The Senses: Taste – Basic 2 Basic Science Lesson Note (First Term)

Learning Objectives: By the end of this lesson, pupils should be able to:

• identify the taste of different substances
• describe the types of taste of food substances
• distinguish between types of taste

Lesson Content:

The Sense of Taste: Taste is our ability to know how food and drinks taste in our mouth using our tongue.

The Tongue – Organ of Taste:

• Tongue is the organ we use for tasting
• It is inside our mouth
• The tongue has small bumps called taste buds
• Taste buds detect different flavors

Parts of the Tongue:

• Tip: Front part of tongue
• Sides: Left and right edges
• Back: Back part of tongue
• Taste buds: Tiny bumps that detect taste

Types of Taste:

1. Sweet:

• Examples: Sugar, honey, cake, chocolate, fruits, candy
• Where detected: Mainly at tip of tongue
• How it feels: Pleasant, makes us want more

2. Sour:

• Examples: Lemon, lime, unripe mango, vinegar
• Where detected: Mainly at sides of tongue
• How it feels: Makes face scrunch up, mouth water

3. Salty:

• Examples: Salt, salted fish, chips, seawater
• Where detected: Mainly at sides of tongue
• How it feels: Makes us thirsty

4. Bitter:

• Examples: Bitter leaf, coffee, medicine, dark chocolate
• Where detected: Mainly at back of tongue
• How it feels: Unpleasant, makes us want to spit out

Common Foods and Their Tastes:

• Apple: Sweet
• Orange: Sweet and sour
• Potato chips: Salty
• Medicine: Usually bitter
• Ice cream: Sweet
• Pickle: Sour and salty
• Dark chocolate: Bitter and sweet

How Taste Works:

• Food must be wet (with saliva) to taste it
• Smell helps us taste better
• When we have cold, food doesn’t taste as good
• Different parts of tongue taste different flavors better

Importance of Taste:

• Helps us enjoy eating food
• Warns us if food is spoiled (bad taste)
• Helps us know what foods are good for us
• Makes eating fun and pleasant
• Helps us choose foods we like

Taking Care of Our Tongue:

• Brush tongue gently when brushing teeth
• Drink clean water regularly
• Don’t eat very hot food (can burn tongue)
• Don’t eat too much very sweet food
• Tell adults if tongue hurts or tastes strange

Taste and Health:

• Sweet foods give energy but too much causes tooth decay
• Salty foods should not be eaten too much
• Bitter foods (like vegetables) are often very healthy
• Balanced diet includes different tastes