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Paws Point 5Exploring The Sense Of TouchInspector Paws Science Enquiry Resource

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Contents

Teacher’s Notes 2

• Teacher’s Summary 2

• Classroom Activities Summary 2

• Support Materials Summary 2

• The Naked Facts About Skin 3

Classroom Activities 5

• Science Enquiry 1: Thermostatic Control 5

• Science Enquiry 2: Touch Detectives 6 • Science Enquiry 3: Guess What? 7

• Science Enquiry 4: A Dog’s Coat? 7

Support Materials 7

• Hair Of The Dog Factsheet 8 • A Dog’s Coat (Photography of dogs and their 9

coats, Pupil Sheet: Science Enquiry 4)

• A Dog’s Coat (Pupil Sheet: Science Enquiry 4) 10

• Top Tips For Dog Grooming (Pupil Sheet: Science Enquiry 4) 11

www.learnwithdogs.co.uk

Paws Point 5Exploring The Sense Of Touch

1Paws Point 5 - Exploring The Sense Of Touch

Teacher’s Notes

Teacher’s Summary

Suited more towards upper Key Stage 2 (ages 9 to 11) this section of the resource provides an in-depth look at touch using scientific enquiry and practical investigations to support pupil’s exploration of the sensory nature of our skin and a dog’s coat.

The naked facts about skin – provides detailed factual information on our skin and its corresponding sense of touch, providing background information to support the teaching and learning objectives for touch activities. Use these to develop your own knowledge and understanding and or support topic delivery as required.

Classroom Activities Summary

Science Enquiry 1: Thermostatic Control (pre-session preparation required)Practical activity to support pupil’s investigation of observable skin changes in response to changes in temperature, complemented by comprehensive teacher’s notes.

Science Enquiry 2: Touch Detectives (pre-session preparation required)Fun activity to focus pupil’s investigations on information gathered using only their sense of touch. This activity is suitable for use across the whole age range (7-11) using a differentiated range of tactile materials to prompt wider discussion.

Science Enquiry 3: Guess What? (no preparation required)Another fun activity to focus pupil’s investigations on information gathered using only their sense of touch. This activity is suitable for use across the whole age range (7-11) and when used in conjunction with the Touch Detectives activity, encourages pupils to consider how the sensitivity of their sense of touch differs across different areas of their skin, with the finger tips being the most sensitive area of touch.

Science Enquiry 4: A Dog’s Coat (photocopied worksheets required)Pupils will explore different coat lengths, styles and thickness, their purpose, differences and similarities using photography and descriptions. Pupils use what they have learned to sort dogs into groups based on coat length and type.

Support Materials Summary

Hair Of The Dog FactsheetProvides a photocopiable fun fact filled collection of statements about both human and canine sense of touch for sorting, comparison and discussion.



Background Information

Using the activities and factsheets in this section pupils will learn all about the sense of touch.

As you can see from the end of the Inspector Paws film clip, dogs love to be stroked and groomed and need touch to reinforce their position in a family or pack, just like humans use their sense of touch to explore their surroundings and communicate feelings to others.

The Naked Facts About Skin

An animal’s biggest organ is its skin. You might not think of skin as an organ, but no matter how you think of it, skin is very important.

An animal’s skin covers and protects everything inside its body. Without skin, your muscles, bones, and organs would be hanging out all over the place. Skin holds everything together.

Skin:

• protects our bodies

• helps keep our bodies at just the right temperature

• allows us to have the sense of touch.

• is made up of three layers, each with its own important parts. The layer on the outside is called the epidermis, this is the part of your skin you can see.

Layer 1: EpidermisAt the bottom of the epidermis, new skin cells are forming continuously. When the cells are ready, they start moving towards the top of the epidermis. This trip takes about 2 weeks to a month. As newer cells continue to move up, older cells near the top die and rise to the surface of the skin. The cells on the surface of the skin that are old cells are tough and strong, just right for covering your body and protecting it. But they only stick around for a little while. Soon, they’ll flake off as microscopic particles of dead skin. Though you can’t see it happening, every minute of the day humans lose about 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells off the surface of our skin.

Skin also contains a substance called melanin, which gives skin and hair its colour or pigment. The darker your skin and hair, the more melanin you have. A person with brown or black hair has much more melanin than someone with blonde or red hair. Older people lose the melanin pigment in their hair as they age, making their hair look grey or white.

When you go out into the sun, your skin cells make extra melanin to protect you from getting burned by the sun’s ultraviolet or UV rays. That’s why your skin gets darker if you spend a lot of time in the sun.



Layer 2: The DermisThe next layer down is called the dermis. This contains nerve endings, blood vessels, oil glands, and sweat glands. It also contains collagen and elastin, which are tough and stretchy. Allowing you to pinch your skin without causing damage to the tissues and organs beneath.

The nerve endings in your dermis tell you how things feel when you touch them. They work with your brain and nervous system, to identify what you feel and respond appropriately.

Sometimes what you feel is dangerous, so the nerve endings work with your muscles to keep you from getting hurt. If you touch something hot, the nerve endings in your dermis respond right away: “Ouch! That’s hot!” The nerves quickly send this message to the brain or spinal cord, which then immediately commands the muscles to take your hand away. This all happens in a split second, without you ever thinking about it.

Your dermis is also full of tiny blood vessels. These keep your skin cells healthy by bringing them the oxygen and nutrients they need and by taking away carbon dioxide and waste. You won’t be able to see your blood vessels, but you might be able to see your grandparents’. As the dermis gets older, it gets thinner and easier to see through.

The dermis is home to the oil and sweat glands, too. These keep your skin lubricated and protected. Sebum is your body’s natural oil which makes your skin waterproof. Sebum and sweat rise through to the surface of the skin through lots of tiny holes called pores.

Layer 3: Subcutaneous FatThe third and bottom layer of the skin is called the subcutaneous layer. It is made mostly of fat and helps your body stay warm and absorb shocks, like if you bang into something or fall down. The subcutaneous layer also helps hold your skin to all the tissues underneath it.

This layer is where you’ll find the start of hair, too. Each hair on your body grows out of a tiny tube in the skin called a follicle. Every follicle has its roots way down in the subcutaneous layer and continues up through the dermis.

You have hair follicles all over your body, except on your lips, the palms of your hands, and the soles of your feet.

You have more hair follicles in some places than in others - there are more than 100,000 follicles on your head alone!



Classroom Activities

Science Enquiry 1: Thermostatic Control

You will need: magnifying glass, mirror, dish of cold water, ice cubes per pair of pupils, space to run around, paper and pencils to record findings.

Pupils work in pairs to observe changes in their skin in relation to changes in temperature.

Begin by using magnifying glasses to look at your skin. Note variations between the skin on your face (using mirrors), your arm and the palm of your hand. Look at hairs, pores and lines in your skin.

Compare skin and hair pigments with your partner.

Using the dishes of cold water and ice cubes the partners place one of their hands in the cold water for two minutes. Observe and record changes to their skin. Comparing the appearance and feel of their cold hands with their normal hands.

Pupils observe and record the look and feel of the skin on their face and their partners face before physical activity.

Pupils undertake physical exercise (run around the playground/jog on the spot in the classroom) for 5 minutes and compare the appearance of the skin on their faces with observations recorded prior to activity.

Discuss findings.

Teacher’s NotesYour skin can help if you’re feeling too hot or too cold. Your blood vessels, hair, and sweat glands cooperate to keep your body at just the right temperature. If you were to run around in the heat, you could get overheated. If you play outside when it’s cold, your inner temperature could drop. Either way, your skin can help.

Your body is pretty smart. It knows how to keep your temperature right around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) to keep you and your cells healthy. Your skin can respond to messages sent out by your hypothalamus, the brain’s inner thermometer. If you’ve been running around on a hot day, your blood vessels get the signal from the hypothalamus to release some of your body’s heat. They do this by bringing warm blood closer to the surface of your skin. That’s why you sometimes get a red face when you run around. If you are unable to have pupils run around in order to observe this during the science lesson, try to incorporate it into your P.E. cool down or take out a few minutes to make observations straight after break, when pupils have been playing in the playground.



To cool you down, sweat glands also swing into action by making lots of sweat to release body heat into the air. The hotter you are the more sweat your glands make. Once the sweat hits the air on the surface of the skin, it evaporates off your skin, and you cool down.

When you’re cold, your blood vessels keep your body from losing heat by narrowing as much as possible and keeping the warm blood away from the skin’s surface. You might notice tiny bumps on your skin. These are commonly known as ‘goose bumps’, but the fancy name for them is the pilomotor reflex. The reflex makes special tiny muscles called the erector pili muscles pull on your hairs so they stand up very straight. These are the same muscles that control the hairs in a dog’s coat to make them stand up when a dog feels threatened to display aggression or fear.

Science Enquiry 2: Touch Detectives

You will need: a number of shoe boxes, rubber bands, masking tape prepared as directed below, a selection of interesting items for children to feel, pencils and paper to record guesses and descriptions.

Here are some things to consider when you are choosing the items to place in your shoeboxes; hard items, soft items, cold items, fluffy items, rough items: e.g. A stone, a marble, construction block, cotton wool, small rubber ball, modelling clay, plastic animals (spiders, dinosaurs), piece of sand paper, scouring pad, piece of sponge, cold cooked pasta, fur fabric, wig, half an orange or lemon, dried peas, shredded paper, feathers, leaves, a hard boiled egg, sugar or salt crystals.

N.B. Cooked cold pasta is good for discussing pupils’ reactions!

Health and Safety: Risk assess all mystery box items to ensure adverse reactions are minimised. Do not include objects which could be sharp or harmful in any way.

Take the shoebox and cut an opening (door) at one of the small ends. Making sure that this opening is big enough for a hand to reach inside, but not so big that you can see what is inside the box.

If the opening feels rough you may want to cover the roughness with some masking tape to make it smooth. This is where little hands will be reaching in to have a good feel around inside.

Place the touch detective items inside your shoebox.

Put the lid back on the shoe box and place the rubber band around the box to help keep the lid on.

Number the boxes and place them on flat table tops around the classroom.



Pupils move around the room investigating each shoe box using only their sense of touch to identify what’s inside.

Pupils record the number of each box with their ideas, guesses and descriptions.

Share guesses and discuss responses as a class as each mystery item is revealed.

Science Enquiry 3: Guess What?

Pupils work in pairs taking turns to draw using their fingers on their partners back and then guess what has been drawn.

This activity works well played as a variation on Chinese whispers, when played as a whole class. Sit the class in a circle, facing front to back all the way around. Choose someone to start by drawing a simple shape on the back of the person in front of them. That person then draws the shape they felt being drawn on their back on the back of the person in front of them, and so on until the drawing has been drawn by everyone in the circle. The child who originally drew the shape announces if the shape has been transferred around the circle correctly. Then play continues with someone else.

Science Enquiry 4: A Dog’s Coat

You will need: copies of the dogs and their coats photography, sufficient copies of ‘A Dog’s Coat’ and ‘Top Tips for Dog Grooming’ information sheet (below) to support each pupil group.

1. Spilt the class into small groups and present them with the different coated dog images and information sheets.

2. Discuss the look and purpose of the different coat types.

3. Consider the implications as a responsible dog owner for choosing a dog with each different coat type, as a pet.





Support Materials

Inspector Paws - Hair Of The Dog

Dogs do not have the ability to use language as we do, so we can only communicate with them through their senses. Touch is an excellent way to reward good behaviour and to bond with your dog.

Dogs have a well-developed sense of touch, even under all that fur, although this sense is much less sophisticated than a human’s.

The sense of touch is very important to the dog as it is with humans.

At birth the puppies have receptors in their faces so they can locate their mother if they become separated before their eyes are open.

The need for touch continues throughout the dog’s life and is a very important part of training and reward. For humans touch is also important for normal growth and development. Everyone needs a hug occasionally.

Without touch we would grow without a feeling of being loved, which would have a devastating effect on our lives and our ability to form relationships with others.

Dogs have sensory nerves all over their bodies, just as humans do. Dogs thrive on being touched and stroked and there are mutual benefits in owning a dog.

Stroking a dog is known to be therapeutic, reducing blood pressure and calming nerves. This is why it is beneficial for trained dogs to be taken in to residential homes, hospitals and schools so that those who have no access to animals can stroke them, benefiting both dogs and humans.

Touch is the first sense the dog develops, and remains a powerfully important sense throughout its life.

Touch-sensitive hairs called vibrissae, which are capable of sensing air flow, develop above the eyes, on the muzzle, and below the jaws. The entire body, including the paws, is covered with touch-sensitive nerve endings.

Dogs, like people vary widely in their reaction to touch. Some are very sensitive and if touched whilst being taught an exercise (such as the sit), they will react so much that they cannot concentrate on what is being said and done. These dogs are best taught by methods which involve little or no handling. Other dogs are insensitive to being touched and therefore are not responsive to being touched as a reward. Dogs which like being touched on the chest or behind the ears are easy to reward for a good response to a cue.



Can you find the photo of the dog that matches each of the following coat descriptions?:

• Long • Curly• Wiry • Smooth

Answer: Answer:

Answer: Answer:

A Dog’s Coat

Photography © Cathy Clyde, Andy Catterall and Pat Doyle

A Dog’s Coat

Why do dog owners need to groom their dogs?

Long-coated:

• This dog’s coat will keep growing like human hair.

• In some dogs it can grow until it reaches the floor.

• Sometimes their coat is so long that it hides their legs and face.

• Long coats need grooming every day.

• If a long coat is not groomed it will end up matted with knots.

• Some owners clip (like a haircut) their long coated dogs to make it easier to keep clean and tidy.

Curly-coated:

• Curly coated dogs do not moult.

• Curly coats should be clipped regularly to keep it looking healthy.

Wire-haired:

• Wire-haired dogs have fur that is stiff and wiry.

• The coat is very thick.

• Owners should comb the coat every day and remove any mud or leaves to stop the fur knotting.

• This dogs coat needs to be clipped regularly to stay healthy.

Smooth-coated:

• This is the easiest coat to care for.

• Smooth coats only need wiping once or twice a week.

• A thorough comb once a month will keep it healthy.

Why do we need to groom our dogs?

Grooming keeps a dog’s coat in good condition because it:

• Removes dirt

• Spreads the skin’s natural oils through the coat

• Stops knots from forming

• Dogs enjoy contact with their owners

• Regular grooming helps you bond with your dog and shows them how much you love them.



Top Tips for Dog Grooming

Grooming isn’t just about making your dog look good. Regular care removes dead hair, keeps the coat and skin healthy, and gives you the opportunity to check your pet’s general health.

Grooming is also important as it helps you build your relationship, trust and understanding with your dog. There’s even scientific evidence that grooming sessions reduce stress, and blood pressure, for both of you.

Different types of coats need different grooming techniques; here are some top tips for grooming different length coats:

When to groom All dogs’ coats need care, whether they are long, short or curly. Most vets advise grooming on a daily basis to prevent knots and tangles and to remove loose hairs.

What you need Start out with a double-sided brush - one side with soft bristles, the other with cushioned stainless steel pins (pinhead brush).

If your dog has long hair, you may also need a comb with wider teeth and a 90-degree angle between teeth and handle.

Combs are useful to removed matted fur and knots.

Lastly, you’ll need a ‘rubber-grooming mitt’.

How to groomStart off by using your fingers to carefully loosen matted hair from sensitive skin.

Never use scissors to cut out matted hair.

Combs are a safe and comfortable choice for grooming around the head and neck, the area surrounding the dog’s bottom and base of the tail, the legs and the lower abdomen (tummy).

When using a comb, always brush in the direction in which the hair grows.

Use rubber grooming mitts, to pull loosened hairs from the coat.



Take a look at these dog grooming tips.



Grooming a smooth coat Dogs with smooth coats don’t need a lot of grooming. They should have a regular brush once a week, which helps to remove dead skin cells and shed hair. First, use a rubber brush to loosen dead hair and dirt, and then remove the dirt and hair with a bristle brush.

Grooming a short coat A dog with a short coat requires regular grooming to prevent matted hair. Begin with a pinhead brush to remove mats and knots, and then follow with a bristle brush to remove the dead hair and dirt. Never cut out matted hair using scissors.

Grooming a long coat Long coats obviously need daily attention. Begin using a pinhead brush or comb to untangle matted hair. Comb the hair with a wide-toothed comb, taking particular care around the backside, tail and legs. Trim any hairs that have got out of control.

Grooming a curly or wiry coatCurly or wiry coats can be quite challenging. Most owners will take their dog to a professional groomer. A groomer can provide a soothing bath, gentle hair drying and a thorough brushing. Some curly coated dogs do not moult their hair and need regular grooming to avoid knots and tangles.

I love to be stroked and groomed. But remember, always ask the owner for permission before touching a dog.

Photography © Cathy Clyde, Andy Catterall and Pat Doyle

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