Support through the pandemic: is enough being provided to researchers?
23rd November 2020
Home learning and teaching
We are excited to introduce our newly developed ‘toolkit’ of neuroscience-related resources: MyNeuroGeneration, giving neuroscientists the tools they need to be able to carry out effective outreach in schools and equipping anyone passionate about the brain to run inspiring, interactive sessions based on current neuroscience research.
Each session's 'toolkit' includes a PowerPoint presentation and an information sheet which can be downloaded and adapted as appropriate. Most sessions have been developed for both primary school children and secondary school/ sixth form students.
The sessions include age-appropriate, fun activities that reinforce the concepts taught. Each session is self-contained but one can also mix and match different topics and activities as necessary. Some examples of mixed sessions, e.g. for visiting school groups and school leavers' destinations days, are below:
- Please click here for a mixed session delivered by the BNA for a 'Primary Conference' (year 6 students)
- Please click here for a mixed session delivered by the BNA for a 'Destinations conference' (years 10-12)
The BNA's response to educational needs during the coronavirus crisis
At the time of the release of the MyNeuroGeneration toolkits for outreach, most children in the UK and abroad are learning from home. Thus, the BNA has responded by:
- hosting free, interactive webinars for children and young people on the brain and nervous system (to find out more about these, please click here)
- starting to adapt some of our 'toolkits' so that the activities they include only use materials that can be found around the house (these sessions or those which we feel can be easily used at home without adaptation, will soon be indicated with an asterisk)
The 'toolkits' have been written in such a way that they can be used by anyone with just a basic understanding of biology, and we hope that, in adapting the activities so that no special materials are needed, parents will be able to use them for home learning with their children in the current situation.
Primary modules (for children aged 4-11)
Primary - My Research
Summary: In this module, you will have the opportunity to present your research or discuss the day-to-day life of a scientist. The resources give some useful hints and tips for you to think about when preparing for your session.
Activities: None specified
Materials needed: Anything that would help you explain your research/what you do as a neuroscientist
Primary - Brain Anatomy
Summary: How we can look at the brain, the fact that the brain sends messages to and receives messages from the rest of the body and which parts of the brain are dominant in which functions.
Activities: Scientist says, make a brain hat
Materials needed: Card/paper, colouring pens/pencils, scissors, tape
Resources coming soon.
Primary - Learning and memory
Summary: What the terms memory and learning mean, how learning leads to memories being stored in the brain, and some of the different types of memories.
Activities: Scientist says, memory game, bendy pencil
Materials needed: Pencils and paper
Primary - Neurons
Summary: The brain enables us to do everything that we do, think and feel, and it is made up of cells called neurons, which connect to each other and are key to brain function. We can look at neurons through a microscope.
Activities: Scientist says, make a pipe cleaner neuron
Materials needed: Pipe cleaners of different colours and sizes
Primary - What is a Scientist?
Summary: What scientists are, what they look like and wear, and what skills and atributes you might need to become a scientist.
Activities: Chicken, fox, and a bag of grain & Scientist race
Materials needed: Lab coats, goggles and gloves
Primary - Drug Development
Summary: Explore what medicines are and where they come from in terms of all the different people involved in their discovery and development.
Activities: Where do medicines come from role play
Materials needed: Bandages/plasters, lab coat/ stethoscopes/goggles, clipboard/ paper pad, pen/pencil, high Vis vest, hard hat, camouflage/safari hat
Primary - Neuroethics
Summary: Discussing key ethical questions regarding research and artificial intelligence such as reading minds, changing memories and what the advantages and disadvantages would be of robots becoming as smart as humans.
Activities: Group discussions on different ethical questions surrounding science advancement
Materials needed: None required
Primary - Neuronal communication
Summary: Neurons are the cells in the brain, they connect and communicate with one another. The way in which neurons 'talk' to each other is key to brain function. Neurons communicate through electrical and chemical messages.
Activities: Neuronal communication
Materials needed: Bubbles (with wands to blow through)
Primary - Mental Health
Summary: The brain is the source of our feelings, it creates our emotions, which can be affected by our experiences. Things we can do to keep our brain healthy, and where/ who to go to for help if we are sad.
Activities: Beach scenario, Draw your experiences and emotions, Body scan
Materials needed: Pencils/pens and paper
Primary - The Teenage Brain
Coming soon
Primary - The Nervous System
Summary: The nervous system allows the brain to communicate with the rest of the body, and it has two main parts, the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
Activities: Nervous system
Materials needed: Sticky notes/ pens and paper, string
Primary - Speech, Language and Critical Periods
Primary - The Eye
Secondary modules (for children and young people aged 12-18)
Secondary - My Research
Secondary - Brain Anatomy
Summary: How scientists study the brain, the hemispheres of the brain and a detailed look at the different lobes and other regions of the brain and their functions
Activities: Mirror drawing activity/ build a brain model/ parietal lobe experiment
Materials needed: A carboard box, mirror, coloured marker and pieces of paper with a large shape printed on them/ paper, scissors, gluesticks/ callipers or bent paperclips
Secondary - Learning and memory
Summary: Introduction to the brain, and the terms learning and memory. The different memory stores, why and how the brain stores information.
Activities: Memory game
Materials needed: no extra materials required
Secondary - Neurons
Summary: How we can look at the brain, parts of the brain, parts of the neuron, how neurons communicate and an introduction to cells that assist neurons.
Activities: Microscopy/ Electrical muscle stimulator (EMS) activity/ Make a pipe cleaner neuron
Materials needed: Microscopes and slides/ EMS or TENS device/ pipe cleaners
Secondary - What is a Scientist?
Secondary - Drug Development
Summary: What sorts of molecules drugs are and how they work, the stages and processes of drug discovery and clinical trials, the placebo effect and licensing.
Activities: Placebo effect activity, optional receptor/drug activity
Materials needed: 2 tubs of hand cream, optional item with a hole/indentation in it e.g. cookie-cutter/glue stick, and modeling clay/ play-dough.
Secondary - Neuroethics
Summary: Discussing key ethical questions regarding research and artificial intelligence such as reading minds, changing memories and what the advantages and disadvantages would be of robots becoming as smart as humans.
Activities: Group discussions on different ethical questions surrounding science advancement
Materials needed: None required, although you may wish to split the class into small discussion groups and provide them with markers and sugar paper to brainstorm their ideas and views
Secondary - Neuronal communication
Summary: Neurons connect and communicate with one another within neuronal networks. The stages of the action potential as electrical signals travel along a neuron, and the chemical transmission of messages betwen neurons via the synapse.
Activities: Neuron race
Materials needed: Baskets/bucket and balls (that fit into the baskets)
Please click here to access the resources for this session.
Secondary - Mental Health
Secondary - Teenage Brain
Summary: Brain development during the teenage years regarding different brain areas and explaining the process of synaptic pruning. The behaviours that arise during this development such as the sense of self and risk taking.
Activities: Egg game and/or balloon game
Materials needed: Eggs and/or balloons
Secondary - Nervous System
Summary: The Nervous System is divided into the Central Nervous System (CNS) and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS). The PNS is further divided into other branches leading to the sympathetic and parasympathetic subdivisions which control our involuntary actions.
Activities: Knee jerk relfex, reaction time
Materials needed: 30cm long rulers, pencils and paper
Please click here to access the resources for this session.
Secondary - Animals in Research
Secondary - Drugs and Addiction
Summary: Introducing students to drugs and the neuroscience behind how drugs affect the brain and neuronal communication. How drug abuse can lead to drug addiction and what happens in the brain for this to occur.
Activities: Mouse Party game, Addiction card game
Materials needed: Pack of cards