1. Key Terms AXON CORTEX DENDRITE MYELIN NEURONS SYNAPSE Objectives
Explain what functions each part of the brain controls
Describe how brain cells work together
Explain how the brain becomes organized
Identify activities that support the development of brain pathways
The Developing Brain

2. Sight Hearing Smell Touch Taste
Newborns learn about the world mainly through their senses:
Sight
Hearing
Smell
Touch
Taste

3. Why do we have brains????
The brain receives and interprets messages from the body
The brain develops the ability to send messages to the body, telling the muscles what to do
The brain learns how to coordinate the messages received through the senses and make
meaning /understanding/ knowledge (Intellect)

4. Neurons
Babies are born with neurons (nerve cells), but as the
child develops, neurons sprout arms called dendrites
and axons. The arms connect to create neural
pathways.
Dendrites- Receive information from other neurons. Each dendrite can have many different branches
Cell Body- The dendrites pass the information to the cell body, where the information is processed
Axons- The cell body sends an instruction to the body through the axons which transmit the instructions to the dendrites. Axons which are longer than the dendrites, are coated with a waxy substance called myelin. This substance makes it easier for the info to transmit.

5. How does the brain work? Neurons
The brain is made up of billions of nerve cells called neurons. Neurons send and receive messages from one another.
How does the brain work?

6. How Neurons Work
Neurons "talk" to each other by sending chemicals (neurotransmitters) to each other across a very tiny space called a synapse. Learning happens when two neurons "talk" to each other. As the brain makes connections, it actually grows dendrites and makes stronger synapses. That means that the more you learn, the heavier your brain gets! So that means you really can "grow" a better brain.

7. Building The Brain More networks = more brain power!!!!
The more arms that a neuron grows, and the more links that develop between different neurons, the more networks the brain has.
More networks = more brain power!!!!
The increased connections also give the brain more flexibility

8. How the Brain Becomes Organized
Each child’s brain becomes organized in a unique way
Organization grows out of the child’s experiences
As connections between dendrites and axons grow stronger, a group of neurons are linked together
They become networks of nerve cells that control an action or thinking task
Each time a network is in use, it gets stronger and the action or task becomes easier
More networks = More Brain POWER!!!

9. Networks in the Brain

10. PARTS OF THE BRAIN Parietal Lobe Occipital Lobe Temporal Lobe
The brain is divided into
different sections, called
lobes.
Each controls a specific
functions of the body
Parietal Lobe
Occipital Lobe
Temporal Lobe
Frontal Lobe

11. Cerebral Cortex
This newspaper sized "white matter" is the 1/4" outside covering of both brain hemispheres.
The cerebral cortex controls your thinking, voluntary movements, language, reasoning, and perception
In higher mammals the cortex looks like it has lots of wrinkles, grooves and bumps. Grooves and bumps are also called "gyros." Cortex is the Latin word for "bark."

12. Parietal Lobe
Connected with the processing of nerve impulses related to the senses, such as touch, pain, taste, pressure, and temperature.
Also have language functions

13. Occipital Lobe
Involved with the brain's ability to recognize objects. It is responsible for our vision.

14. Frontal Lobe
 Is concerned with emotions, reasoning, planning, movement, and parts of speech.
It is also involved in purposeful acts such as creativity, judgment, problem solving, and planning.

15. Temporal Lobe Responsible for hearing, memory, meaning, and language.
They also play a role in emotion and learning.
The temporal lobes are concerned with interpreting and processing auditory stimuli.

16. Cerebellum
Controls Muscular coordination and balance

17. Brain Stem
Controls involuntary activities such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure
All information to and from our body passes through the brain stem on the way to or from the brain

18. Pitutary Gland
The pituitary gland controls your hormones and it helps to turn food to energy.
Regulates growth, metabolism, and sexual development

19. Thalamus & Hypothalamus
Connects the spinal cord and the cerebrum
Controls expression of emotions
The hypothalamus controls your body temperature, emotions, hunger, thirst, appetite, digestion and sleep.

20. Amygdala
The amygdala (there are two of them) control your emotions such as regulating when you're happy or mad.
Your amygdala is very important. Without it you could win the lottery and feel nothing. You wouldn't be happy.

21. Hippocampas
The hippocampas forms and stores your memories (scientists think there are other things unknown about the hippocampas) and is involved in learning.
Your hippocampus is one of the most important parts of your brain. If you didn't have it, you wouldn't be able to remember anything. People with Alzheimer's Disease loose the functioning of their hippocampas.

22. Rules to Build a Brain By Caregivers can use these research findings to shape the environment of children and help develop their brains
Keep it simple and natural
Match experiences to the child’s mental capacities
Remember that practice makes perfect
Make sure the child is actively involved
Provide variety, but avoid overloading the child
Avoid pushing the child

23. Think Pair Share
The brain can be re-organized but it is easiest to organize it right the first time
Do you agree? Why or Why not?
Write your answer in your journal
Pair up with a partner
Share answers