”Thinking Cap”...No, it's your Brain Cap!

By the end of this activity you will:

  • Get a “thinking cap”
  • Draw anoutline of major cortical structures including lobes, processing areas, and structures.
  • Have a “conversation piece.” It is a great way to start a discussion, continue to study, and just have a little “edutainment.” (education + entertainment ).

Get a willing partner that trusts you with a permanent marker near his/her face.

Usemany brain diagramsto accurately replicate the brain’s regions.

Work cooperatively by writing as neatly as you can on your partner’s cap. It will be tough, but try your best.

Pre-Step procedures: Put on your brain cap. Then get materials to help decorate your partner’s brain. Then, work with your partner to complete the following steps. Each person should take one step at a time before moving onto the next step. Usecolorsto enhancethedifferentareas.

BRAIN CAP ACTIVITY: STEP 1- “Broad boundaries” Plan carefully and draw in order as these steps help you label the “thinking cap.”

Find the following areas and mark on your ”brain caps”

  1. Outline the cerebral hemispheres- draw a line from front to back(start in between your eyes) in the center of the cap.

  1. Mark the lobes. Usedifferent colors for each lobe, but keep color symmetry for each hemisphere.
  • The temporal lobe should not be more forward or higher (Lateral Fissure) than your ear lobes.
  • The separation (Central Fissure) of the frontal andparietal lobe should be about even with the center of your earlobe tilting slightly backwards.
  • The occipital lobe is about the size of your hand at in the back of the brain (holds the back of your head like you hit it on something… owwwwie…).
  • The frontal lobe should be the largest represented (at least if you have a human brain!)
  1. At the base of the neck, under the occipital lobe, Draw 2 Cerebellum lobes on either side of the mid line- L & R about golf ball sized- Make em’ wrinkly and creased.

BRAIN CAP ACTIVITY: STEP 2- Sensory and Motor Areas

Find the following and mark the areas on your brain caps:

  1. Somatosensory cortex: a “finger width” strip behind the central sulcus (post central fissure) in parietal lobe. Extend from both lateral fissures on each hemisphere across the brain, do not move into the temporal lobe.
  2. Primary motor cortex:a “finger width” strip in front of central sulcus (pre-central fissure) in frontal lobe. The Pre-motor cortex is a eventhinner strip/area in front of primary motor cortex. Make a thick line identifying this area.

BRAIN CAP ACTIVITY: STEP 3-Vision, Hearing, and Language

Find the following areas and mark on your brain cap

f. Primary visual cortex (V I- IV): hindmost part of occipital lobe, think of it as the center of the bullseye

g. Primary auditory cortex: upper surface of temporal lobe roughly where the ears are centered.

h. Motor speech (expressive): Broca'sarea lower region of frontal lobe on left side only, about where your left temple is located

i. Sensory speech (receptive): Wernicke's area region of temporal and parietal lobe on left side form most people, find the junction of the temporal and parietal lobe, but do not invade the occipital lobe.

BRAIN CAP ACTIVITY: STEP 4 – “Who are You?”

Find the following areas and mark on your brain cap.

j. Pre Frontal Association Areas: it’s the tip of the frontal lobe on forehead about the size of a silver dollar, bridging both hemispheres (tap the middle of your forehead to help grasp this bright idea!)

k. Left side only Write your partner’s name as an identifier. The frontal left is where someone’s “personality” is located. Ask your partner what family or friend or school/sports/club/activities nickname helps identify that person

(For instance, Dennis Rodman’s High School nickname was “Worm”, but he’s not shy about sharing his personality, or many personalities in public!)

  • On the right side- Write what the owner of the cap thinks he/she should get as grade on this activity. This is partly where evaluative and speculative skills are reasoned (it’s a guess, but probably a logical/educated guess).

BRAIN CAP ACTIVITY: STEP 5- Show Your Work

Visit your teacher with your cap on, and pick up the “wrap up” materials to determine if your demonstration is a fair representation of the cerebral cortex.

Take a photo and turn it in!

BONUS: GROUP PICS THROUGHOUT THE DAY

Thinking Cap Wrap Up… or cover up!

Turn in the wrap up/ cover up worksheet for activity credit on the day of your test. Due _10/_3/_2017_ Use this application worksheet to identify your working knowledge of how the different cortex areas of the brain cooperate and coordinate, excite or inhibit, focus or broaden, common behaviors in a everyday world.

Name: ______Partner:______Pd: ______

With luck, your thinking cap represents roughly the diagram below.

As the last step of application, explain how the identified parts of your brain were active throughout this demonstration. Apply the processes needed to complete the “thinking cap” challenge.

a.

b. F

P

T

O

c.

d.

e.

f.

g.

h.

i.

j.

k.

l.

Survey:

List 2 reasons why you think this demonstration activity is effective in learning about the cerebral cortex.

Provide one recommendation to improve the activity to enhance learning.