During the investigations, emphasize the importance of observing safety practices. Remind students to use their senses and the hand lens to make observations. Encourage students to use the class chart and observations to help fill in the individual Senses Chart.

• During the Hershey’s investigation, observe whether students use safe practices.

• During the Hershey’s investigation, assess how students use their senses to observe the Kiss.

• During the Hershey’s investigation, observe whether students use provided tools properly.

• Observe student responses to questions throughout the lesson.

• Observe student responses on the Senses Charts.

For students with peanut or other nut allergies, carob, an allergy-free chocolate, or butter may be substituted for chocolate. Students with severe allergies may need to perform the activity in a separate room (see resources below for an allergy-free candy Web site)

Day 1

Start by asking the class the following questions:

• “What are senses?”

• “What do they do for us?”

Collect the students’ responses and review the possible answers with them:

• They help us understand and describe our world.

• We see, hear, feel, smell, and taste–only when we know it’s safe–with our senses.

Read Look, Listen, Taste, Touch, and Smell: Learning About Your Five Senses (The Amazing Body) by Pamela Hill Nettleton. Various reading skills will be integrated into the lesson. Pose questions to determine students’ prior knowledge and to allow students opportunities to make predictions and participate in discussions.

After reading the book about the senses, allow students time to practice using their senses by playing a variation of the game “I Spy.” Give small groups of students a closed bag with a variety of objects in it. Each group needs the same collection of objects from the classroom or typical home. Each bag should include all of the following objects:

• an object that is hard

• an object that is soft

• an object that is fragrant (tea bag, food, perfume, etc.)

• an object that makes noise

On your signal, students should open their bags and take out the objects inside. Begin the game by saying:

“I Feel with my handssomething…” (describe the object according to its texture)

“I Smell with my nosesomething…” (describe the object by a smell. Note: Model how to whiff the smell of an object to practice safe science techniques)

“I Hear with my ear something…” (describe an object by its sound)

“I Spy with my eyes something…” (describe the object according to its color)

Discuss with students that in the game I Spy, they used their senses for identifying objects. Students that need more practice may continue the game with partners.

Day 2

Note: Prior to beginning the lesson, prepare a KWL Chart (S-K2-8_ KWL Chart.doc) on chart paper and gather all the materials needed.

Engage: Gather students in a small group. Display a picture of the Hershey’s Candy Factory. Ask students if they see anything familiar in this picture. Mention that the Hershey’s Candy Factory is in Pennsylvania. Ask students what they might see or smell at the factory. Explain to students they are using their senses to tell about something.

“What would you smell inside the factory?”

“Would you smell anything outside the factory? Why?”

“What types of machines do you think they have inside the factory?”

After playing the game, show students the KWL Chart and review the chart sections if needed. Then display a bag of Hershey’s Kisses. Ask students to tell what they know about what is inside the bag. Ask students to share what they know about a Hershey’s Kiss. As students respond, record student responses in the “What I Know” section of the KWL Chart. Move to the next section, “What I Wonder” and record student responses. Place the chart in a visible location in the classroom and refer to the chart throughout the lesson. Students will fill out the last section, “What I Have Learned”, at the end of the lesson before a group review of the activities.

Tell students they are going to use their senses to describe a Hershey’s Kiss. Remind students that they will not taste the Hershey’s Kiss now. Tasting is not part of the scientific process because it can be very dangerous. If students are allowed to eat the Hershey’s Kisses later on, do not refer to eating as part of the experiment. (Students may taste a Hershey’s Kiss later, if allowed.)

Display the class Senses Chart on the overhead projector (S-K2-8_Senses Chart.doc). Make sure students notice that the mouth on the chart has a line through it. Ask students to explain the meaning of the line. (Students should say that the line through the mouth means “No.”) Caution students that the Kiss will be used for an investigation and is not to be eaten.

Place students in groups of four. Give each student a Hershey’s Kiss and a hand lens (hand lens is optional). Ask students in the group to take turns observing and describing their Kiss using their senses. Students will share their observations with the class, as you record their responses on the class Senses Chart.

Day 3

Note: Review Day 1 activities, vocabulary, and the two class charts (the KWL Chart and the Senses Chart). Students may contribute more information and/or correct any misconceptions on the KWL Chart.

Each student will be given an individual Senses Chart (S-K2-8_Senses Chart.doc), a hand lens, and one Hershey’s Hug candy. Remind students that the candy is not to be eaten. Have students open the Hershey’s Hug candy.

Show students the class Senses Chart filled out the day before. Review with students how they observed the Hershey’s Kiss and recorded their observations. Explain to students that they will now observe the Hershey’s Hug using their senses and the hand lens, and then record their observations. Remind students that they may use words from the class Senses Chart as well as their own new words.

Move around the room observing students and listening to their responses. Monitor how students are using their senses and using the hand lens.

Have students fill out their “What I Have Learned” sections of their KWL Charts and gather together in a group to review the information they learned from the class Senses Chart and their individual charts. Ask students the following questions:

• “How did the class Senses Chart help you when you observed the Hershey’s Kiss?” (e.g., Helped use special words. Showed us where words go. Showed us words to use with our senses.)

• “How do our senses help us?” (e.g., They help us tell about something. They help us smell things. They help us feel things. They help us hear things.)

• “What are some things that are the same about the charts?” (e.g., Both charts have titles. Both charts have senses pictures. Both charts have words.)

• “What are some things that are different about the charts?” (e.g., One chart has more/less words. The words are different. They tell us different things about the Hershey’s candies.)

• “How did the hand lens help you observe the Hershey’s Hugs?” (It helps us see really close up.)

• “How did this activity help us think like scientists?” (We need to use our senses to describe things.)

• “What else could we observe and describe?”

Extension:

• Have students make a “before” and “after” poster of a change that occurs at their home. Students should draw what the object looks like before the change, during the change, and after the change. Students should also attempt to identify the reason for the change.