EXPLORING THE SENSES STEM to STEAM Integrated Project Presented by: Elizabeth Diaz, Megan Gossert, and Patricia Harrison. Taste and see that the LORD is good! How blessed is the person who trusts in him! (Psalm 34:8 ESV)

2015 ECH 440- Final - STEM to STEAM Integrated Project Professor of Record-Dr. Kathryn A. Short Presented by: Megan Gossert, Patricia Harrison, Elizabeth Diaz STEM Learning Centers STEM Integrated with the Arts (STEAM)- Documentation of Learning Theoretical Support Sand and water center (Engineering) Traffic light (Technology) Smelly Jars (Science) Freeze Dance (Math) Cookie Art (Technology) Children will build sand castles while learning and feeling different textures. Children will be able to go outside and run around. Children have the opportunity to create their own smelly jars and become inventors. Children can learn about math while moving with their bodies and hands. Children will decorate their own cookies while learning about their sense of taste. We will know the children have learned about their 5 senses by asking follow up questions or having the children fill out a KWL chart. Jean Piaget believes that children learn through their senses and our activity is based on recognizing all the senses we have. He also believes children are “little scientists.”

TOUCH Sand and Water Children are encouraged to explore their sense of touch through running their fingers through the dry sand, building castles or shapes with the wet sand, and playing in the water. Adults use prompts as the children are playing such as “how does it feel?” etc. PLF Properties and Characteristics of Nonliving Objects and Materials 1.1 Observe, investigate, and identify the characteristics and physical properties of objects and of solid and nonsolid materials (size, weight, shape, color, texture, and sound).

SMELL Smelling Jars Materials: baby food jars and items to smell! Try adding a cotton ball with vanilla extract in it; peppercorns; vinegar; etc. Poke holes in the cover and hot glue the covers on for the children to sniff and guess! PLF 1.0 Observation and Investigation 1.4 Compare and contrast objects and events and begin to describe similarities and differences.

HEARING Freeze Dance Have many different tempos of music and songs available. Play a few seconds to a minute of each. When you stop the music, they must FREEZE! When you start the music, they must dance to the beat (slow, fast, etc.) Also, call out bigger or smaller to make their moves big or small. PLF 1.0 Notice, Respond, and Engage 1.4 Use body movement freely to respond loosely to beat—loud versus quiet (dynamics)—and tempo.

SIGHT Traffic Light Discuss what traffic has to do at the lights. Children will be the traffic and have to obey the traffic lights. Hold up colored objects ( plastic cones from PE, bean-bags, toys, circles) Initially tell the children what to do each time you change the color you hold up. PLF 2.0 Vocabulary 2.2 Understand and use accepted words for categories of objects encountered and used frequently in everyday life.

TASTE Cookie Art Children will be exploring the different tools provided decorating their cookies. Children will come up with designs and execute their ideas with the icing and the tools and create their own unique yummy treats. PLF 2.0 Interactions with Peers 2.1 Interact easily with peers in shared activities that occasionally become cooperative efforts.

Reference Five Senses Preschool Theme. (2010). Retrieved from