1. Engaging all Learners
Movement
Drama
Music
Art

2. The struggle for engagement
Students' brains must decide what to pay attention to based on three factors: Physical need, Choice, and Novelty. (Willis, Ignite, 2007, p 40)‏

3. Movement
Movement increases neuron connections and neuron growth and releases dopamine
Only organisms that move require brains
increases neuron connections, and leads to neuron growth, (Jensen, Teaching with the Brain in Mind, p 63) but it also releases dopamine, a neurotransmitter commonly associated with the pleasure system of the brain that is also tied to memory, motivation, and rewards. (Jensen, Tools for Engagement, 2003, p. 154 – 156)
(Kovalik, Exceeding Expectations, - “Movement is crucial to every brain function including planning and executing plans, memory, emotion, language, and learning.”

4. Dramatizations Drama put “actors” in a situation.
Episodic memory engages hippocampus for better recall of time, place, events, AND corresponding content
“Humans are designed to recall better what we do actively than what we do passively” (Jensen, Teaching with the Brain in Mind, 2005, p 51, 54)

5. Music Link new content to a familiar tune
Tune retrieval makes content retrieval a snap
Music can set tone in classroom
Music as an information storage tool – By changing the lyrics to familiar tunes, students can link new content to known chunks of music. Students can retain and recall content by simply remembering the tune, rather than remembering the bits of data in isolation. Tunes can be used to learn the spelling of new words, the scientific method, place value, or the characteristics of birds to name a few. (Wolfe, MWBLI, 2005, p 152)‏

6. Art Allows students to represent information graphically
Provides choice for demonstrating mastery

7. Points to remember
Movement – helps with neuron growth and releases dopamine
Drama – links to episodic memory and puts them in the action
Music – gives content something to stick to and can change state of room
Art – Graphically displays content and provides alternative for assessment