5th Graders Learning about the Brain

I just finished a very pleasant afternoon- talking with a great group of 5th grade students about the brain! These students attend DeSales Catholic School in Ossian, Iowa- in the far northeast corner of the state.  Their teacher, Heidi Buddenberg, is a participant in the Brain-Based Learning class that I teach for the Archdiocese of Dubuque.  Since Mrs. Buddenberg is learning about the brain this year to increase her skills as a teacher, she decided to share some of her learning with her 5th grade students.

We used SKYPE as our vehicle for communicating, and while we were a bit nervous as we practiced earlier this week, everything worked very well.  The first part of my presentation to the students focused on just how we know what we know about the brain.  I shared with them stories from the past (Tan, and Phineas Gage) that allowed doctors and scientists to learn about the brain long before technology was available to them.  These two men (and many others) played a huge role in the early years of neuroscience, and are prominent in the literature.  We then moved on to the present day, and the amazing brain-imaging technologies that allow doctors and scientists to look inside brains while they are still alive- inside the heads of living, breathing, functioning humans!  We discussed imaging technologies such as PET Scanning, MRI, fMRI and DTI (diffusion tensor imaging- which allows examination of individual neurons and their connections to other neurons.)  Amazing! 

We then turned our attention to the topic of developing- and sustaining- the healthiest brain possible.  I provided information for the DeSales 5th graders about five 'brain health' topics:

1.  Physical Exercise  ( Good for the heart = good for the brain!  And, BDNF= Miracle Grow for the Brain)
2.  Sleep  (The importance of Consolidation of learning during sleep-  and the effect of sleep on learning.)
3.  Brain Food  (Foods high in antioxidants-  that combat the negative effects of aging- on the body & brain)
4.  Drugs, alcohol, nicotine  (The danger these substances have on the "still-developing" adolescent brain)
5.  Learning  (Learning actually increases the brain's POTENTIAL for learning!) 

We covered a lot of topics!  After each bit of information, the students were given 30 seconds of "think-time", and then 2 minutes to work on their "Ready, Set, Draw" sheets.  For each topic, they had to capture what they had learned in the form of a visual (no words allowed) that they would take home and discuss with their parents tonight. 

It was great fun for ME, and I'm hoping that the DeSales 5th graders enjoyed our time together.  Thanks, Mrs. Buddenberg, for setting this up!  And to you 5th graders---- feel free to contact me again with questions that might arise about the brain.  I may not know the answer, but I'll try to find out for you.

While I love my adult students (the teachers and administrators with whom I work) I was reminded today about how WONDERFUL it is to work with KIDS!  

This is a big week for me!  I leave on Thursday, January 12 for Napa, CA and another installment of learning with Pat Wolfe and The Brainy Bunch!  This year, the focus is on the Adolescent Brain, and we will be hearing from two experts-  one an educators and author, and the other, a neuroscientist specializing in adolescent brain development.  I can't wait!  My intent is to post to this blog several times while I'm gone, to keep you abreast of what I'm learning! 

Thanks for "listening".  I'd love to hear from you!