Malleable vs. Fixed Intelligence and the BRAIN Ms. Barracliffe and Ms. Muhammad

Catalyst Do you believe people are born with a certain amount of intelligence? Why or why not? Write 4-5 complete sentences.

I CAN I can explain how new connections are formed in the brain when learning happens. I can describe our class big goal.

Setting Goals Imagine how hard it would be to travel around Los Angeles without any roads.

Setting Goals Goals are just like roads-- we NEED them! We need them to make life easier for us to get from one place in our life to another. Goals help give direction to our lives and future.

Guess Who?

HOW TO SET GOALS 1. Define the goal.* 2. Outline the steps needed to achieve it. 3. Consider possible blocks and ways of dealing with them. 4. Set deadlines. *Not every wish can be a goal. For instance, you may wish you could live and stay young forever, but since there's nothing you can do to make that happen, it could never be considered a goal.

It MUST be important to YOU, personally. It has to be within your power to make it happen through your own actions and choices. In order for something to be a goal…

Mental Obstacles »But what if I’m just not good at science? »But what if I’m just not a good student? »But what if I just wasn’t born smart? THE SOLUTION: Work Hard. Next I will teach you how you can actually “grow your brain” by working hard and practicing.

The Brain The brain is made up of small building blocks called neurons. An adult brain contains about 100 billion neurons.

The Neuron Neurons have three main parts: 1. The soma (a.k.a cell body) 2. The axon 3. The dendrites

The Neuron We can use our arm as a model of a neuron.

Neurons and Learning Communication between neurons is what allows us to think and solve problems.

An adult brain contains about 100 billion nerve cells, or neurons, with dendrites that connect at more than 100 trillion points. Brain Connections

In the early 1900s, scientists were astonished to discover that nerve cells do not actually touch one another, but that there are tiny gaps between nerve cells called "synapses".

Brain Connections Neurons produce tiny quantities of powerful chemicals (neurotransmitters) that are released into the synapse as a message is being sent from one cell to the next.

Brain Connections The axon sends messages to the dendrites of a neighboring neuron. So…. axons send messages, while dendrites receive messages. AXON DENDRITE

The Neuron When you learn new things new dendrites actually sprout to make connections with other neurons. The more that you challenge your mind to learn, the more connections are made between neurons. You actually “grow” more dendrites!!

More Connections=Smarter The more connections you have between neurons the more “efficient” your brain--because brain signals have more paths to follow through your brain. Think about it this way: Looking at this map--is it easier to travel from Rio de Janeiro to London or from Rio de Janeiro to Chicago? Now imagine that the airplane=brain signal/thought, and Rio, Chicago, and London represent different neurons.

What you BELIEVE makes a difference. Students who are told they can get smarter if they train their brains to be stronger, like a muscle, DO BETTER IN SCHOOL.

Fixed Intelligence The belief that your level of intelligence is fixed and does not change.

Fixed Intelligence Any task reflects on intelligence Assignments tells you your worth as a person. You are born with a certain level of intelligence that can’t change.

Malleable Intelligence The belief that your level of intelligence is flexible and can change. WORK HARD=GET SMART

Malleable Intelligence One task a person does is not an indicator of their whole intelligence. Performance on assignments is only one assignment. Working hard and studying will increase your intelligence and performance

Example 1 Cristian believes that he is stupid. He doesn’t want anyone to know, so he avoids doing work and behaves badly instead.

80%

Our BIG GOAL »By the end of the year, we will achieve at least an 80% class average on all unit exams. »Scientific Method Exam »Cell Exam »Cellular Processes Exam »Genetics Exam »Evolution and Earth History Exam »Light and the Eye Exam »Health Exam

Our BIG GOAL » What do we need to do to achieve this? »What are possible obstacles? »The major deadlines are already set-- (exam day) but you can set a goal of how far in advance you are going to study and for how long.