Objective:
Students will use their predictive skills and substantiate their predictions.
Students will use their knowledge of the senses to investigate and compare/contrast the opinions of their fellow classmates and others.
Students will make decisions and design experiments.
Students will collect data, graph it, and present it orally to the class.
Students will use their senses to form opinions regarding their likes and dislikes.
Students will learn to suspend their judgment and respect the opinions of others.

Content Areas:
Science
Math
Language Arts

Science Standards:
Standard 1: Scientific Inquiry Process Skills (Standard 4)
S.1.1a,b i xvii
S2.1 iv xviii
S2.2 vii xix
S2.3 viii xx
S3.1 xii xxii
S3.2 xiii xxiii
S3.3 xiv
S3.4 xvi

Standard 4: The Physical Environment 3.1b,c,f
The Living Environment 5.3b


Materials (other materials to be determined by groups)
paper blindfolds (one for each participant)
boxes and/or cups labeled with letters to cover survey items
cd player (head phones optional)
graph paper (see attached)
crayons, pencils, markers
plastic gloves
letter to parents
chart paper
two different brands of soda
water

Prep
1. Send home a letter explaining the activity and ask for any information regarding food allergies. Also, ask if any parents would be willing to provide some of the materials.


Procedure - Day One
1. Review the 5 senses with the students.

2. Discuss with students what their favorite foods, smells, things to look at, favorite sounds, and favorite things to feel and touch are.

3. Record some of the items on chart paper.

4. Point out the similarities and differences between the students choices.

5. Introduce the word OPINION. People may have the same or different opinions about what they like to taste, smell, see, hear and feel. Point out some examples- Davey and Kristy both said their favorite food is pizza, but Lisa said she liked hot dogs the best, even though she also like pizza a lot. Discuss opinions with the students, making sure to point out that there are no right or wrong opinions (If someone has a different opinion than you do about something that does not mean that you are right and they are wrong, that is what is so wonderful about opinions.)

6. Ask students Are you now wondering if your opinions are the same or different from the rest of the classes opinions?

7. Tell students that they are going work in groups to create tests that find out what everyones opinions are when they use their five senses. Each group will be in charge of setting up one sense station. The group will have to decide what items they want to test. Each group will first need to make a prediction of what they think the results will be and why. Each will then graph their data as they receive it from their opinion tests. Each group may test more than one set of items but must graph each one (many will be able to fit onto one sheet of graph paper). The test groups will be your class, another class, and a group of adults. The teacher will go around to help students label their graphs, if needed. Groups will then be responsible for presenting their stations and results to the rest of the class.

8. Provide an example opinion test. Do the Pepsi Challenge!
a. Explain that you are going to test the opinions of the class regarding soda. Make a prediction: I think that the results will be equal between the two groups because the sodas look and taste similar.
b. Cover the labels of a bottle of Coke and a bottle of Pepsi with new labels that say A and B.
c. Have each student drink some of both (with a sip of water in between to cleanse the palate). Have them decide which soda they liked the taste of better.
d. Graph the results on chart paper and discuss.

9. Meet with each group individually to discuss what they would like to test and to set up graphs. Included is a list of possible items to be tested that you can offer to the students. Once the groups have decided, bring in the items.

10. Only one group will do their Sense Opinion test each day, starting on day 2.

11. Groups will present their stations and findings when all of the tests are done.

Note: Children must wash hands before and after the activities.
Wearing gloves when dealing with food is also a good idea.

Possible Materials (to be decided by the groups)
Taste
Two different brands of chocolate bars
Jelly beans (favorite flavor?)
2 brands of potato chips
2 different brands of cookies (same flavor)
or two different kinds of cookies
2 juices (same of different flavors)

Smell
2 light perfumes (spray on an index card first, before smelling)
2 light colognes
2 or more different spices (place in an envelope to smell)
2 or more fruits

Hearing
Different versions of the same song
Different telephone rings
Two different musical styles
Two different drums/instruments
Two different musical notes

Sight
Several different colors on cards
2 pictures - one b/w, one color
two paintings by the same artist or two different artists
different shapes (all the same color)

Touch
Different textured materials (sand paper, silk)
Ridged potato chips vs flat
Feather pillow vs down
Different lotions
Two different shirts [made out of different materials (children will only be able to feel and not see them)]

Evaluate:
Assessment and evaluation will be ongoing throughout the activity and during the culminating presentations.