♥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? 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.

Do I Really Have a Brain? ♥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.

Seeing is Believing ♥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.

Hands

Can I see my brain? ♥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.

Do I Really Have a Brain?

Feeling is Believing ♥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.

Muscles

Can I feel my brain? ♥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.

Do I Really Have a Brain?

Idea

What does my brain do? ♥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.

THINK!!!

THINK!!!

THINK!!! 2 1 + 1 =

THINK!!! E

My brain thinks!

Do I Really Have a Brain? YES!!!