Transcript The Brain
Your Brain the most powerful tool you have Lesson 1 What do you already know about your brain? Think about it, then write down everything you know on a sticky note. • My brain is in my head • The brain had different parts • The brain helps you see • The brain is an organ • Your brain has nerves that send messages to the rest of your body. • Our brains are big. Lesson 2 Your brain weighs about 3 pounds, but it uses around 21% of your body’s energy! Did you know? Your brain NEEDS water! You should drink 2 cups of water for every 25 pounds that you weigh. How much water should you drink a day? Feeding your Brain There are foods that your brain LOVES. Blueberries Blackberries Cranberries Strawberries Raspberries Dark raisins Red grapes Oranges Plums Garlic Kelp Spinach Brussel Sprouts Broccoli Kale Avocado Bell Peppers What do you notice? Feeding your Brain Walnuts and almonds are also great brain foods! Green tea is a great brain drink! The BEST Brain Food PRUNES! Eating 1 – 2 prunes a day is enough to give your brain powerful nutrients! Lesson 3 The Prefrontal Cortex Prefrontal Cortex http://www.edutopia.org/stw-student-stressmeditation-overview-video This is the thinking part of your brain. Prefrontal Cortex It helps you control your behavior, think about problems, make right and wrong choices, and think about the consequences of your actions. Prefrontal Cortex This area controls your short term and long term decision making. It helps you plan and stay organized. Prefrontal Cortex This area helps focus thoughts, which helps people pay attention, learn, and concentrate on goals. Prefrontal Cortex How is the prefrontal cortex going to help you in school? Lesson 4 The Limbic System The Limbic System The Limbic System The limbic system connects us to our emotions and motivations. Most of these emotions and motivations are related to survival. The Limbic System This is the area of the brain where we feel anger, fear, and pleasure. Why would we need these for survival? The Limbic System This system has two really important parts: 1. The hippocampus 2. The amygdala The Amygdala The amygdala is responsible for determining what memories are stored in your brain. The Hippocampus The hippocampus is responsible for long term memories. It can get these memories when you need them. The Limbic System How will the limbic system (the amygdala and the hippocampus) help you in school? Lesson 5 The Neuron The Neuron Neurons are special cells in your brain that transmit information. The Neuron Without neurons, you would not be able to do anything! The Neuron You are born with a certain number of neurons. Your body can’t make any more. Dendrites Dendrites are like the arms of the neuron. They get information from other neurons. Axons The longest axon in our body is 3 feet long! It goes from the end of our spine, down to our big toe! Axons are long fibers that send messages around the body. Working Together Neurons are connected to hundreds or even thousands of other neurons in your brain. Working Together This is how information is passed throughout the body. Working Together The more connections a neuron has to other neurons, the better your brain is working. Working Together How do you get more connections? Use your brain more! Lesson 4 When you are stressed or worried about something that happened at home or at recess, your Limbic System starts working. If your Limbic System is focused on feelings of fear or anxiety, then your amygdala and hippocampus cannot store information. That means all of the available working memory you would use to learn math or reading is busy. It’s busy worrying about what happened at home or recess. How can this stress affect your learning? So how can we relax and get rid of this stress so our brains can focus on learning? Focused Attention Break A focused attention break is a short quiet time where we calm the noise in our brain and get rid of thoughts and feelings we don’t need anymore. Focused Attention Break A focused attention break can make you feel relaxed, calm, and centered. It can be strange at first because it is new. It might not work the first couple of times. Focused Attention Break If you don’t believe it will work, it won’t. You need to trust that this quiet time has the power to calm your brain. A calm brain is a brain that is ready for learning. Samples: • • • • • • 5 minute miracle 5 minutes off Breathing Break Mindfulness Break 5 minute breathing break Music only