Lesson 1: Brain Anatomy

 

Topic: Brain Health & Brain Anatomy Part of: Unit: It's All in Your Mind

 

• Focus:   Our brain is the computer that runs our body. The students will remember this as they recognize the different parts of the brain and the functions of each.

Activities | Introduction | Objectives | Evaluation | Resources & Web Sites

Activities

Activity 1A: A Piece of Your Mind: Brain Anatomy

(brain, brain anatomy, cerebrum, cerebellum, structure, function, brain stem, diencephalon)

Activity 1B: Make Up Your Mind: Brain Cap Activity

(brain anatomy, cerebral cortex, cerebellum, brain stem, diencephalon, lobes of the brain, structure and function)

Activity 1C: You’ve Got a Lot of Nerve: Cells of the Brain & Nervous System

(brain cells, neuron, glial cell, observation, inference)

Activity 1D: You’ve Got a Lot of Nerve: Parts of a Basic Neuron

(brain cells, neuron, anatomy of a neuron, dendrite, axon, cell body, nervous system, structure and function)

Activity 1E: Your Wires are Really Crossed: Communication in the Nervous System

(brain cells, neuron, glial cell, observation, inference)

Activity 1F: Homunculus: “Little Man” Role Play

(brain cells, neuron, glial cell, observation, inference)

Entire Lesson Download (61 pages)

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Introduction

Lesson 1, "Brain Anatomy," begins the unit by teaching about the basic anatomy of the brain at the structural level. Students will cut out and assemble a "Brain Cap" as they learn about the structures of the human brain. The lesson then progresses to the cellular anatomy of neurons and introduce the students to the concepts of communication between nerves (neural transmission). An important and fun activity in this lesson is the "Homunculus or 'Little Man' Role Play." This activity is designed to involve the whole class in playing the roles of neurons within the peripheral and central nervous systems. The students (neurons) learn how to transmit signals to and from the brain along specified paths.

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Objectives

Students will be able to:

• understand what makes up the brain
• identify the parts of the brain
• identify parts of a neuron
• relate structure and function in the nervous system
• understand how the brain communicates with the rest of the body
• apply their knowledge of the nervous system as they identify generalized nerve pathways involved in doing common daily activities

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Evaluation --Under Construction

Activity 1C: Homunculus - Little Man Role Play Pre/Post Test

Activity 1C: Homunculus - Little Man Role Play Pre/Post Test Answer Sheet & Key

 

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Resources & Web Sites

Alzheimer's Association South Central Texas Chapter, 1994, Stages of Symptom Progression in Alzheimer's Disease , San Antonio, TX.

 

Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association, Inc. 1990, Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Fact Sheet , Chicago, IL.

 

Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association, Inc., 1994, Alzheimer's Disease: Statistics , Chicago, IL.

 

Carey, Joseph, ed., 1993, Brain Facts: A Primer on the Brain and Nervous System, 2nd edition , Society for Neuroscience, Graphtech, Inc., Woodlawn, MD.

 

National Institute on Aging and National Institute of Health, 1995, Alzheimer's Disease: Unraveling the Mystery .

 

Schoenberg, Bruce S., 1986, Epidemiology of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementing Illnesses, Journal of Chronic Disease , Great Britain, v. 39, no. 12, pp. 1095-1104.

 

Selkoe, Dennis J., Sept. 1992, Aging Brain, Aging Mind, Scientific American.

Shakespeare, William, 1974, The Riverside Shakespeare . Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA.

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World Wide Web Sites

There is an excellent website at the University of Washington filled with "Neuroscience for Kids." Visit this site at http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/neurok.html

 

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