This document provides an overview of key concepts from the book "Brain Rules" by John Medina: (1) The human brain evolved to solve problems related to survival in an unstable outdoor environment and to do so in constant motion. (2) Symbolic representation allowed for language, writing, art and other skills that helped humans not just survive but thrive. (3) Humans adapted to variation itself by developing the ability to rapidly solve new problems, learn from mistakes, and store knowledge for future problem-solving through improvisation.

1. Introduction to
Curriculum,
Pedagogy &
Assessment
Bringing it all together

2. Course Outline
Assessments
Journal
Engagement
Housekeeping

3. 3
The focus for this semester
Pedagogy
The art and
science of
teaching.
Curriculum
The components
of learning and
instruction
Relationships
The art of
making it all
work.
Connections.

4. Do you think about the
brain?
Why not? Aren’t you engaging with learning
as the main aspect of your intended career?

5. 5
DR. JOHN J. MEDINA is a
developmental molecular
biologist focused on the genes
involved in human brain
development and the genetics of
psychiatric disorders. He has
spent most of his professional life
as a private research consultant,
working primarily in the
biotechnology and
pharmaceutical industries on
research related to mental health.
Brain Rules – John Medina
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

6. 6
The brain appears to be designed to:
(1) solve problems
(2) related to surviving
(3) in an unstable outdoor
environment, and
(4) to do so in nearly constant motion.
I call this the brain’s performance
envelope.
Brain Rules – John Medina
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

7. In a harsh environment, become
stronger or become smarter.
We evolved to
become smarter.
The brain evolved too
7

8. 8
We can make things up – Symbolic Representation
Capacity for
• Language
• Writing
• Mathematical reasoning
• Art
Dual
representational
Theory
“Our ability to
attribute
characteristics and
meanings to things
that don’t actually
possess them.”
Capacity to not just survive, but thrive!

9. 9
We adapted to variation itself
Toolmaking gives us
clues.
Dual-
representation…
and the weather
helped us along
We gave up on stability and
consistency. (Potts)
Those unable to rapidly solve new
problems or learn from mistakes didn’t
survive long enough to pass on their
genes.

10. 10
We adapted to variation itself
Potts’s theory predicts some fairly simple things about human
learning. It predicts interactions between two powerful features of the
brain: a database in which to store a fund of knowledge, and the
ability to improvise off that database. One allows us to know when
we’ve made mistakes. The other allows us to learn from them.
Paleoanthropologist Rick Potts heads the Smithsonian’s
Human Origins Program

11. 11
Bigger and bigger brains
1. Lizard brain
Autonomous
functions
Breathing, heartrate,
sleeping walking, etc.
Three brains in one
2. Mammilian brain
Amygdala
Hippocampus
Thalamus
Survival function.
• Fighting
Feeding
Fleeing
Reproduction
Rage
Fear
Pleasure
Emotions
Memories

12. 12
Bigger and bigger brains
3. Human brain
Cortex
Deep electrical communication with the interior
Highly specialised areas
Three brains in one

13. 13
Bigger and bigger brains
Big brain = bigger head, but the pelvis didn’t change.
The solution? Give birth while the baby’s head is small enough to
fit through the birth canal.
The problem? You create childhood (and a long one!)
Children very capable of learning.
Created the concept of learner and teacher.
Three brains in one

14. 14
We cooperated: you scratch my back…
Coordinated behaviour – teamwork
Shared interest
Understanding of the way of thinking of the other
Theory of the Mind
“Our intellectual prowess, from language to
mathematics to art, may have come from the
powerful need to predict our neighbor’s
psychological interiors..”

15. 15
Why… spend time walking… through
the brain’s survival strategies? Because
they aren’t just part of our species’
ancient history. They give us real insight
into how humans acquire knowledge.
We improvise off a database, thinking
symbolically about our world. We are
predisposed to social cooperation,
which requires constantly reading other
people. Along with the performance
envelope, these concepts determine at
the most fundamental level how our
brains work.
Brain Rules – John Medina
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC

17. https://www.saudihr.sa

18. References
Medina, J. (2014). Brain rules: 12 principles for surviving and thriving at work,
home, and school. Pear Press.
Website
Medina, J. (2018). About Brain Rules. http://www.brainrules.net/about-brain-
rules.