Black Boxes

Essential Question
How do the five senses help us identify our surroundings and environment?

Objectives

 * Describe an object based on its texture.
 * Associate different objects with different observations.
 * Identify the difference between an observation and an inference.

Introduction & Student Background
The five senses that we use to perceive our environment are sight, touch, smell, taste, and sound. What senses do humans use the most? What body parts do we use for each sense? How can you describe an object or your environment, or tell someone what it is?

In this activity, students will try to use sound and touch to identify an object without looking at it. They will be given a black box with a felt cover that they can put their hand into, or shake the object around in the box. Have the students try to describe the object without saying 'It feels like ...' or 'it sounds like ...' to figure out the difference between an observation and an inference.

Materials

 * 3-6 shoeboxes
 * Black paint or black wrapping paper
 * Scissors
 * Glue/Duct Tape
 * Felt
 * Various small objects that can fit inside the shoeboxes

PREP

 * 1) Cut a hole large enough for a hand to fit through (a 3x6 notecard works best) in the center of the lid of the shoebox.
 * 2) Cut out a piece of felt slightly larger than the box. Cut an X shape in the felt and glue or duct tape it to the hole of the lid.
 * 3) Optional: use black felt and paint or wrap the shoebox in black to represent what a black box actually is.
 * 4) put objects in the shoeboxes.

ACTIVITY

 * 1)  Ask students what the five senses are and what senses they typically use to identify objects. Explain which senses they will be using in this activity.
 * 2) Have the students first try to shake the box and describe the sounds that they hear.
 * 3) Then have the students reach inside the box and try to describe the texture of the object.
 * 4) After they get the right object or after a few tries, open the box and show them the object.
 * 5) Ask them what they expected/how the actual object differed from their expectations.

How it Fits to Standard

 * Answer questions by making observations about the natural world.
 * Different kinds of materials display different properties

Follow Up
How do you infer or guess what an object is without looking at it? What is the difference between an inference and a description? Explain to students that when scientists conduct experiments, they stick to observations to describe so that people can understand the results more clearly. An inference is subjective and depends on the person's perspective, so it is not as useful or accurate in describing results.