Summer SAVY, Session 4 Day 2, Neurobiology of Learning (7th – 8th)
Hello SAVY Families!
Happy Tuesday! Today, we had another fun-filled day in the world of neuroscience. We started off the day with a “would you rather” game to get everyone moving around the room. Then, we dove straight into talking about neurons. Everyone should be bringing home their model neuron from today, so I hope that your student gets to show you their work of art and the parts of the neuron that they learned about! We then discussed how neurons communicate with a demonstration using cotton balls. We simulated action potentials between 2 neurons and a chain and even attempted a circuit of neurons with the whole class. Everyone had to stay on their toes to make sure that they didn’t get an inhibitory signal, or they had to stop the chain immediately!
After lunch, we started discussing parts of the brain. We learned about the different ways that scientists can study the brain—MRI, CT, PET, and EEG. We then talked about the four lobes of the brain and their major functions, as well as major specialized areas. We ended the day with a guest lecture from Dr. Antonia Kaczkurkin in the psychology department, where she shared information about careers in psychology. We were looking forward to hearing about her own career path, but unfortunately, the weather got in the way, and we had to leave early for the day. She did leave us with some resources and case studies that we will definitely be going through tomorrow!
Some ideas to ask your students about:
- What is the structure of a neuron? (bonus: use the model made in class from Play-Doh!)
- How do neurons talk to one another?
- What parts of the brain are working right now while we are talking?
- What did you like about the guest speaker today?
Some vocabulary that might be helpful to review:
- Myelin sheath
- Frontal lobe
- MRI
- Synapse
- Action potential
Looking forward to an exciting day in class tomorrow!
Laurel Bellocchio