What are the five senses? - Teacher's notes

The five senses are a fundamental aspect of human perception, and they are crucial for understanding how we interact with the world around us. Teachers aim to ensure that pupils are well-acquainted with the five senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell—and their respective functions. To enhance their understanding, pupils are encouraged to engage with educational resources such as the BBC Bitesize website, which provides informative content on the topic. Through these resources, students can explore how different animals use their senses to navigate their environments and survive.

For example, the Malaysian tarsier has evolved to have large eyes that are adept at capturing light, allowing it to see effectively in low-light conditions. Conversely, moles, which spend much of their lives underground, have limited vision and instead rely heavily on their senses of touch and smell to locate food. Predatory animals like lions have honed their senses to hunt, while their prey, such as zebras and antelopes, possess sharp hearing and laterally positioned eyes to detect and evade threats. By studying various animals, pupils can gain a deeper appreciation of the five senses and how they differ among species. These insights into animal biology are designed to complement and expand upon the pupils' knowledge of human sensory organs and their functions.