Develop a teaching aid that helps explain to a 10-year-old child how messages are transmitted in the brain.
Biopsychology is the study of how the human brain and body work, specifically: How do the cells in our brain lead to our thoughts and actions? That’s the essence of the mind-body problem—what role does biology play?
There’s an old saying that the best way to learn is to teach someone else. For this assessment, you are asked to develop a teaching aid that helps explain to a 10-year-old child how messages are transmitted in the brain. The objective of this assessment is to help you understand the basic actions of the brain by explaining it to the hypothetical 10-year-old child (feel free to test out your fine work on a child you know).Select one brain structure from the list below to focus on in your teaching aid:
Broca’s area.
Wernicke’s area.
Thalamus.
Hypothalamus.
Pons.
Reticular formation.
Cerebellum.
Combine text and visual images to explain to a 10-year-old child the way the brain communicates. You can use either MS Word or MS PowerPoint. Be sure to cite your sources (including any visuals you don’t create).
The final product should answer the following questions:
Explain how neurons communicate. How do neurons work? How do they talk to each other? What happens to leftover transmitters?Consider including the following:Resting potential, graded potential, action potential.
Neurotransmission release.
Excitatory postsynaptic potential or inhibitory neuron potential.
Explain the functions of the area of the brain you chose from the list above.
Helpful tip: Start by reviewing the textbook and creating bullet points for each step. Then reword your bullet points in different ways until you find one that is clear, simple, and easy to understand. You might consider using metaphors if it helps. Lastly, create or find visuals that will help make the explanation easier to understand.
Optional WebAR Experience
Throughout this course, you will find QR Codes that will allow you to interact with integrated Augmented Reality content and experiences. Please use your mobile device to access the tutorial using this QR code.