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Table of Contents
Module 7: The Brain........................................................................................................................ 2
Learning Outcomes ..................................................................................................................... 2
LO7.1: Studying the Brain’s Structure and Functions: Spying on the Brain ............................... 2
Progress Check ........................................................................................................................ 2
Discussion Questions .............................................................................................................. 4
LO7.2: The Central Core: Our “Old Brain” .................................................................................. 4
Progress Check ........................................................................................................................ 5
Discussion Questions .............................................................................................................. 5
LO7.3: The Limbic System: Beyond the Central Core ................................................................. 7
Progress Check ........................................................................................................................ 7
LO7.4: The Cerebral Cortex: Our “New Brain”............................................................................ 8
Progress Check ........................................................................................................................ 8
Discussion Questions ............................................................................................................ 10
LO7.5: Neuroplasticity and the Brain ........................................................................................ 10
Progress Check ...................................................................................................................... 10
Discussion Questions ............................................................................................................ 11
LO7.6: The Specialization of the Hemispheres: Two Brains or One? ....................................... 12
Progress Check ...................................................................................................................... 12
Discussion Questions ............................................................................................................ 13
Additional Activities ...................................................................................................................... 13
Critical Thinking Exercises ......................................................................................................... 13
Journal Exercises ....................................................................................................................... 13
In-Class Activities ...................................................................................................................... 14
Learning Outcomes
7.1: Illustrate how researchers identify the major parts and functions of the brain.
7.2: Describe the central core of the brain.
7.3: Describe the limbic system of the brain.
7.4: Describe the cerebral cortex of the brain.
7.5: Recognize neuroplasticity and its implications.
7.6: Explain how the two hemispheres of the brain operate interdependently and the
implications for human behavior.
LO7.1: Studying the Brain’s Structure and Functions: Spying on the Brain
Modern brain scanning techniques allow researchers to examine how the brain works.
2. Positron emission tomography (PET) – scans that show biochemical activity within the brain
at a given moment.
4. Transcranial magnetic stimulation imaging (TMS) - one of the newest types of scans that
exposes a tiny region of the brain to a strong magnetic field, which causes a momentary
interruption of electrical activity.
Progress Check
Approximately how many neurons make up the human brain?
A. Hundreds
B. Thousands
C. Millions
D. Billions
A. One pounds
B. Three pounds
C. Ten pounds
D. Twenty pounds
3. The following type of brain scan records electrical activity in the brain through electrodes
placed on the outside of the skull.
A. electroencephalogram (EEG)
A. electroencephalogram (EEG)
Answers: 1. D 2. B 3. A 4. C
Discussion Questions
Before sophisticated brain-scanning techniques were developed, behavioral neuroscientists
examined and researched the brains of people who had died. What do you think are the
benefits of examining the brains of people who are living?
4. Reticular formation - activates other parts of the brain immediately to produce general
bodily arousal and signals the cerebral cortex to remain alert during sleep.
5. Thalamus – acts as a relay station for information about the senses, determines if things are
good or bad, and forwards the information to the cerebral cortex.
Here are some hints to help remember the parts of the brain:
Pons: Ponds hand cream is something you put on your hands—could help your muscles move.
Reticular formation: Like a military formation, sends messages up and down within the brain.
Thalamus: You would throw a ball during a relay race. The thalamus is a relay station.
Hypothalamus: Sounds like “homeostasis,” the state of stability in the body’s internal
environment.
Progress Check
Matching:
B. pons E. thalamus
C. cerebellum F. hypothalamus
1. _____ - maintains homeostasis, produces and regulates survival behavior, helps to provide a
constant body temperature and monitors the amount of nutrients stored in the cells.
2. _____ - activates other parts of the brain immediately to produce general bodily arousal and
signals the cerebral cortex to remain alert during sleep.
5. _____ – acts as a relay station for information about the senses, determines if things are
good or bad, and forwards the information to the cerebral cortex.
6. _____ – controls bodily balance, muscle movement, coordination of sensory information and
problem solving.
Answers:
1. F 2. D 3. B 4. A 5. E 6. C
Discussion Questions
Drinking too much alcohol seems to depress the activity of the cerebellum, which leads to the
unsteady stance and movement characteristic of drunkenness.
What types of impacts do you think more powerful substances have on the brain?
Can you guess what part of the brain is impacted based on a person’s movement, speech,
thought processes, and reactions?
The structures of the limbic system jointly control basic functions relating to emotions, learning,
memory, the experience of pleasure and self-preservation, such as eating, aggression, and
reproduction.
Progress Check
True or False:
1. (True or False) - The structures of the limbic system jointly control muscular movement.
2. (True or False) - Injury to the limbic system can produce striking changes in behavior.
Answers:
1. False – The limbic system controls basic functions relating to emotions, learning, memory,
the experience of pleasure and self-preservation.
2. True
2. The frontal lobe – located in the front center of the cortex – concerned with reasoning,
planning, parts of speech and movement (motor cortex), emotions and problem-solving.
3. The parietal lobe – located behind the frontal lobe – concerned with perception of stimuli
related to touch, pressure, temperature and pain.
4. The temporal lobe - located below the frontal and parietal lobe at the center portion of the
cortex – concerned with perception and recognition of hearing (auditory stimuli) and memory.
5. The occipital lobe – located at the back of the brain behind the parietal and temporal lobes -
concerned with vision.
6. The motor areas of the cortex are responsible for the body’s voluntary movement. Every
portion of the motor area corresponds to a specific location within the body.
7. The sensory areas of the cortex have three regions that are responsible for body sensations
like touch and pressure, sight, and sound.
8. The association areas of the cerebral cortex are the sites of higher mental processes, such as
thought, language, memory, and speech. They make up a large portion of the cerebral cortex
and control executive functions, which are abilities relating to planning, goal setting, judgment,
and impulse control.
http://www.waiting.com/brainanatomy.html
Progress Check
Match the lobe to the function:
1._____ – concerned with perception of stimuli related to touch, pressure, temperature and
pain.
2. _____ – concerned with reasoning, planning, parts of speech and movement (motor cortex),
emotions and problem-solving.
4._____ - concerned with perception and recognition of hearing (auditory stimuli) and memory.
Answers:
1. B 2. A 3. D 4. C
A. Motor Areas
B. Sensory Areas
C. Association areas
1. The sensory areas - responsible for body sensations like touch and pressure, sight, and
sound.
2. The association areas - responsible for higher mental processes, such as thought, language,
memory, and speech.
Answers:
1. B 2. C 3. A
Discussion Questions
1. If you fall and hit your head really hard, do you think the location of the injury would
affect different bodily functions?
2. What about people who have a stroke in a specific area of the brain?
The structures of the limbic system jointly control basic functions relating to emotions, learning,
memory, the experience of pleasure and self-preservation, such as eating, aggression, and
reproduction.
Progress Check
Fill in the blank:
Neuroplasticity
Neurogenesis
1. ___________ - New neurons that are created in certain areas of the brain during adulthood.
Answers:
1. Neurogenesis
2. Neuropasticity
Discussion Questions
For many years it was thought that the human brain could not be changed. People were born
with a brain that could not be altered without injury or illness. By the time they reached
adulthood, they were stuck with the brain they were born with. The human brain can create
and lose synapses, the connections between neurons that encode memories and learning;
however, research has shown that the brain has amazing powers to regenerate connections
between neurons and form new connections between neurons. The brain can change its
structure and function in response to experience.
1. Mary has always had a hard time remembering people’s names. She simply states, “I
am terrible at remembering names. I was born with a bad memory. There is nothing I
can do about it.” Do you believe this is true? Based on new research, can Mary do
anything to improve her memory?
2. Simon has always had a hard time with math. He states, “I’ve never been good at
math. I cannot do it.” Do you believe this is true? Based on new research, can Simon
do anything to improve his mathematical skills?
2. Lateralization – when behaviors are more likely to reflect activity in one hemisphere than in
the other.
3. Left hemisphere of the brain - controls muscles on the right side of the body and
concentrates more on tasks that require verbal competence, such as speaking, reading,
thinking, and reasoning.
4. Right hemisphere of the brain - controls muscles on the left side of the body and affects
nonverbal areas such as the understanding of spatial relationships, recognition of patterns and
drawings, music, and emotional expression.
Progress Check
1. This hemisphere is responsible for controlling emotional expression.
A. Left hemisphere
B. Right hemisphere
A. Left
B. Right
3. If a person with a head injury cannot move the right side of the body, the
A. Left
B. Right
Answers:
1. B 2. B 3. A
Discussion Questions
Arthur gets hit on the head with a baseball. His speech becomes slurred, and he is difficult to
understand. Doctors are worried that Arthur damaged an area of his brain. Do you think
Arthur was hit on the left or right side of his head? Why?
Additional Activities
Journal Exercises
Journal Exercise #1: Least Favorite Subjects
Think back to a subject you really disliked in high school. What did you dislike so much?
Describe how you felt before walking into this class. Did you notice a change in your mood?
How did you feel physically? Do you think your mood and feelings affected your ability in this
subject? Now that you understand neuroplasticity and neurogenesis, how would you approach
a subject that you are weak in?
In-Class Activities
#1: Assessing Brain Lateralization – Are You right or left brain dominant? “ Try it” from
Feldman Chapter 2
To get a rough sense of your own preferences in terms of brain lateralization, complete the
following questionnaire.
4. I’m usually more interested in people and feelings than objects and things. True___ False___
5. I see the big picture, rather than thinking about projects in terms of their individual parts.
True___ False___
6. When planning a trip, I like every detail in my itinerary worked out in advance. True___
False___
8. When buying a new car, I prefer style over safety. True___ False___
Scoring:
Give yourself 1 point for each of the following responses: 1. False; 2. True; 3. True; 4. False; 5.
False; 6. True; 7. True; 8. False; 9. False; 10. True.
The higher your score, the more your responses are consistent with people who are left-brain
oriented, meaning that you have particular strength in tasks that require verbal competence,
analytic thinking, and processing of information sequentially, one bit of information at a time.
The lower your score, the more your responses are consistent with a right-brain orientation,
meaning that you have particular strengths in nonverbal areas, recognition of patterns, music,
and emotional expression, and process information globally.
*Remember this is only a rough estimate of your processing preferences, and that all of us have
strengths in both hemispheres of the brain.
Source: Adapted in part from Morton, B.E. (2003). Asymmetry questionnaire outcomes
correlate with several hemisphericity measures. Brain and Cognition, 51, 372–374.
This activity takes about ten minutes and should be done during for three or four classes, so
students can experience the improvement.
Ask students for a show of hands of who is really good at math. Discuss whether or not they
think people have the ability to improve math skills. Then, write the following problems on the
board:
1. Half of 48, 72, 414, 826 and 1,040 (24, 36, 207, 413, 520)
2. Three times 41, 52, 109, 212 and 503 (123, 156, 327, 636, 1509)
3. A third of 12, 66, 93, 309, 636 and 3,024 (4, 22, 31, 103, 212, 1008)
4. 76-9, 987-9, 456-19, 497-19 and 564-29 (67, 978, 437, 478, 535)
5. 15x4, 25x4, 30x4, 35x4, 40x4 and 45x4 (60, 100, 120, 140, 160, 180)
#4 tell students to subtract 10 and add 1 to quickly subtract 9. To subtract 19 they should
subtract 20 and add 1.
#5 multiply the first number by 2 and double it. (15 x 2 = 30 and 30 x 2 = 60)
Make sure to tell students not to worry if they cannot get some of the answers. This is just a fun
activity.
Thirty minutes later, or at the next class meeting, put up another set of problems:
1. Half of 46, 74, 416, 830 and 1050 (23, 37, 208, 415, 525)
2. Three times 42, 54, 110, 225 and 510 (126, 162, 330, 675, 1030)
3. A third of 15, 72, 96, 312, 639, and 3027 (5, 24, 32, 104, 213, 1008)
4. 86-9, 997-9, 476-19, 488-19, 575-19 (77, 988, 457, 469, 556)
5. 25x4, 35x4, 45x4, 55x4, 60x4 (100, 140, 180, 220, 240)
Thirty minutes later, or at the next class meeting, put up one more set of problems:
1. Half of 44, 76, 418, 840, 1060 (22, 36, 209, 420, 530)
2. Three times 43, 56, 112, 230, 515 (129, 168, 336, 690, 1045)
3. A third of 18, 75, 99, 315, 633, 3030 (6, 25, 33, 105, 211, 1010)
4. 96-9, 977-9, 486-9, 495-9, 586-9 (87, 968, 477, 486, 577)
5. 10x4, 15x4, 20x4, 25x4, 35x4 (40, 60, 80, 100, 140)
1. Did students notice an improvement in mental math ability on the third attempt?
http://morphonix.com/software/education/science/brain/game/brainarium/3d_brain_puzzle.h
tml
Mutta hän saikin jo aamulla tuta, että oli pahoin tehnyt: hän
tuli leikkitoverin luokse — ja säikähti tätä: Hän oli outo ja ruma
ja vanha. Puisto oli mykkä ja surullinen, kukkaset vapisivat
kovin ja kauniit linnut ja perhoset pakenivat vieroen kauas.
ATLANTIS.
SANOJA YÖSSÄ.
Yö on tullut meille.
Sanat lakastuvat huulillemme.
Emme nähdä, tuntea voi toisiamme,
emme itseämme yöltä pelastaa.
VERKOSSA.
Olen verkon silmässä kala. En pääse pois:
ovat viiltävät säikeet jo syvällä lihassa mulla.
Vesi päilyvä, selvä ja syvä minun silmäini edessä ois.
Vesiaavikot vapaat, en voi minä luoksenne tulla!
PURJEHTIJAT.
VANHA MAA.
DELUGE.
Minun silmieni rovio on syttynyt, kätenikin palavat ja vereni
vapisee. Minun sanani tukehtuvat tai ovat tuiki mielettömät
niinkuin samum, jossa koko erämaa puhuu ja kaikki hiekan
henget taistelevat.
APHELIUM.
(1921.)
V
HUOMISPÄIVÄ.
Tänään — erämaa
joka nielee kaikki keitaat:
unet ilosta ja auringosta.
Tuulen tuomaa lentohiekkaa
janon runtelemille huulille.
Mutta:
rautaristikon takaa
katse,
ihmisen katse —
niinkuin liekki joka syttyy tuhkaan.
Vielä täynnä
tuskan ja ilon taistelua,
mutta voitonvarma,
huomisen-altis,
juopunut syntymättömästä valosta.
Niinkuin huuto
etäisyydestä toiseen:
OLIN NUORI.
Ja alkuyöhön kauas
sen Luojan sormi vei:
niin luotiin maa ja meri, ihminen.
Ja Isä huulillensa
sen virvoittaen vei,
ja siihen tarttui Luojan hengitys.
Ja ihmiset, he koskaan
sitä unohtaneet ei.
Ja sydämissä kävi väristys.
SYYLLINEN MIES.
PAIMENET.
Nähkää:
ei ole varjoja, yötä.
Tunnemme:
ei ole enää pelkoa, vihaa,
paha on kuollut,
maa on kaunis ja nuori
ja ihmeitä täynnä:
pantteri nuolee nuorimman vuonan kaulaa,
jännitetyn jousensa laskee metsästäjä,
huulilla lapsen hymy.
Silmämme näkevät unta: tähdistä astuu enkeli niinkuin
kaunis Jumala itse. Siunaa maata ja siunaa meitä: — Hetki on
tullut, rauha on maanpäällä syntynyt, hyvyys astunut ihmisten
joukkoon, maa on ihmisen koti.
(Jouluna 1923.)
ME.
LAPSEN SILMÄ.