Teacher sheet · Ages 6–7 · about 45–50 minutes
My busy brain
Lesson page: echoesof.science/school/brain/ages-6-7/ · Pupil worksheet: echoesof.science/school/brain/ages-6-7/print/
Learning aims
- Know that the brain is in the head, protected by the skull.
- Know that nerves carry messages between the brain and the body.
- Tell messages in (from senses) from messages out (to muscles).
- Know that the brain also does jobs without us thinking, like breathing.
Lesson plan
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 5 min | Starter: close your eyes and touch your nose. How did your hand know where to go? |
| 10 min | Read the text; act out a message going in and out. |
| 15 min | Catch-the-ruler game in pairs. |
| 5 min | Game: Message in or message out? |
| 10 min | Quiz and worksheet. |
Materials for the experiment
- A 30 cm ruler for each pair
- A sticker or a pen mark at the bottom end
- A pencil and the results table
Safety: Use a plastic or wooden ruler and drop it only a short way, straight down. Keep faces away from the ruler. Catch with fingers only, never by grabbing at someone.
Common misconceptions
| Pupils may think… | Actually… |
|---|---|
| The brain is only for thinking at school. | It also controls breathing, the heartbeat and every movement. |
| Messages go instantly. | They take a little time, which is why the ruler falls before you catch it. |
| The eyes do the seeing all by themselves. | The eyes send messages to the brain, and a part of the brain works out what we see. |
Worksheet answers
- A brain inside the head with the skull drawn around it.
- My skull.
- In to the brain.
- Answers vary; a smaller number means a quicker catch.
Quiz answers
- What keeps your brain safe? Your skull. The brain lies in a hard bony shell, the skull.[1]
- What carries messages between your brain and your body? Nerves. Nerves go out to all parts of the body.[2]
- Which way does a message go when you see something? From your eyes in to your brain. Messages from the senses travel in to the brain.[2][8]
- Which job does your brain do without you thinking? Keeping you breathing. The brain keeps you breathing even when you sleep.[1]
- In the ruler game, why does the ruler fall a bit before you catch it? Messages take a little time to go to the brain and back to the hand. Seeing, the brain and the hand muscles all take a little time.[7]
Going further
Try the ruler game when the holder says 'Go!' as they let go and the catcher closes their eyes. Is it easier or harder?
Sources used in this lesson
- [1] Brain Basics: Know Your Brain (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH, USA)): reliability High
- [2] Anatomy and Physiology, 12.1 Basic Structure and Function of the Nervous System (OpenStax, Rice University): reliability High
- [7] Reaction Time (Neuroscience for Kids) (Eric H. Chudler, University of Washington): reliability Medium-high
- [8] Reaction Time (outreach activity) (Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University): reliability Medium-high
Full list with links and a note on each source's reliability: echoesof.science/school/brain/sources/
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