Have students share their experience with a partner.
- Pair partners for additional sharing until the whole
class can share the experience.
Evaluation Strategies:
- Have students produce a photo journal with photographs
or magazine pictures of pleasing natural scenes. Ask them to find or
write poetry that communicates the mood of the photo or picture. Have
them explain their choices.
Extension Activities:
- Encourage students to initiate discussions
with friends, family, teachers, or others regarding the emotional aspects
of natural beauty.
- Encourage students to discuss consequences of their
activities and the importance of sensory development.
Suggested Scoring Guide:
Sensory Development
Teacher Name: ________________________________________
Student Name: ________________________________________
| CATEGORY |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
| Attitude |
Never is publicly critical of the project or the work
of others. Always has a positive attitude about the task(s). |
Rarely is publicly critical of the project or the work
of others. Often has a positive attitude about the task(s). |
Occasionally is publicly critical of the project or
the work of other members of the group. Usually has a positive attitude
about the task(s). |
Often is publicly critical of the project or the work
of other members of the group. Often has a negative attitude about
the task(s). |
| Working with Others |
Almost always listens to, shares with, and supports
the efforts of others. Tries to keep people working well together.
|
Usually listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts
of others. Does not cause "waves" in the group. |
Often listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts
of others, but sometimes is not a good team member. |
Rarely listens to, shares with, and supports the efforts
of others. Often is not a good team player. |
| Contribution |
Routinely provides useful ideas when participating in
the group and in classroom discussion. A definite leader who contributes
a lot of effort. |
Usually provides useful ideas when participating in
the group and in classroom discussion. A strong group member who tries
hard! |
Sometimes provides useful ideas when participating in
the group and in classroom discussion. A satisfactory group member
who does what is required. |
Rarely provides useful ideas when participating in the
group and in classroom discussion. May refuse to participate. |
| Focus on the task |
Consistently stays focused on the task and what needs
to be done. Very self-directed. |
Focuses on the task and what needs to be done most of
the time. Other group members can count on this person. |
Focuses on the task and what needs to be done some of
the time. Other group members must sometimes nag, prod, and remind
to keep this person on-task. |
Rarely focuses on the task and what needs to be done.
Lets others do the work. |
Rubric Made Using: RubiStar (http://rubistar.4teachers.org)
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