sensory organ - skin (sense of touch)
Engage: Our first sensory organ to explore is the skin. We begin this study of skin by asking questions we want to know about skin. The 5th grade class has generated many questions about skin which are currently posted in class. We also review what know about the nervous system and how our brain, spinal cord, and nerves work together to gather, process and respond to information from the environment.
Explore: Amazing Facts About Skin
Explain: Videos We Watched in Class
Bill Nye the Science Guy - Skin
Bill Nye the Science Guy - Skin: worksheet
Extend: Exploration/Lab We Do In Class No. 1 - Blood vessel dilation and contraction
1. Put one hand in warm water and your other hand in cold water and wait about 30 seconds until the blood vessels in your hand have either dilated or contracted
2. Now put your hands in room-temperature water
3. How does the water feel to each of your hands?
What you should notice:
Extend: Exploration/Lab We Do in Class No. 2 - Skin sensitivity
1. First close your eyes and try to identify an interesting object (it was a dried ear of corn)
2. Now, with your eyes closed, feel and describe the difference between a smooth index card and a piece of sand paper
3. Using the piece of sand paper, explore which parts of your body are more sensitive than others
4. Discuss which parts of your body are more sensitive.
5. Using the handle end of two paintbrushes, work with a partner and explore if you can tell whether they are putting one or two paintbrushes on your skin.
6. Does it help if the paintbrushes are closer together or a little bit apart
7. Does your ability to identify one paintbrush or two changes for different areas of skin
What you should notice:
Cool Web Resources
50 Incredible Facts About the Skin
Fun Skin Facts for Kids
Skin Quiz - by KidsHealth.org
The Skin - by KidsHealth.org
Study Guides for the Skin Quiz
Here is a copy of the flash cards for skin facts
Parts of the Skin - a handout
Explore: Amazing Facts About Skin
- The skin serves three purposes: to protect us, to regulate our body temperature, and give us a sense of touch
- The skin protects us by healing wounds, producing melanin so we don't burn in the sun, and produce vitamin D
- The skin regulates our body temperature by sweating to cool us off and giving us goosebumps to cool us down
- The blood vessels in our skin dilate to help cool us off - which is why our skin turns red when warm
- The blood vessels in our skin contract to help us keep heat in - which is why our skin turns pale when really cold
- Skin is the largest organ in your body, weighing approximately twice as much as your brain.
- The thinnest skin is found on your eyelids
- The thickest skin is found on your feet
- Your skin is most sensitive on your lips and finger
- Fingerprints are unique to each person and their function is to help us grasp things
Explain: Videos We Watched in Class
Bill Nye the Science Guy - Skin
Bill Nye the Science Guy - Skin: worksheet
Extend: Exploration/Lab We Do In Class No. 1 - Blood vessel dilation and contraction
1. Put one hand in warm water and your other hand in cold water and wait about 30 seconds until the blood vessels in your hand have either dilated or contracted
2. Now put your hands in room-temperature water
3. How does the water feel to each of your hands?
What you should notice:
- The blood vessels in the hand that was in the warm water have dilated (this hand is slightly red) and so the room-temperature water will feel cool in comparison to the warm water this hand adjusted to.
- The blood vessels in the hand that was in the cold water have constricted (this hand is slightly whiter) and so the room-temperature water will feel warm in comparison to the cold water this hand adjusted to.
Extend: Exploration/Lab We Do in Class No. 2 - Skin sensitivity
1. First close your eyes and try to identify an interesting object (it was a dried ear of corn)
2. Now, with your eyes closed, feel and describe the difference between a smooth index card and a piece of sand paper
3. Using the piece of sand paper, explore which parts of your body are more sensitive than others
4. Discuss which parts of your body are more sensitive.
5. Using the handle end of two paintbrushes, work with a partner and explore if you can tell whether they are putting one or two paintbrushes on your skin.
6. Does it help if the paintbrushes are closer together or a little bit apart
7. Does your ability to identify one paintbrush or two changes for different areas of skin
What you should notice:
- Even though the skin is responsible for our sense of touch, different areas of your skin have different sensitivities
Cool Web Resources
50 Incredible Facts About the Skin
Fun Skin Facts for Kids
Skin Quiz - by KidsHealth.org
The Skin - by KidsHealth.org
Study Guides for the Skin Quiz
Here is a copy of the flash cards for skin facts
Parts of the Skin - a handout
Essential Understanding
Perceiving and responding to information about the environment is critical to the survival of organisms.
Essential Questions
Standards
5.2. Perceiving and responding to information about the environment is critical to the survival of organisms.
5.2.a The organs perceive stimuli from the environment and send signals to the brain through the nervous system.
B 21. Describe the structure and function of the human senses and the signals they perceive.
Connecticut Curriculum Standards and Assessment Expectations: Grades 3 - 5, Science, B INQ.1-10
Next Generation Science Standards, Science and Engineering Practices 1-8, April 2013
Lesson Objectives
Key Concept
Perceiving and responding to information about the environment is critical to the survival of organisms.
Essential Questions
- What is the nervous system and what does it do?
- What are the structures and functions of our skin?
- How do the structures and functions of the skin help us survive?
Standards
5.2. Perceiving and responding to information about the environment is critical to the survival of organisms.
5.2.a The organs perceive stimuli from the environment and send signals to the brain through the nervous system.
B 21. Describe the structure and function of the human senses and the signals they perceive.
Connecticut Curriculum Standards and Assessment Expectations: Grades 3 - 5, Science, B INQ.1-10
Next Generation Science Standards, Science and Engineering Practices 1-8, April 2013
Lesson Objectives
- Explain the role of sensory organs in perceiving stimuli (e.g., heat/cold, touch and pain)
- Conduct simple tests to explore the capabilities of the human senses.
- Summarize nonfiction text to explain the role of the brain and spinal cord in responding to information received from the sense organs (skin).
- Identify the major structures of the human eye, ear, nose, skin and tongue, and explain their functions.
Key Concept
- Human skin is structured to detect information related to texture, temperature, pressure and vibration.
- Each sensation has different receptors distributed around the body; some areas of the body have greater concentrations of receptors for certain sensations, making those areas more sensitive than others to texture, temperature, or pressure.