Let’s talk senses: exploring the five senses

What are the five senses and how do they keep us safe?

As you pass through the entrance gate at a carnival, you can already smell funnel cake, hear laughter of children on the Ferris wheel, and see flashing lights of a nearby game. You feel your sibling’s hand grab your arm in excitement as neither of you can wait to taste cotton candy from the closest stand. Our five senses (to see with our eyes, to hear with our ears, to smell with our nose, to taste with our tongue, and to touch with our skin) not only allow us to experience the incredible world around us, but they also help to keep us safe from danger.

The organs associated with each of the five senses send vital information to the brain, which is the control center for everything that goes on in the body. If you bite into a slice of pizza, and it is your favorite food, your face might light up with a delighted smile. However, if you take a sip of hot-chocolate directly off the stovetop, you might spit the liquid back into the cup out of reaction to the pain sensation that your tastebuds are sending to your brain about the burning hot liquid. Foundational general health information about the body and how it works, including the five senses, is vital for students to begin learning at any early age. For children, this kind of information can spark interest in health and motivation to be proactive about taking care of the body.

How Byrnes can help

The Byrnes Health Education Center (BHEC) has been dedicated to its mission of educating and inspiring people of all ages to make healthy choices since 1995. In addition to synchronous in-person and live-virtual health education programs, www.LearntobeHealthy.org is the BHEC’s fully online delivery platform built with thirteen different (synchronous or asynchronous) eLearning kits.

How to learn more

Are you looking for a more comprehensive curriculum on general health topics like the five senses? With our “SenseAble Me” eLearning kits on www.LearntobeHealthy.org students will not only learn about but also experience the importance of the five senses with our “Simon”. For full access to all of the health content on the website, specifically the ten activities in the “SenseAble Me” eLearning kits (including a pre/post test, puzzle, WebQuest, interactive video, Simon in the Cerebrum, Simon Senses, The League of Extraordinary Senses, Circus Story, What’s That Taste, and Hollywood Head), join www.LearntobeHealthy.org today!