Humans detect smells by breathing in odor particles. The back of your nose is lined with millions of special cells that sense those particles. The cells then send information about the smells to your brain. Your brain identifies the scent and tells you how to react. Pee-yew!
Would You Rather Only Sniff Stinky Smells or Only Hear Shrill Sounds?
Read each section, then decide!
By Jess Romeo and Stephen Zorio, Illustrated by Tara Jacoby
From the May/June 2026 Issue
Learning Objective: Students will gather and use information about smells and sounds to support an argument.
Would You Rather Only Sniff Stinky Smells or Only Hear Shrill Sounds?
Watch a video to help you make your choice.
Only Sniff Stinky Smells
Illustrated by Tara Jacoby
HOW IT WORKS
NO ESCAPE
You might be tempted to shut your nose and breathe only through your mouth. But you’d still smell the stink! That’s because your nose, which can detect one trillion different scents, connects to your mouth at the back of your throat.
UNEXPECTED UPSIDE
The ability to sniff out awful smells can seem gross, but it has an important purpose. Our sense of smell alerts us to bad odors that can make us sick. The stink of rotten meat or polluted water warns us that nasty viruses and bacteria are about. That tells us—steer clear!
Only Hear Shrill Sounds
Illustrated by Tara Jacoby
HOW IT WORKS
When a timer beeps or a person strums a guitar string, that creates sound waves. When sound waves reach your ears, your eardrums vibrate, causing them to move back and forth. Special cells in your ears sense the vibrations and send signals to your brain, which identifies the sound you’re hearing.
NO ESCAPE
Imagine a blaring ambulance siren that doesn’t stop. The noise won’t go away, even when you cover your ears. Screeching noises have sound waves that are short and travel very fast—they reach your ears quickly! Sounds like these are just impossible to ignore. In fact, our brains are on the lookout for such sudden changes in volume.
UNEXPECTED UPSIDE
A smoke alarm rings! A baby wails! Those sounds will always get your attention—and that’s a good thing. Some kinds of sounds tell us to take action quickly. Those sounds tell us that we might be in danger or that someone might need help.
What does your class think?
Which extreme sense would you rather be stuck with?
Which extreme sense would you rather be stuck with?
Which extreme sense would you rather be stuck with?
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