Teacher Information

BRAIN MANIPULATIVE MODEL

Sharon Spencer and Loretta Loykasek

Overview

This exercise is designed to help achieve an understanding of the brain divisions. This manipulative is intended to serve as engaging "hands-on" aids to help students visualize the brain parts. The primary advantage of the manipulative is that it gets students actively involved in their learning.

Biological Concepts

• Anatomy of the Brain

• Function of the Brain

Class Time

This activity will require a couple hours for development of the brain manipulative, but once produced will only require approximately 30 minutes for the completion of the activity by students.

Background Information

The teacher should explain the principle parts and functions of each part of the brain prior to this lesson. The manipulative may be adapted to many different levels of students from seventh grade life science to physiology and anatomy at the high school level.

Materials

• Black-line master for making the brain and divisions

• White colored card stock paper: brain (card stock can be used in copy machine)

• Colored card stock paper: divisions of the brain (one color for each division)

• Self-adhesive Velcro

• Laminating supplies

• Scissors

• 1 gallon Ziploc storage bags

Teacher Preparation

Initial teacher preparation will be necessary. Teachers will need to make copies of back-line brain on white card stock paper. It will then be necessary to make several copies of the brain parts to be transferred to separate pages. The reason for placing the brain parts on different pages is to allow the brain parts to be run on different colored card stock rather than having to color each separately.

The card stock pages can be laminated as full pages. After lamination but before using the manipulative for the first time the teacher will need to carefully cut out each of the individual colored structures. It will be necessary to cut Velcro into small pieces and attach them to the structures of the brain on the drawn "x"s. The various parts of the manipulative may be easily stored in one gallon Ziploc storage bags.

Manipulative sets may be used by individual students, or as a group activity, with students working in small cooperative learning groups. One manipulative of the brain for every two students is recommended. Throughout this lab, students should be encouraged to discuss, verbalize, debate, interact, and ultimately, help teach one another.

The brain manipulative begins with all of the parts removed. The students manipulate the brain by adding the parts to the brain. As they Velcro each structure onto the black line base, students verbally explain the name and function of each structure.

Objectives

After using this manipulative students should be able to:

1. Identify the principal parts of the brain.

2. Explain the functions of the principal parts of the brain.

Extensions/Variations

The manipulative may also be used for an alternative assessment. The teacher may want to use the parts and pieces of this kit for oral or written quizzes. The manipulative may be used to discuss the effect of injury to various parts of the brain and or disorders of the brain.

Authors

Loretta Loykasek is a biology and anatomy & physiology teacher at Burleson High School in Burleson Texas. She can be contacted at Burleson High School, 517 S. W. Johnson Ave., Burleson, Tx. 76028, ph. #817-447-5700.

Sharon Spencer is an anatomy & physiology and biotechnology teacher at Judson High School in Converse, Texas. She can be contacted at Judson High School, F.M. 78, Converse, Texas 78109, ph. # 210-658-6252. e-mail: garys@tenet.edu.

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