Fact Sheet For Grades 3-5

How do the senses work? Y our tongue is the sensor for taste. Your tongue can taste sweet, salty, By Elizabeth A. Weaver II & Hillary H. Doyle sour, and bitter flavors. Your tongue can also taste “umami” or savory flavors like meat or vegetables. Your brain collects information, like smells and Your brain Think of your favorite food. What kind of taste is sounds, through your five senses: sight, hearing, collects informa- it? Is it sweet? Is it salty? touch, taste, and smell. Each of your five senses tion from your eyes, ears, nose,

has its own special sensor. Each sensor collects mouth and skin and puts it information about your surroundings and sends Your together skin is intothe sensorone big for picture. It it to the brain. Then, your brain uses the touch.seems This as sensor though passes all of your on information from your senses to help you informationsenses are about working hot andseparately, cold understand the world around you. temperatures, when something tickles, or when you have an itch. Be careful not to touch anything too hot because Your eyes are the sensors for your skin can also sense when something hurts – sight. They can see all the colors ouch! of the rainbow as well as shades Your nose is the sensor for smell. of light and dark. Your eyes can A smell comes into your nose and also tell if things are close or far then special sensors tell your away. Of all the animals in the animal kingdom, brain about what you are humans are very reliant on their eyesight. Have smelling. Our brains can you ever tried to hit a piata at a party while remember many different kinds of smells. In fact, being blindfolded? It’s not easy! we can remember smells better than any of our

other senses. Your ears are the sensors for hearing. They give your brain A lthough sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell information about what kind of are the five most common senses, you also have sound you’re hearing and where senses that tell you when you are hungry or that sound is coming from. Did you thirsty, or when you have to use the restroom. know your ears also help you balance? Deep You also have special senses for your muscles inside your ear, you have special sensors that tell that your brain if you are standing right side up or if you’re standing on your head.

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How do the senses work?

Your senses are working down to dinner, just remmeber tell your brain where your arms, legs,together and head to help youthe understand same. This is becausethat all of your your sense senses of aresmell hard and are. Try to close your eyes and touchthe your world nose. and reactyour to the sense of tasteat workwork. together. You can’t see your nose, but your otherchanges senses in your environment. A help you find it. horn from a car can Your warn senses you are working together to help you about crossing theunderstand road, and the the world and react to the changes in Your brain collects information fromtemperature your eyes, of a burneryour environment. on the A horn from a car can warn you ears, nose, mouth, and skin and putsstove it together on your skin aboutcan alert crossing you the road, and the temperature of a into one big picture. It seems as thoughto pull all yourof hand away.burner The on the stove on your skin can alert you to your senses are working separately, sensesbut your help you explorepull your and hand help away. The senses help you explore senses are a team that works together.you Youreact might to things and around help you you to react to things around you to keep not notice that your senses are workingkeep together you safe. Theyou next safe. time The you next time you wake up, go outside to until you lose one. For example, havewake you everup, go outsideplay, to play,or sit or down sit to dinner, just remember that all tried eating dinner with a stuffy nose? When your of your senses are hard at work. sense of smell is not working, food does not taste

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