♥SLIDE #1 - INTRODUCTION: Good Morning (Afternoon)! My name is __________ and I am a Neuroscience student (or you can say you study Neuroscience – or you are a Neuroscientist) at Johns Hopkins University. Question: Does anyone know or can anyone guess what a neuroscience is (or what a Neuroscientist studies)? Let’s look at our little friend up here. Question: Do you know what this is a picture of? This is a cartoon of a brain. This is a brain that is having fun – because this little brain is skateboarding. Neuroscience is the study of the nervous system - which includes your brain. If you study the nervous system you are a Neuroscientist. (Next, tells the students why you are visiting them. I usually say something like this…..) I am here because I LOVE NEUROSCIENCE and I wanted to share some things I know about the nervous system with you.
What is a neuroscientist? ♥SLIDE #2 - QUESTIONS? The title of our talk today is “Be Nice to Your Brain” Today we are going to answer some questions. (Be sure to really emphasize the questions with your tone of voice and facial expressions!!! This is also not the time to let the kids answer.) 1. What is your brain? You may know some things about your brain, but I hope that after today you will know a little more about it. 2. What does your brain do? What I hope that you learn this morning (or afternoon) is… that your brain does EVERYTHING! 3. How can you be nice to your brain? Because your brain does so much for you, I am going to tell you some of the things that you can do to be nice to your brain.
The World Around Us: YOUR SENSES ♥SLIDE #3: TODAY’S TALK Today I am going to tell you about one of the ways that your nervous system gets information from the world around you. I have titled my presentation, “STINK THINK AND FABULOUS FLAVORS: YOUR CHEMICAL SENSES”. Question: Does any one know which senses I will be talking about? I will be talking about the senses of smell and taste.
This is what your Brain looks like inside your head. ♥SLIDE #3 – BRAIN INSIDE YOUR HEAD Now, everyone knows that your brain is inside your head. Question: Does anyone know why your brain is inside of your head? Well, your brain is all squishy. Your brain – when you are all grown up – weighs about 3 pounds. That is about as much as this weight. Demo: Pass around a 3 lb. weight. Pass around a 3 lb weight so that the students can feel how heavy the brain is. Question: Has anyone ever helped make Jello before? Have you ever touched it before it had hardened? That is kind of what your brain is like inside your head. BUT, there are no bones in it so that it can keep its shape, or to protect it. So, you have this 3 lb., squishy brain inside your head. Your head is made up of a very hard piece of bone….your skull. Inside your skull is your brain. Question: But, if your squishy brain were all alone inside your head what do you think would happen when you moved your head? (At this point, shake your head around.) It would get smashed up!!! So, inside of your head – there is a watery substance…..it is called cerebrospinal fluid (That is a big long word, so we call it CSF for short). Your brain floats around in the CSF that is inside your head. That way, the CSF can protect your squishy brain and it won’t get hurt.
Your brain is connected to… ♥SLIDE #2: NERVOUS SYSTEM Question: OK - so what is the nervous system? The nervous system is made up of your brain, your spinal cord, and all of your nerves. Here is a drawing of what your nervous system would look like if we removed all of your skin, muscles, bones and organs. Your nervous system is connected to every part of your body. It is what makes your body work. There is so much to know about the nervous system….. …EVERY part of your body.
What does your brain help you to do? Your brain helps you to do EVERYTHING!!!
Brains are made of pieces… ♥SLIDE #8 – PUZZLE Question: Has anyone ever made a puzzle? Puzzles are made out of pieces. In order to make the puzzle, you put the little pieces together. …just like puzzles are made out of pieces.
The brain is made of “pieces”… ♥SLIDE #9 – NEURONS Your brain in made up of little pieces, called neurons. Neurons are the cells that make up your brain. Neurons are made of lots of different parts. …and the pieces are cells called NEURONS.
Neurons are all connected and they “talk”… …to each other using chemicals.
Your body sends information… ♥SLIDE #7 – FUNCTION Different areas of your brain do different things. (Talk about the different brain functions and where these occur.) Vision…..hearing….touch…..muscle movement…..remembering…..coordination….organizing. ... to your brain.
Your brain needs to get information from the world… …with the help of your senses.
Your senses send information to… ♥SLIDE #7 – FUNCTION Different areas of your brain do different things. (Talk about the different brain functions and where these occur.) Vision…..hearing….touch…..muscle movement…..remembering…..coordination….organizing. ... different parts of your brain.
Your brain needs information from your senses… …so it knows what to tell your body to do.
Your senses send information to your brain… ♥SLIDE #7 – FUNCTION Different areas of your brain do different things. (Talk about the different brain functions and where these occur.) Vision…..hearing….touch…..muscle movement…..remembering…..coordination….organizing. ... so your brain can make your body move.
The World Around Us: YOUR SENSES ♥SLIDE #3: TODAY’S TALK Today I am going to tell you about one of the ways that your nervous system gets information from the world around you. I have titled my presentation, “STINK THINK AND FABULOUS FLAVORS: YOUR CHEMICAL SENSES”. Question: Does any one know which senses I will be talking about? I will be talking about the senses of smell and taste.