ITS ALL IN YOR IND · ITS ALL IN YOR IND ACTIIT ATP U EAD TEACHER SECTION 3 ELEENTARY Teacher...

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Teacher Enrichment Initiatives/CAINE2013 © The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

An Elementary Brain Hat ActivityActivity 1H: “Atop Your Head”

Activity DescriptionIn this activity, students will make a “brain hat” as they learn about primary structures of the brain. The class will discuss the location and purpose of the three main sections of the brain: the cerebellum, the cerebrum, and the brain stem. Students will use movement to demonstrate understanding of the functions of the three brain structures in this activity. Students will then color in the parts of the brain and put together their very own brain hat. Their brain hat can then be used as a visible “thinking cap” for future activities.

ObjectivesThe student will be able to:

✔ identify the major lobes and sensory-motor portions of the brain to include the cerebellum, brain stem, and cerebrum.

✔ describe the function of the identified parts of the brain.

✔ use gross motor skills to construct a model of the brain to form a “brain hat”.

MaterialsTo complete the activity, students will need the following materials:

Class Discussion

✔ Copy of the Student Activity for each student

Assembling the Brain Hat

✔ Copy of the brain hat pattern for each student

✔ Colored pencils, markers, or crayons (3 colors)

✔ Scissors

✔ Tape or glue stick

Grade 3

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Preparing for the Activity1. It may be beneficial to make a brain hat for yourself before starting the

lesson with the students. They can use your hat as a model.

2. Photocopy individual student brain hat patterns. This pattern may need to be adjusted to fit securely to the heads of some students. Suggestion: There is enough white space in the pattern to ‘pleat’ or cut and tape/glue the head band together. For the top of the brain, there is enough white space to increase the length of the glue/tape tabs so that the top will fit onto the band if band size is adjusted. Suggestion: Another way to adjust the pattern while photocopying, is to reduce the pattern size by 10% or more. Prepare several different brain hat sizes when photocopying the pattern (10% or 15%). It may be beneficial to make a brain hat for yourself before starting the lesson with the students. They can use your hat as a model.

3. Photocopy sufficient copies of the Student Activity and Processing Out handouts

4. Assemble sufficient numbers of scissors, glue sticks/tape rolls, and colored markers/crayons/pencils prior to beginning the activity. Students will need these materials for assembling the brain hat. They will also need the colored markers/crayons/pencils to complete the color code and processing out portions of the activity. Suggestion: Organize scissors, glue, tape, crayons, markers, and tape measures into ‘supply kits’ for easy distribution to individual or small groups of students.

BackgroundTHE BRAIN AND ITS PARTS

The brain weighs about three pounds. It is about the size of a coconut. The brain fills most of the top half of your head. The brain is a complex organ, made up of millions of cells. These cells include nerve cells called neurons (nur-rons). The neurons communicate with each other to help us breathe, talk, think, and walk. All of these millions of neurons form the brain.

1. What are neurons and what do they do?

Neurons are cells in the brain that communicate with each other

to help us breathe, talk, think, and walk (or move)

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The brain can be studied in three main sections: the cerebrum (suh-ree-brum), the cerebellum (sara-bell-lum), and the brain stem. The cerebrum (suh-ree-brum) helps us make choices about how to respond to information from your senses (sight, touch, sound, taste, and smell). The cerebellum (sara-bell-lum) controls balance and coordination. The brain stem takes care of involuntary actions. An involuntary action is something that does not need to be thought about. The brain stem takes care of things like breathing and heartbeats. Imagine if you had to think about taking every breath! It would make it harder to focus on doing anything else!

2. Show a partner one action that is controlled by the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brain stem. Describe what you did and what part of your brain helped you.

What was the first thing you did?

What part of your brain did you use?

What was the second thing you did?


Answers will vary. Suggestion: When all students are done, ask for volunteers to demonstrate what they did and ask the class to identify what part of the brain was used.

Cerebrum

CerebellumBrain Stem

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What was the third thing you did?


THE CEREBRUM

Scientists call the “upper” brain the cerebrum. The cerebrum is the biggest part of the brain. It is so big that it makes up two-thirds of our brain. The cerebrum has two halves called hemispheres (hem-ah-sfears). The hemispheres are divided by a deep split known as a fissure (fish-er). The fissure does not go all the way through the cerebrum. Both hemispheres are connected by bundles of neurons, just like cables that connect a computer to a printer.

Cables between the computer and the printer help the computer to communicate with the printer. The bundles of neurons allow both hemispheres to communicate with each other. This is very important since each hemisphere controls the opposite side of the body. The left hemisphere controls the right side of the body and the right hemisphere controls the left side of the body.

3. Raise your right arm. What side of your brain (which hemisphere) is helping you raise your right arm?

4. Describe how the different sides of your brain communicate.

The cerebrum has a surface that looks like a crumpled piece of paper. These “crumples” form small, shallow fissures. These shallow fissures make more surface area, which means more brain cells can fit into a small space. The cerebrum has so many fissures, that if it could be unfolded and flattened out, it would be about half a square yard (half a square meter) – about the size of a newspaper folded in half.

Conducting the Activity/Management SuggestionsDepending on time, the discussion and the construction of the brain hat may need to be done a different days. If this is the case, it will be important to review the discussion materials with the students before constructing the brain hat. Suggestion: As a review, have students complete the following actions and ask them to provide choral or individual responses as to what part of the brain is being used:

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ACTION PART OF THE BRAIN

1. Raise your right arm cerebrum (extra information: left hemisphere)

2. Stand on one foot cerebellum

3. Breathe normally brain stem

4. Pretend you touched a hot candle cerebrum

5. Do 3 jumping jacks cerebellum (coordination) and cerebrum (voluntary movement)

After reviewing parts of the brain and their actions, students are to complete the color code chart with listed brain parts before making the brain hat. They will need 3 different colors to complete the color code chart. Suggestion: Decide before completing the activity if students may choose their own array of colors or use the same color code. If the class uses the same color code, the brain hats may be used as a tool to help students connect their movement (Physical Education or recess), creativity (Art or Music), or thought processes (any content area) to a specific part of their own brain. If each student chooses their own 3 colors, they can still use the brain hat as a tool without relying on a general color code to connect brain parts to functions. Both options have benefit.

Making the Brain HatProvide students with the supplies needed to assemble the brain hat. The instructions are included with the Student Activity handout. Each step should be read aloud before the class begins each step.

STEP 1Complete the color code below for the different parts of the brain. Use the information and figures from the class discussion to color in the different parts of your brain hat.

BRAIN PART COLOR CODE

1. Cerebrum

2. Cerebellum

3. Brain stem

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STEP 2a. Before cutting out the brain hat, use your color code to label and color

the parts of the brain.

STEP 3a. Carefully, cut out the brain model pieces using the cut lines to

guide you.

b. To make the hat fit better, the size of the band can be adjusted by either folding or overlapping sections of the white spaces or by cutting and overlapping the band in the white spaces. Tape or glue the overlapping sections.

STEP 4a. Place the top of the hat or cap on the newly formed ‘head band’. Be

sure the word “front” is pointing toward the front of the brain hat! Fold tabs and tape the top to the inside of the headband. If adjustments were made to the band size, the top of the brain hat may also need adjusting.

ITS ALL IN YOR IND · ITS ALL IN YOR IND ACTIIT ATP U EAD TEACHER SECTION 3 ELEENTARY Teacher...

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