Senior High School

Personal
Development
Quarter 1 – Module 6:
The Brain: Developing A
Personal Plan

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Personal Development – Grade 11/12
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 1 – Module 6: The Brain: Developing A Personal Plan
First Edition, 2020

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over them.

Published by the Department of Education

Secretary: Leonor Magtolis Briones
Undersecretary: Diosdado M. San Antonio

Development Team of the Module

Writer: Hernani D. Patches Jr.
Editors: Amalia C. Solis, EPS
Reviewers: Hernani D. Patches Jr. / Dr. Richmond Fructuoso B. Salao (Content)
Marieta A. Dar (Language)
Illustrator: Name
Layout Artist: Name
Management Team: Malcolm S. Garma, Regional Director
Genia V. Santos, CLMD Chief
Dennis M. Mendoza, Regional EPS In Charge of LRMS
Maria Magdalena M. Lim, CESO V, Schools Division Superintendent
Aida H. Rondilla, CID Chief
Lucky S. Carpio, EPS In Charge of LRMS
Division ADM Coordinator

Printed in the Philippines by ________________________

Department of Education – National Capital Region

Office Address: ____________________________________________

____________________________________________
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Personal
Development
Quarter 1 – Module 6:
The Brain: Developing A
Personal Plan
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to the Personal Development–11 Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module

on The Brain: Developing A Personal Plan.

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators both
from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or facilitator in helping
the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum while overcoming
their personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help
learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration their
needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of
the module:

Notes to the Teacher

This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module.
You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to manage
their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist the
learners as they do the tasks included in the module.

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For the learner:

Welcome to the Personal Development 11 Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module

on The Brain: Developing A Personal Plan.

The hand is one of the most symbolized part of the human body. It is often used to
depict skill, action and purpose. Through our hands we may learn, create and
accomplish. Hence, the hand in this learning resource signifies that you as a learner
is capable and empowered to successfully achieve the relevant competencies and
skills at your own pace and time. Your academic success lies in your own hands!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning resource while being an active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

What I Need to Know This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to learn in the
module.

What I Know This part includes an activity that aims to

check what you already know about the
lesson to take. If you get all the answers
correct (100%), you may decide to skip this
module.

What’s In This is a brief drill or review to help you link

the current lesson with the previous one.

What’s New In this portion, the new lesson will be

introduced to you in various ways such as a
story, a song, a poem, a problem opener, an
activity or a situation.

What is It This section provides a brief discussion of the

lesson. This aims to help you discover and
understand new concepts and skills.

What’s More This comprises activities for independent

practice to solidify your understanding and
skills of the topic. You may check the
answers to the exercises using the Answer
Key at the end of the module.

What I Have Learned This includes questions or blank

sentence/paragraph to be filled in to process
what you learned from the lesson.

What I Can Do This section provides an activity which will

help you transfer your new knowledge or skill
into real life situations or concerns.

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 Assessment This is a task which aims to evaluate your
level of mastery in achieving the learning
competency.

Additional Activities In this portion, another activity will be given

to you to enrich your knowledge or skill of the
lesson learned. This also tends retention of
learned concepts.

Answer Key This contains answers to all activities in the

module.

At the end of this module you will also find:

References This is a list of all sources used in developing

this module.

The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of the
module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other activities
included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not
hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are
not alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning and
gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!

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 What I Need to Know

During my university study, I come across an extraordinary professor of mine who

rose from humble beginnings. That professor specializes in human behavioral
disorder; he is also adept in teaching and explaining the linked wires of the brain.
Our behaviors are rooted in our unconscious motives and can be absent in our
awareness. My professor also pointed out that among the systems that post a
significant challenge in his years of study and research was to understand the
capacity of the human mind to be maladaptive in ways that cannot be understood.

Further, the brain plays an essential role in our consciousness. It is the center of our
being, which makes us who we are, what we are as an existential being. After all,
every system in our body is interconnected from our brain (the nervous system). The
ANS and CNS are mainly responsible for the other systems to function well, just like
the heart, our skin, our response to hunger, love, and other feelings. As we dwell on
the importance of the brain in our pursuit of Personal Development, we realize that
our brain is very much unique. Just as we adapt through our surroundings and
environment, the brain adapts, our thinking, perceptions, and ability to continuously
learn from everything around us. With you in our mind, this module was designed
for you to understand the underlying concept of the brain, its parts and functions,
and its relationship to our body.

The module is subjected to discuss namely:

• Lesson 1 How to improve brain functions for personal development

Most Essential Learning Competencies:

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Explore ways on how to improve brain functions for personal development
2. Develop a personal plan to enhance the brain functions

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 What I Know

Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of
paper.

1. Which of the following items complement a healthy lifestyle?

A. Piattos
B. Instant Noodles
C. Fuji Apples
D. Pik-nik

2. Among the following statements, which of them contradicts positive thinking

in these pandemic times?
A. Always criticize the government
B. Be prejudice, especially of those who are not wearing a face mask
C. Post negative comments in twitter
D. Reading positive quotes every morning

3. Which of the following promotes in maintaining high levels of Mental Activity?

A. Sleeping in bed in a week
B. Running in the oval platform of Luneta
C. Sitting and watching Netflix the whole day
D. Watching a Korean marathon every week ends

4. In a study conducted by this psychologist, members of an educationally

disadvantaged community were taught to believe that it is possible to become
more intelligent. Who is this psychologist?
E. Anderson
F. Freud
G. B.F. Skinner
H. Arronson

5. Which of the following statements does not complement the “Extend Your
Education”.
a. Blended Learning
b. Modules for 1st Quarter
c. Online Learning
d. Posting on Facebook during the pandemic

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 Lesson
The Brain: Developing A
1 Personal Plan

Our Brain is ours to improve,

What we may put in today, learned today
Will be an undertaking for the rest of our being,
The being of how we form personality.
HERNANI PATCHES JR.

The parts and functions of the brain discussed in the previous lesson demonstrated
to us the importance of our brain to our everyday living. The brain distinguishes our
uniqueness from others; our independent thinking defines our individuality. Sadly,
as we grow old, our capacity to produce neurons is diminishing every year we step
to senescence. However, that does not mean we have to stop improving.
As science advanced to the millennial age, our capacity to improve has much
changed. Even the dietary supplements we take also affects or has improved our
quest for the longevity of our health. The brain is no stranger to this approach. Brain
enhancements, brain improvements were usually the tagline of some
pharmaceuticals. Even in surgery, we encounter complex problems. Thanks to our
capacity to learn. Our ability to cope and adapt has evolved to the point that we can
perform to the best of our abilities and save lives. Improving our brain through our
constant practice and check of our health, especially during these pandemic times,
is crucial, especially on our adjustments and coping ability. The brain does not stop
working, even when we are asleep. Our brain works, but in a slower pace, after all,
if the brain stops, then the meaning of the “self” will cease to exist. Our bodies will
remain functional, but our existence relies much upon our entity to the brain if we
are already dead.

What’s In

Activity 1.1: Reading Comprehension (Critical Thinking)

Instruction: Below is a sample article. Read the article and answer the following
questions provided.

Food for Thought: Diet and Neurotransmitters

“Vitamin cures impotence!”
“Mineral boosts brain power!”

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 “Chocolate chases the blues!”

Claims like these have long given nutritional theories of

behavior a bad reputation. In the late 1960s, when
Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling proposed that some
mental illness might result from an unusual need for
massive doses of particular vitamins, few serious
researchers listened. Mainstream medical authorities
classed Pauling’s “orthomelocular psychiatry” with
such infamous cure-alls as snake oil and leeches.
Most mental health professionals today remain
skeptical of unorthodox nutritional treatments for
mental illness. But they may have to eat at least some
of their words. The underlying premise of these
treatments, that diet affects the brain and therefore
behavior, is getting a second look. Well-publicized
claims that sugar or common food additives lead to
undesirable behavior remain unproven. However, there
is a growing respect for the role that various nutrients might play in mood and
performance. Some of the most exciting work has concerned the role of diet in the
synthesis of neurotransmitters, the brain’s chemical messengers. Certain nutrients
serve as precursors, or building blocks, for particular neurotransmitters.
Tryptophan, an amino acid found in protein-rich foods (dairy products, meat fish,
and poultry), is a precursor of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Tyrosine, another
amino acid found in proteins, is a precursor of norepinephrine, epinephrine and
dopamine. Choline, a component of the lecithin found in egg yolk, soy products and
liver, is a precursor of acetylcholine.
In case of tryptophan, the path between the dinner plate and the brain is an indirect
one. Tryptophan leads to the production of serotonin, which appears to reduce
alertness, promote relaxation and hasten sleep. Since tryptophan is found in protein,
you might think that a high-protein meal would make you drowsy and carbohydrates
(sweets, bread, pasta, potatoes) would leave you relatively alert. Actually, the
opposite is true. High-protein foods contain several amino acids, not just tryptophan
and they all compete for a ride on carrier molecules headed for brain cells. Because
tryptophan occurs in foods in small quantities, it doesn’t stand much of a chance if
all you eat is protein. It is in the position of a tiny child trying to push aside a crowd
of adults for a seat on the subway. Carbohydrates, however, stimulate the production
of insulin and insulin causes all the other amino acids to be drawn out of the
bloodstream while having little effect on tryptophan. So carbohydrates increases the
odds of tryptophan making it to the brain (Wurtman, 1982).
Paradoxically, then a high-carbohydrate, no protein meal should make you relatively
calm or lethargic and a high- protein one should promote alertness. Initial studies
with human beings support this conclusion (Spring, Chiodo & Bowen, 1987;
Wurtman & Lieberman, 1982-83). It follows that if you have a 10:00 AM class, you
might do better to include some meat or eggs in your breakfast than to eat only a
sweet roll or sugared cereal. On the other hand if, you want a slumber-promoting
snack at bedtime, a drink high in carbohydrates, like fruit juice, might be helpful.
Other research suggests that tyrosine may combat depression (Gelenberg et al. 1982-
83) Further, choline (in lecithin) may improve memory in people with certain brain
disorders that involve acetycholine deficiencies, such as Alzheimer’s disease, though
studies so far have been inconclusive (Blass & Weksler, 1983; Corkin et al., 1982).

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Neurotransmitters cannot be given directly to patients because these substances
cannot cross from the bloodstream into the brain. But someday special diets or
directly administered precursors of neurotransmitters may actually replace or
supplement drugs in the treatment of certain physical and mental conditions.
Keep in mind, though, that research in this area is just beginning. Studies with
human beings have shown links between diet and behavior but they have not
conclusively pinned down the neurochemistry. Individuals differ in how they respond
to different nutrients. Also, the effects are subtle (many other factors also influence
mood and behavior), and some of them depend on the age of the subjects and the
time of day a meal is eaten. Alan Gelenberg, a psychiatrist who is studying tyrosine,
notes that health food publications tend to exaggerate his findings. “then some health
food stores stock something they call tyrosine—who knows what’s in it and people
are writing from all over wanting to know how much they should take” (quoted in
Weisburd, 1984). People have also rushed out to buy lecithin preparations, without
realizing that those sold in health food stores are too impure to be of much values.
Clearly, nutrients can and do affect the brain and behavior. But these nutrients
interact in complex ways. If you don’t eat protein, you won’t get enough tryptophan,
but if you go without carbohydrates, the tryptophan found in protein will be
useless. The moral story of the story is that if you’re looking for brain food, you are
most likely to find it in a well-balanced diet.
Source: Psychology 2nd Ed. 1990 by Carol Wade & Carol Tavris; pages 114-116

Follow-up Questions:
1. Which would you prefer when one would like to have a brain improvement or
enhancement, brain improvement drugs or healthy meals? Why?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
2. Is there some truth in “When you are depressed, you can always eat a banana!”?
Explain your answer.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
3. Why do you think being fat does not necessarily mean that you are healthy, both
physically and mentally?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
4. Do you think smoking has an adverse effect on the functions of the brain? Can
eating of healthy foods complement the use of cigarettes? Explain your answer.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

5. During these pandemic times, can you assume that being inside your homes and
eating canned goods and snacks, is already enough for survival and improvements
of the brain? Why? Why not?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

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 Notes to the Teacher
Students can visit the website www.psychologytoday.com for your all
psychological and mental health needs and improvement.
Note: For learners who are using online platform
The learning module emphasizes on the 5-C skills being
developed by the learners through the activities –
(Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, Critical thinking and
Character Building).

Activity 1.2 “A Story to Conclude” (Critical Thinking)

Instruction: Conclude the story. Write the answer on the box provided.

1. Jack was not feeling well the other day, and even today. He only drank one glass
of water and ate snacks for breakfast. He is obese and consistently tells his parents
that he is fine and very healthy. As his friend, you know that something is very wrong
about his view of health. He thought that chips and snacks are very affordable and
have a complete supplement for his body. If you are Jack’s friend, what will you do?
How would you like the story end?

2. Alice knows very much that to finish at the top of the spelling bee contest, she
must work hard and study hard about the words that might happen to come up
during the contest. She works hard up until 1:00 AM of the late evening and usually
sleeps late at 1:30 AM. As a friend, you know that sleep is an essential aspect of
allowing your mind and body to rest. What would you like the story to end?

3. Your father always smokes ever since you were born; you have always observed
he is a chain-smoker. As a student, you have learned in school about the harmful

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effects of smoking and want to talk about it personally with your father. What would
you like the story to end?

4. Your friend Julianne has always been thinking negatively since the lockdown in
March. You and your friend never had your dream graduation for the Senior High
School. Your friend approached you and told you about her plans for stocking food,
and preparing her clothes and other essentials in case of moving out and living in
the mountains. Both you and your friend live in the urban subdivision. As a neighbor
and friend, what would you like to end the story?

5. You always had a fight with your sibling. Being the older, you would always tell
him/her that you are right. Sometimes you lose your patience and blurts out bad
words to him/her. During the quarantine, you had the opportunity to be with
him/her for a longer time; while both of you are at home watching the latest
development of the virus. As the oldest/youngest, how would you like the story to
end?

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 What is It

During the quarantine experience for almost two to three months, we faced a
great deal of stress and anxiety. As the number of cases rises, the anxiety, stress,
and pressure are felt even more specifically by the front liners. Our coping ability is
indeed tested. Our approach to humanity and life is challenged. Our ability to handle
situations, especially those who are in desperate situations, is questioned. How do
we cope up? How do we address it?
The current predicament of the country provided a platform for our society to be
restless and stressed. Moreover, when talking about stress, we are also dealing with
every individual's capacity to handle it. As our brain comprehends the drastic
changes that are happening around us, how do we respond to the changing times?
While we look at ourselves during this pandemic crisis, are we also mindful of our
mind and brain?
The same is true about the comprehension of the mind; having a healthy and trained
brain to handle stressful situations, can lead to slow degeneration of the brain’s
capacity to process and retrieve information.
To comprehend situational problems and
to train one's brain to handle these
challenges, will give an assurance of
making right and logical decisions. True
enough, if you are consistent in being
stagnant and refuse to learn new things,
you are the risk of eliciting your capacity
to improve. (In Praise of the Idle Mind;
Davis, 2019)

There are many crazy claims on how to

become more intelligent or how to train
your brain to be smarter or healthier.
Nevertheless, many people do not know
that many of these have been
investigated scientifically. For many of
them, there is relatively persuasive
evidence that does exist. So, let us look
at some of this evidence and ponder its
significance in these trying times. Some of
these researches have already proven their
worth since the day of their publication, and they persist in our daily lifestyle. (Roche,
2014).

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10. Quit Smoking. Not smoking is one of the
first steps you can take to improve your brain
health. However, smoking is not just any old
bad habit. One Archives of Internal
Medicine study published in 2010 followed
21,123 smokers from 1978 to 2008. Those
people who smoked more than two packs
of cigarettes a day had twice the rate
of dementia when they were older. This was
true even when the researchers controlled other
factors that could explain the results, such
as education level, race, age, diabetes, heart
disease, and substance abuse. Those who
smoked between half and one pack a day had a
44 percent increased risk of developing
dementia. Even the lowest level of smokers had a
37 percent increased risk.
The good news is that those participants in the study who used to smoke but stopped
has no increased risk of dementia and had normal brain functioning until old age.

9. Have a Good Relationship. One particular form of memory that we practice in

relationships of all kinds is known as “transactive” memory, a concept first developed
by psychologist Daniel Wegner in 1985. This is a form of memory in which we become
an expert in one particular type of information and often have sole responsibility for
it.

For example, at a party, your spouse may

be excellent at remembering
someone’s job and taste in music once he
is introduced, but he may be close to useless
at remembering faces and names even if he
has met someone before. Thus, couples
often work as a team, with each being relied
upon to be expert in their area of talent.
While each partner may struggle without
the other, together they appear to have no
problems at all remembering anything
in social situations. In this way, each partner benefits from the relationship in never
feeling forgetful and always knowing what to say.

Moreover, it turns out that the more diverse your friends are in type, the more they
challenge you to think creatively. They provide you with information you would not
typically have, and they give you different perspectives on everything. Your friends,
figuratively, keep your mind open.

8. Think Positive. There is a well-known effect in the psychology of education

referred to as the “Pygmalion effect”-after the Greek myth Pygmalion-whereby
teachers, often unknowingly, expect more particular children, who then, in turn,
strive to meet to those expectations. This effect is well-known that psychologists refer

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to psychologists as the Rosenthal-Jacobsen (1968) finding (after two psychologists
who discovered it).

This research suggests that if we set high standards for ourselves and believed that
achieving them is possible, indeed, they become possible. Conversely, children who
felt that there is little point in them trying to reach high standards, give up easily
and eventually do not reach their potential.
In one study, by the social psychologist
Arronson and colleagues in 2001,
members of an educationally
disadvantaged community were taught
to believe that it is possible to become
more intelligent. The children from that
group showed improved mathematical
ability compared to a matched control
group of children who were not
encouraged to raise their expectations
of what is possible. In other words,
positive attitude counts!

7. Get Quality Sleep. The brain does not shut off when we are asleep. There is much
work going on while we sleep; much of it involves consolidating the learning that took
place during the day (see work by Walker, Stickgold, Alsop, Gaab & Schlaug, 2005).
Psychologists have long understood that our dreams, for example, are the reflection
of all the work our brains are doing. This includes trying to make sense of all the
information we have been taking in but have not yet fully interpreted and made
sense.

If this is true, we can really solve problems and make sense of things by “sleeping on
it.” On the other hand, if we do not sleep properly, we can lose the benefit of our
learning experiences. We may not be able to learn new experiences. Also, we will not
be able to learn the following day. Adults need between seven to nine hours of sleep
each night to benefit fully and perform at their cognitive peak each day. However,
this method of keeping one's mind sharp only makes number seven. There are now
some scientific doubts about the importance of what is known as “sleep
consolidation” (see work by Vertes in the Journal Neuron, 2004). However, during
these times, as we experience anxiety, stress, and depression, sometimes taking a
break after the whole work, especially nurses and doctors in hospitals, will help take
care of their wellbeing. Having a good night’s rest sometimes makes a difference in
surviving shifts.

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6. Eat Well. There is quite a range of food ingredients that are good for your brain,
as well as no end of marketing experts who will try to sell you the extracted ingredient
in pill form or added
yogurt. However, the
truth is that many food
components can
increase our mental
functioning. Ginkgo
Biloba (extracted from
the Ginkgo Tree) has
good effects on memory.
Vegetables, such as
broccoli, spinach,
tomatoes, some berries,
and the omega-3 fatty
acids found in oily fish
(and some grains),
appear to improve
memory and overall
brain function do green
teas and protein in general.
Protein, which we take in through meat, eggs, and beans and peas (pulses), contains
high levels of amino acids, such as tyrosine, which cause neurons to produce the
significant neurotransmitters norepinephrine and dopamine, which are associated
with mental alertness.

The evidence is getting more apparent on the effects of a healthy diet and
breastfeeding for an increased IQ. Mothers who breastfeed their babies for more than
just a few weeks provide essential omega-3 fatty acids that are not universally
available in baby formula (though mandated in the U.S.). The same essential oils are
also found in fresh fish, so kids fed plenty of fresh food and grains, including fresh
fish from as early as possible-have higher IQs than kids fed on formula and processed
food.

Perhaps the best evidence for this comes from a gold standard, randomized controlled
trial published in the Journal Pediatrics by Helland, Smith, Saarem, Saugstad, and
Drevon in 2003. That study compared the IQs of children fed on omega-3 fed children
were several points higher at four years of age-long after milk feeding had stopped.

A child’s IQ is also helped by the mother's diet, especially in the last trimester. If the
mother eats a healthy diet high in omega-3 oils and feeds her infant well, the infant
may gain several IQ points that will last a lifetime. A mother and infant diet based
on processed meals and processed foods like fizzy drinks, cheap loaves of bread and
cakes may reduce the child’s IQ below its expected level.

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5. Meditate. In recent years, psychologists
have become more interested in some ancient
wisdom around mindfulness and meditation.
Some impressive evidence has started to come
in that these practices improve our physical
and mental health. Meditation techniques vary
widely, but they all have some form of focus on
breathing and achieving calm.

Research shows that meditation improves

concentration and memory. Studies have also
tracked the growth in essential brain areas
associated with intelligent thinking over time
as research participants practiced meditation.
In one study, published in the Journal
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, Professor
Eileen Luders of UCLA reported that a long-
meditators were found to have larger amounts of
gyrification or “folding” of the brain cortex. The researchers did not prove it directly,
but this process should allow the brain to process information faster and more
efficiently.

Another study by the same researchers and published in the journal of Neuroimage in
2009 found that those who meditate have more cell density in the hippocampus
(associated with memory) and frontal lobes (associated with planning and control of
behavior).
Stress prevents good learning, and it is designed to do so. The stress response
prioritizes immediate information and shortens attention span. However, in order to
think intelligently, we need to think more broadly and in a considered way. This is
not possible when we are stressed. Meditation can help us to calm the mind, and so
increase our ability to attend to each learning experience fully. Some studies also
appear to show that regular practice of meditation can even raise our general
intelligence.

4. Stay Healthy. Over the past decades, it has

come as a surprise to psychologists that physical
exercise is a sort of miracle cure or “panacea” for
a wide range of physical, emotional, and
intellectual problems. Exercise is free, and
generally, there are no side effects. Physical
exercise increases your blood flow, which
increases the amount of oxygen and glucose
received by the brain. Exercise also generally
involves physical coordination. Thus, the brain
also gets a workout as it coordinates all of that
complicated physical activity..

Exercise helps with the growth of new brain cells (neurons) as well as the cells that
connect them (neurogenesis). Exercise promotes the production of three essential
“growth factors,” called brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), insulin-like growth

16
factor (IGN-1), and endothelial growth factor (VEGF). These factors also minimize
inflammation, grow new blood vessels, and slow down cell self-destruction. A good
workout can also awaken dormant stem cells in the hippocampus, a part of the
midbrain that controls our memory system. Some research suggests that there may
be genuine intellectual benefits to exercise in terms of IQ gains..

3. Maintain High Levels of Mental

Activity. The more conversations you
have with your child, the more intelligent
they will be. Simple games involving
naming objects and solving little puzzles
together, making learning a social and
educational matter, improve a child’s IQ.
Talking to a child increases their
vocabulary, which is truly important for
their general intelligence levels. You can
raise your child’s IQ by six points by
doing this over a few years when they are
young. However, the evidence suggests
that by age 4, it may be too late to get these large benefits-so start early.
Kids whose parents read to them most days have high IQs. However, the key to an
increased IQ is not just to read but to read interactively to a child. Parents should
use an interesting and varying tone of voice, showing lots of relevant emotion as they
read. Look for signs of interest or reactions in the child, ask those questions as you
go, and make sure the child understands what is being read.

For Example, you could stop and ask, “What do you think happens next?” You can
also check to see if they can tell you the meaning of a word or provide one. This
makes reading a fun social activity, and this is where the real IQ boost comes from.

This is probably the simplest and most important thing you can do for your child,
and it is why TV and audio stories will not do the trick. It turns out that kids need
their parents! Engaging with stories is very good for a child’s intellectual
development, as documented in the text “What reading does for the mind” by
Cunningham and Stanovich (1998).

Nonetheless, do not worry if you were never read to as a child. Exercising the brain
and keeping mentally active is always a good idea. Fun activities like crosswords,
Sudoku, or whatever teases your gray matter have long been suspected by
neuroscientists to improve your cognitive ability. Even struggling to understand a
map (or poorly written flat pack furniture assembly guide) will exercise your spatial
and reasoning abilities.

One of the simplest things you can do to make your brain sweat is to try to
understand points of view that you do not agree with. Open your mind and listen to
arguments that make no sense to you and try to find some sense on them.

17
2. Extend Your Education. Many countries
have early intervention programs (such as
Head Start in the U.S.) to provide intensive
early education to children at risk. They
seem to work for scholastic achievement to
some extent but have not been shown to
improve a child’s general intellectual ability.
The main benefit of these programs seems to
be that they provide a productive,
stimulating environment for the child and
intensify their educational experience..

We can all do the same thing for ourselves

and our kids by actively embracing problem-
solving and learning every day. Do take courses, try to learn the second language,
and read that heavy book you were avoiding. Even older children appear to show IQ
gains if their environment becomes more stimulating and challenging.

The idea that our intelligence (or IQ

score) is fixed for life is a controversial
one, but evidence in support of this is
weakening in light of several recent
studies. One such study was
published recently by Norwegian
scientists Christian N. Brinch and
Taryn Ann Galloway. They got around
the problem of trying to separate the
effect of education on IQ from the
possibility that more intelligent people
simply choose to have more education.
Their study involved examining the
effects of an increase in the duration of
compulsory schooling in Norway in the
1960s. This change extended the
minimum time in education for all Norwegians from seven to nine years. The authors
cleverly hypothesized that the IQs of people who experienced this extra mandatory
education should have increased by the time they reached adulthood.

The researchers had access to excellent records of cognitive ability taken by the
military for all eligible males at age 19. They used these to calculate the IQ of each
individual in the study. It allowed them to show that IQ had risen by 0.6 of a point
on average for all Norwegian males throughout the study, but had risen by 3.7 points
for every extra year of education received. These findings provide a solid support for
the ideas that education can increase IQ and that even those who are required to
receive extra education will benefit from it.

1. Do Brain Training. Psychologists have known for quite some time that
fundamental cognitive skills (for example, the speed at which you process
information) are relatively stable throughout our life. In other words, while we can
often do more with what we have, it is not easy to improve our basic cognitive skill
levels—at least until recently.

18
Now, one of the latest players on the self-improvement scene is thought to be brain
training, with (in many cases) promises of genuine improvements to our fundamental
cognitive skills, such as working memory and decision-making speed.
Brain training usually takes place online or on a handheld device. It is delivered in
the form of entertaining games designed to stimulate crucial areas of the brain
associated with basic cognitive activity. Practice at these tasks is theorized by brain-
training proponents to lead to real changes in the cell density of those areas
(neurogenesis). The idea is that we can literally "boost our brains" with the correct
types of mental exercises. Because psychologists now know quite a bit (although not
enough) about what brain areas are involved in what types of skills. They can attempt
to devise exercises to target those precise areas so that, at least in theory, we can
become more agile thinkers, have more creative insights and reason more logically.

There is no doubt that the field has become cluttered with all manner of charlatans
riding the exciting new wave of interest in what is called “cognitive training” by
psychologists. The media have made the lack of evidence for the merits of brain
training a recurring theme. Many brain training companies indeed make over-
stretched claims that have even the most optimistic psychologists raising their eye-
brows and cringing in discomfort.
Nevertheless, that should not necessarily take away from the basic fact that
psychologists are nearly sure that a stimulated brain develops more fully and quickly
than an under-stimulated one. We are sure (or as sure as we can reasonably be) that
brain cell connections do grow in response to stimulation and that stimulated brain
areas is better developed measurably. We are less sure that we can become more
intelligent, insightful, and creative in our thinking as a result of brain training—
although some evidence and the general theory points in the right direction.

Some very high profile research published by Professor Susan Jaegii and colleagues
has led to a high degree of confidence among psychologists. A task known as the
dual N-back can indeed raise at least one crucial dimension of intelligence. Known
as fluid intelligence, it significantly and in the long term (at least several months).
Still, work reported by Cassidy, Roche, and Hayes (2011) in The Psychological
Record reports IQ gains of 13 points or so for children exposed to a behavior-analytic
form of intellectual skills training called relational skills training.

It is true that many specific brain

training products have not stood up to
the rigors of scientific investigation, but
that in no way undermines
the principle that psychologists may be
on to something big with brain training.
Decades of evidence from different
laboratories, involving research with
animals and humans, all suggest that
brains can be trained and developed by
mental exercise. What is at issue is
whether or not particular products can
do this on their own and make changes
where it matters: to our general intelligence, memory, and mental processing speed.

19
More research needs to be done. But because the benefits of brain training at this
point in time appear to surpass those of any other method for enhancing intellectual
ability, it gets (in my view) the number one position in this list of top ten ways to
improve your brain health and maximize your intellectual potential.

So, what do you think, our

understanding not only stretches how
we can perceive, but rather on how we
have invested our efforts through the
years. Having invested much time in
our health, especially in improving our
brain capacity, we can already see the
fruits of development and resistance to
whatever situational problem may
arise.

So, how do you improve during

this pandemic time, do you think you can
improve and enhance yourself while you are in quarantine? It turns out that being
in your safety zones (homes) provides an avenue of things to do. The idle brain can
do as much in eliciting creativity in the best way possible (in a positive way). For
example, I tried to read as many journal books as possible or watched webinars of
some prominent people who are so kind enough to provide to share their expertise
in different fields. Psychological First Aid from “Juan for Mental Health, “Does
Positive Psychology leads to Happiness?” from the University of the Philippines and
Psychological Association of the Philippines; and “Understanding the New Normal”
under the webinars of the MMDA; are among some of the seminars that I have
watched and participated. I even volunteered to be a mental health responder and
be in the frontlines, and serve as a tele-counselor.

It turns out that you can do almost anything, especially when you are at your
comfortable places to realize your potentials. In doing so, I would like to share one
aspect of developing your own “Personal Plan” to enhance your brain function. Your
own personal plan can start your daily habit and eventually be part of your
personality. How do you see it? Even our behavioral approach, our lifestyle defines
what we have invested? After all, you are the caretaker of your body.

Source: www.psychologytoday.com

20
 What’s More

Activity 1.3: “Making a difference!” (Critical Thinking, Creativity)

Instruction: From the lesson you learned, make your own activity that can range
from the tasks that you do daily and personally. Make it as brief as possible, concrete,
and achievable.
1. Quitting Smoking.
__________________________________________________________________________________
2. Think Positive during the pandemic.
__________________________________________________________________________________
3. On getting late sleep due to chats and Facebook.
__________________________________________________________________________________
4. Healthy Food during quarantine.
__________________________________________________________________________________
5. Praying and meditating during the pandemic crisis.
__________________________________________________________________________________
6. On “Blended Learning” of the government’s initiative to still continue
learning despite the pandemic. (Extend your Education)
__________________________________________________________________________________
7. On consistent negative news and reports that mainstream nowadays.
__________________________________________________________________________________

21
 What I Have Learned

1. Negative effects such as improper diet, bad habits, and not exercising are
among the things that need to change if you want to improve and enhance
most, especially during these trying times.

2. Having a good relationship and stable support coming from immediate family
members, especially in this crisis, frequently provide a haven for the brain to
improve. The environment, most notably the things around it, is already a
consideration for the brain’s functions to comprehend and to be alive.

3. Having a positive perception, good relationship, and meditation (e.g. praying)

helps the brain to be calm and perceive things slowly and critically, most
particularly during these crises. The Philippines is an avenue of disaster and
typhoons, so every individual must be equipped with calm and resilience to
survive.

4. Having a good rest and healthy food keeps the brain functions intact and
functions well on an everyday basis. Allowing oneself to be more proactive in
dietary habits is already a positive step of taking care of your body,
especially mentally.

5. Do not stop in pursuing and keep on moving by exercising and improving

through education. The capacity of the brain to adjust has so much more
can do than just adjusting. It can adjust at the same time it can also learn.
A right combination for these trying times.

6. Researches from different fields of psychiatry and neurosurgery; have made

significant contributions in improving the brain, and the output of such is
improvement through medicine and the like. This is the result of the
continuous improvement of humanity to health and development.

22
 What I Can Do

Activity 1.4: Essay (Critical Thinking, Character-Building)

Instruction: Make an essay of the pandemic times by employing what you
have just learned from the lesson. Relate some events to the situation that
currently happens in the country. You may cite some examples like mental
health problems, the growing anxiety of some sectors of the society, and many
others. Write your title as the “Combatting the Pandemic Times.” Be sure to
write your signature at the end of your essay.

Combatting the Pandemic Times

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

23
 Assessment

Multiple Choice. Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a
separate sheet of paper.
1. Which of the following does not belong to the group?
a. Brain Training is a popular notion nowadays.
b. Brain improvement and functions starts at earliest conception of the
mother.
c. China has developed an idea of fast reading by flipping books.
d. Being negative about life is not a bad avenue for pessimist

2. This is an effect in which instructors often unknowingly expect more

productive expectations in certain individuals.
a. The Double Blinders Effect
b. The Rosenthal Effect
c. The Altruism Effect
d. The Blame Game

3. Which of the following does not belong to the group?

a. Praying with your Family
b. Sleeping past Midnight
c. Junk Foods
d. Watching violent movies

4. Sleep well: _____ ; Meditate: _____.

a. 12:00 PM/Listening to rock songs
b. Up until 12 noon/Playing with your nieces/nephews
c. 8:00PM/listening classical music
d. 4:00 AM/ Praying the Rosary

5. Which of the following statement does not follow a good relationship?

a. Debbie and Jona are best friends. During the quarantine, they
skipped past 9 in the evening and went to a nearby friend to attend a
slumber party.
b. Alan is very considerate to his friend Ruben, because of the COVID-19
pandemic, he lends his friend money at an interest rate of 10% after
the pandemic.
c. Randy amends with his long time enemy, boss Charlie. He promised to
be on time during work and cooperate with his officemates. Charlie
sees this as an opportunity to be with his friend. So, he accepts
Randy's apology as an act of consideration for his kind gesture.
d. In line with the department’s initiative to halt operation and cost-
cutting their expenditures. BMR Corporation, dismissed some of its
employees, regardless of their performance and conditions in life.

24
 Additional Activities

Portfolio Output 6: “Developing My Personal Plan”

Instruction: In this output, you are tasked to make your own simplified
“Personal Plan” to improve your brain functions. You may include a variety of
exercises and diet programs that you think will further develop your brain
functions. This intended “Personal Plan,” must follow the “SMART” protocol
in which every intended activity you make must be simple, measurable,
attainable, practical, and time-bound. Consider the example given. You may
choose any part of the brain to improve. Choose at least 3-5 parts of the
brain.

Parts of the
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
Brain

Have a
family
bonding,
Eat Read 1
Memorize you may
Ex. Exercise vegetables mantra/quote Meditate
one word Eat a attend
for 1 such as for a day and for 1
Amygdala in the
hour green peas used it on hour
Banana mass
dictionary. together
etc. that day
or watch
a movie
together.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

25
26
What I Know What's More Assessment
1. C 1. B
2. D 2. B
3. B 3. A
4. D 4. C
5. D 5. C
Answer Key
References
Websites:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3897366/

https://www.jneurosci.org/content/34/14/5003

https://bjgp.org/content/66/642/44

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-british-journal-of-psychiatry/article/mood-change-
following-bilateral-hemisphere-brain-injury/AAC5D637093914B36C1EA54EE7C5D446

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-11/rb-trf110518.php

https://blog.cognifit.com/brain-hemispheres/

https://brainmadesimple.com/left-and-right-hemispheres/

https://blog.cognifit.com/brain-hemispheres/

https://human-memory.net/left-and-right-hemisphere-of-the-brain/

https://teenbraintalk.wordpress.com/cerebral-cortex/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerebral_cortex

https://teenbraintalk.wordpress.com/limbic-system/

https://www.britannica.com/science/forebrain

https://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain/brain-anatomy/forebrain

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midbrain

https://psych.athabascau.ca/html/Psych289/Biotutorials/6/midbrain.shtml?

https://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain/brain-anatomy/midbrain

https://exploringyourmind.com/the-hindbrain-structure-and-functions/

https://psych.athabascau.ca/html/Psych289/Biotutorials/6/hindbrain.shtml

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindbrain

https://www.britannica.com/science/hindbrain

https://psychologyhub.co.uk/the-structure-and-function-of-sensory-relay-and-motor-neurons/

https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/nsdivide.html

27
https://sites.google.com/site/appsychology54899/unit-2/the-nervous-system

https://imotions.com/blog/nervous-system/

https://open.oregonstate.education/aandp/chapter/12-1-structure-and-function-of-the-nervous-
system/

Images:

https://www.google.com.ph/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi1.wp.com%2Fbrainmadesimple.com
%2Fwp-
content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2F959966.jpg%3Fresize%3D435%252C435%26ssl%3D1&imgref
url=https%3A%2F%2Fbrainmadesimple.com%2Fleft-and-right-
hemispheres%2F&tbnid=1NR6F7v5GB0MJM&vet=12ahUKEwjdzZTpxdPpAhXqy4sBHS6xBbcQMygBe
gUIARDWAQ..i&docid=_c2EshvTvxDcvM&w=435&h=435&q=brain%20hemispheres&ved=2ahUKEwj
dzZTpxdPpAhXqy4sBHS6xBbcQMygBegUIARDWAQ

https://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain/brain-anatomy/lobes-brain

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/563935184568581406/

https://teenbraintalk.wordpress.com/limbic-system/

https://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain/brain-anatomy/what-neuron

https://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain/brain-anatomy/midbrain

https://qbi.uq.edu.au/brain/brain-anatomy/forebrain

https://www.legalgraphicworks.com/product/brain-cross-sectional-anatomy-functions-2/

https://psychologyhub.co.uk/the-structure-and-function-of-sensory-relay-and-motor-neurons/

https://www.pinterest.ph/pin/253749760234917832/

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fd2jmvrsizmvf4x.cloudfront.net%2FWxSvl
epvTE6FWe3JoQB4_Screen%2BShot%2B2016-06-
22%2Bat%2B9.48.42%2BAM.png&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fsocratic.org%2Fquestions%2Fwhat-is-
the-difference-between-the-peripheral-nervous-system-and-the-central-
ner&tbnid=KJwlWAQh5mTugM&vet=10CBEQxiAoAmoXChMIuOvS5KrJ6QIVAAAAAB0AAAAAEAY..i&d
ocid=OvBncBlr8za23M&w=239&h=295&itg=1&q=the%20cns%20and%20pns&ved=0CBEQxiAoAmoX
ChMIuOvS5KrJ6QIVAAAAAB0AAAAAEAY

28
For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education - Bureau of Learning Resources (DepEd-BLR)

Ground Floor, Bonifacio Bldg., DepEd Complex

Meralco Avenue, Pasig City, Philippines 1600

Telefax: (632) 8634-1072; 8634-1054; 8631-4985

Email Address: blr.lrqad@deped.gov.ph * blr.lrpd@deped.gov.ph