My Brain: Intro to brain science A Curriculum for 1st - 3rd Graders
- 1. My Brain 1st – 3rd Grade Elementary Curriculum Introduction to brain science
- 2. Objective To introduce the brain functions and awareness of thoughts To introduce the concept of choice in our thoughts To relate thoughts to emotions To introduce the idea of subconscious thoughts and functions of the brain To introduce deep breathing for relaxation To introduce relationship of thoughts to self-esteem
- 3. Overview Discussion: My brain Activity: Positive thoughts coloring sheet Activity: Thought Choices Activity: Deep Breathing Video: Sid The Science Kid- Relaxation Investigation and Breathe In Breathe Out Discussion: What we learned
- 4. Materials Needed Optional: book from the recommended reading list Anatomy of the brain diagram- included Crayons, colored pencils, pencils, pens Nap mats, blankets, or room to stretch out Internet connection and tv or monitor to show video- links included Positive thoughts coloring sheet- included
- 5. My Brain
- 6. Optional Reading Choose a book and read it to the children then discuss it. Recommended reading: The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses Look Inside Your Brain Young Genius: Brains How Does Your Brain Work? (Rookie Read- About Health)
- 7. Discussion: My Brain Teacher show the children the picture of the brain. Describe the brain, it’s location, approximate size. Let the children know that every person and animal has a brain. Give examples like dogs, cats, monkeys, fish, etc. Explain that we have brains because we are alive and that our brains help us in many ways. Every living thing has a type of brain. Explain that every part of our body is connected to our brain. Show the diagram of the nervous system.
- 8. My Brain is Connected to My Body
- 9. Discussion: My Brain Ask the kids these questions to explain how our brains work What kinds of things do our brains do? Learn new things Senses Think about things etc
- 10. Discussion: Memory Everything that we see, touch, taste, smell, or hear is copied and stored in our brains. Can you remember what you ate for breakfast today? That is because your brain was paying attention. We call this memory. As we get older there are things we will remember really well, and things we will not remember so well, but EVERYTHING is still in there. Our brains remember it for us.
- 11. Discussion: Thoughts Our thoughts are also stored in our brains. Whatever we think about stays in there. The wonderful thing about our thoughts is that we can choose what we think about. We get to decide if we want to think about a book we like to read or (more examples of fun things). Ask the children: What do you like to think about? These are all good choices.
- 12. Discussion: Thoughts Isit more fun to think about playing outside or cleaning up your room? Give some more examples of positive or negative things kids might think about. How do you feel when you think about (positive examples)? When we think about things that make us happy, how do we feel? And what about when we think about things that are sad?
- 13. Activity: Thought Choices We get to choose which one to think about. All we have to do is start thinking about the things that make us happier. Think about something that makes you really happy (give examples like a pet, birthday party etc). Close your eyes, and make a picture of it in your mind. What does it look like? Does it smell? Does it taste? What does it feel like? Does it make a noise?
- 14. Activity: Thought Choices Allow the children to keep thinking of their good things for about a minute Now how do you feel? Was it fun to think of things that make us happy? We can do this any time we want to. We just choose to focus on something that makes us happy. You can do this at night before you go to bed or when you first wake up.
- 15. Discussion: Skills and Talents Has someone ever told you that you have done a really good job at something? Have you ever tried something that you thought would be hard? What happened? Did you practice and practice until you got better?
- 16. Discussion: Skills and Talents When we practice something over and over again our brain remembers how we did it and helps us to get better. Eventually it becomes something that you can do easily without even thinking about it. We call this a talent or skill. What is your talent? What are you good at? What is a skill you have? How do you feel when you talk about your talents and skills?
- 17. Activity: Positive Thoughts Pass out the Positive thoughts handout and let the children draw or write in their talents and skills and things that make them happy.
- 18. Discussion: Positive Thoughts Handout Do you remember what I told you about the brain recording everything that we see, touch, taste, smell, and feel and what we think? Look at the pictures you just drew. Are these things we want our brains to remember? Are these things we want to think more about?
- 19. Discussion: Positive Thoughts Handout Have you ever been called a name you don’t like? How does that make you feel? Is it true? Look at your picture you just drew. What do you think you can do when someone says something about you that is not true or calls you a name? What do you think you can do when you are sad?
- 21. Discussion: Breathing Our brains have a lot of jobs. And the amazing thing about our brains is that they do these jobs all at the same time. Our brain works so fast, that scientists are still learning just how fast our brains work and how many things they do. Show the diagram of the nervous system again. If we could watch our thoughts travel from our heads to our toes, it would move so fast that we might not even see it. That is how fast our brains are.
- 22. Discussion: Breathing The signals that go from our brain to our body happen all the time, mostly without us thinking about it. One example is BREATHING. Let’s take a minute to listen to our breathing. Breathe in, breathe out. In. Out. (now breathe in and out without talking)
- 23. Video Instructions On the next page, click the photo. You will be taken to the PBS Kids website videos page. You have to scroll through the videos to “Breathing Investigation” which is just a few clicks down. After breathing investigation click “songs” on the left and go to “Breathe In Breath Out”. The kids do not need to nap, but allow them to listen to their breathing while the music plays.
- 24. Relaxation Investigation Teacher: play the video Relaxation investigation then play the song about breathing.
- 25. Discussion: Breathing Now ask: How do you feel? We just spent a minute thinking about our breathing, but what happens when we don’t think about it, are we still breathing? Our brain continues to tell our body to breathe even when we are not thinking about breathing. This is one way that our brain helps us without us even knowing it.
- 26. Discussion: Wrap up Review with the children: What our brains do for us How we choose what to think about How we feel when we think of positive vs negative things How to replace criticism/name calling with positive ideas How breathing works How we feel when we listen to our breathing