Target age group: ages 8-13
Special feature: This curriculum has two levels in order to accommodate students
of varying ages and ability levels. Everyone does level one, and those who are capable do level two as well.
Time allowance: Ideally, 9 weeks. There are ten
chapters, but the last two can be done together. I've done it in 7 weeks (with my classes that meet once a week) but
we did have to pick and choose which activities to do as a group. If you are doing it with just one child at home and
he/she can't get enough science, I suppose you could get through it in a month. but that would be unusual. Normally,
I would suggest allowing 6-8 weeks even if you are doing it completely at home. The material in each chapter of the
student text shouldn't be done all on one day. You can read the text one day, and do an activity on several other days.
Topics covered in student text: History of
brain research, basic anatomy of the brain, blood-brain barrier, roles of left and right hemispheres, savant syndrome, neurons,
other types of brain cells (the unsung heroes!), how nerve impulses travel, neuron networks, learning and memory, the peripheral
nervous system, reflexes, sleep, brain doctors, basic brain problems.
Activities included:
In the student text: color brain
anatomy drawings and brains scans, looking at brain scan images via Internet, crossword and other types of word puzzles, left-right
brain demonstrations, left-right brain survey, a song about the brain parts, a puzzle to cut out and put together, a neuron
network demo, review quizzes, Internet addresses where you can meet people notable in the brain research world, mnemonics,
learning style survey, categorizing memories, a famous poem written while the author was asleep, and Rorschach ink blots.
In the teacher/parent activity guide: MRI of an orange, hands-on-head tour
of cerebrum, brain cookies, comparing human brain to animal brain via Internet images, cerebrospinal fluid experiment, observing
meninge-like membrane, left-right brain games, brain hat showing lobes, the -Ectomy game, edible neuron models, neuron art,
neuron relay race, domino demonstration, memory games, neuron endings experiment, reflex relay, dream game, ink blot art activity
