Intro to Brain (Gen Psych)

1. INTRO TO
THE HUMAN
BRAIN

2. TODAY’S OBJECTIVES
CONTENT OBJECTIVE
I can explain how the
brain works and how
it is studied.
I can display critical
thinking about
research studies.
LANGUAGE OBJECTIVE
I can define
Localization of
Function and Brain
Plasticity.

3. TODAY’S KEY TERMS
Neurology
Localization of Function
• Frontal Lobe
• Hippocampus
Neuron
Brain Plasticity

4. WHAT WE KNOW…
As a group, come up with a list of things that you
know or have heard about the human brain. Be
prepared to share.
Top Myths about Our Brains Video
Which of the ideas that we listed can we take off?

5. NEUROLOGY
The study of the brain and its functioning.

6. BRAIN FACTS
The brain is the center of the nervous system and is
responsible for controlling our movements, thoughts,
decisions, and memories.
The human brain is over 3x larger than mammals that
share our body sizes.
The human weights about 3 pounds. While it makes
up 2% of our body weight, it consumes 20% of our
energy.
The brain consists of 86 billion nuerons which send
and receive information around the body.

7. THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

8. LOCALIZATION OF FUNCTION
The principle that certain areas in the brain are
responsible for certain behaviors.

9. EVOLUTION OF THE BRAIN

10. LOCALIZATION OF FUNCTION:
THE FRONTAL LOBE
The Frontal Lobe is responsible for self-control,
planning, social judgment, and other higher-order
thinking tasks.
Gage Video
• Sociopaths (Far Right) have been shown to have less
activity in their Frontal Lobe.

11. LOCALIZATION OF FUNCTION:
HIPPOCAMPUS
The Hippocampus is an area deep in the brain responsible
for the storage of new memories.
• Damaged Hippocampus = No New Memories.
• The Story of HM

12. ZOMBIE BRAINS…
Reanimated human beings, while not immortal, will not 'die'
under typical conditions that would ordinarily cause the death
of a person. They do not appear to feel or respond to pain, can
survive even the most brutal injuries, and despite their
bottomless appetite for flesh, they do not need food, water, or
sleep to survive.
Their functionality appears to center around their brain, as its
destruction is the only thing that effectively 'kills' the undead.
Even when decapitated, the head will remain active, even
though it would be practically harmless at such point.

13. DIAGNOSING ZOMBIE
BRAINS
Open the 3D Brain Model App on the I-Pads.
Explore different parts of the brain.
• Determine if the part of the brain is active or inactive. Color
that part of the brain with the appropriate color.

14. OBJECTIVES/ESSENTIAL
QUESTIONS
• I can explain how the brain changes and
learns.
• I can understand how the teenage brain
impacts the behaviors of myself and my
peers.

15. NEURONS
Neurons are cells that make up the nervous system
(including the brain) that specialize in communication
of information throughout the body
• Brains consist of billions of Neurons and Trillions of
Neural connections.

16. BRAIN PLASTICITY
The Principle that the brain changes over time and
depending on our environment.
Our brains are always changing.
• Use it or Loose It!
• How Our Learning Occurs in the Brain

17. NEURAL PRUNING
• The principle that the neural connections that we do not
use or need will weaken and disappear over time.
• This allows for stronger connections between the
pathways that we do use.

18. BRAIN POWER:
A BABY’S BRAIN
Brain Power: A Baby's Brain and the Internet

19. YOUR TASK
• Work as a group to write a well crafted sentence that
explains what important lessons we can learn by looking
at the development of the human brain.
• With our new knowledge of how the brain builds and
prunes neural connections, we now can see…

20. UNDERSTANDING THE
TEENAGE BRAIN
• Highly Developed Limbic System (Stress
Response, Sex Drive, Emotional Control)
• Developing Frontal Lobe (Decision Making)
• This creates a situation where teens allow their
stress responses, biological urges, and emotions
to guide their behavior.

21. KEY CHEMICALS:
HORMONES
Chemical substances, secreted by organs called
glands, that affect the functioning of other organs.

22. KEY CHEMICALS:
SEX HORMONES
• Testosterone
• Biological Impacts: Main sex hormone in males. Causes
growth of muscle mass and strength, increased bone
density, deepening of voice, growth of beard.
• Behavioral Impacts: Impacts Competiveness,
Aggression, Sex Drive, Protectiveness, Generosity.
• Estrogen
• Biological Impacts: Main sex hormone of the female
body. In females, it causes puberty, menstrual cycle, and
prepares the uterus for fertilization.
• Behavioral Impacts: Impacts Mood, Appetite, Bonding.

23. OTHER KEY CHEMICALS
• Dopamine: Responsible for the reward center in our brain.
• Serotonin: Controls Mood.
• Cortisol: Released when we are stressed.
• Melatonin: Controls Sleep.
• Oxytocin: Impacts bonding in mammals.

24. TEENAGE BRAIN
LESSON RANKINGS
1. As a team, read each section together.
1. Write the title of the section on a sticky note.
2. As you read each section, continually rank the sections
from most to least important to your lives.
3. Questions to consider include…
• What lessons are most important for teenager to
understand?
• Which lessons are most relevant to you?
• Which lessons do you think would help most teens?
• What lessons do you wish you knew before today?

25. TWEETS FROM THE
TEENAGE BRAIN
• Pick lessons about the teenage brain that you think are
important and write a series (2-5) tweets that will help
others (teenagers, adults, etc.) understand the brain of
teenagers.
• Limit to 140 Characters.
• Feel free to use school appropriate humor.
• # encouraged
• Write your favorite Tweet on a flash card and decorate it
with images or symbols that help communicate the
lesson.