Happy Brain Awareness Week!

Happy Brain Awareness Week!

This week we will be celebrating all things neuroscience in honor of Brain Awareness Week. Thanks to Psych Club for creating all the cool brain fact signs that are posted around the building. Special thanks to members Chloe Kofman and Brittney Webb who volunteered to post the 100+ pink "brains" last week Friday!

If you are currently in AP Psych, you'll be enjoying brain-themed review exercises this week in class.

However, everyone is welcome to join us on Friday (March 18) during Lunch B for a Brain Trivia Competition. You will need your Chromebook to participate, as you'll be answering questions in Quizizz, a review game platform. Everyone will be a winner (as there will be food... of some sort. Maybe cookies...) AND our top-scorer will take home the fabulous grand prize: The Amazing Squishy Brain!

(Look, even if you have no interest whatsoever in winning The Amazing Squishy Brain...though I can't imagine not wanting one of these...if you are currently an AP Psych student this will simply be a great way to brush up on your neuroscience in preparation for the AP Exam. So, what not give it a shot?)

Neurotransmitter Exploration

Today in class we'll be exploring the functions of several different neurotransmitters. In addition to the informational chart you can find on pg. 82 of your textbook, you might find the following links helpful:

• Here's a great overview of what neurotransmitters are, as well as the functions of particular types (including relationships to diseases and drugs that alter their activity).
• This chart of drugs and their effects can be helpful, particularly if you scroll to the bottom for the table that is sorted by neurotransmitter type.
• Here's a more simplified neurotransmitter list.

Mouse Party Assignment

Poor, addicted mouse.

Here it is! The link to the Mouse Party interactive! You should have received this worksheet, which you will use to record your answers. Remember, this assignment will require you to use what you learned in class today to determine whether a drug is an agonist or antagonist for a particular neurotransmitter. It will be due tomorrow (Oct. 13).

If you've got time after completing the Mouse Party assignment, you might want to check out some of the other cool interactives and games created for you by the Genetics Science Learning Center at the University of Utah. For example:

• This animated slide show is an EXCELLENT review of the principles we have been discussing in class over the past two days, including neural transmission and the generation of action potentials.
• The "Make a Mad, Mad Neuron" game will help you review the parts of the neuron and their functions.
• If you're interested in learning about the effects of various abused drugs, this animated interactive gives a basic review of the effects of various drug types and reasons they are often abused.
• And...my favorite (besides the Mouse Party), the Cerebral Commando game, which challenges you to help keep the balance in a synapse by encouraging reception and reuptake.

Learn...and have fun!

Neural Messages PsychSim

For Monday, I'm asking you to complete this worksheet on Neural Messages. You will be using an online module to review and extend your learning regarding neural communication. Here is how you access the online module:

1. Click on this link to reach the PsychSim 5 launch screen.
2. Select "Main Menu."
3. Choose "Neuroscience and Behavior" from the available content areas.
4. Then, select "Neural Messages." 
5. A module will open with information to assist you. Use the "next" and "back" navigation buttons at the bottom of the screen to navigate through the entire module.

Study Resources: Biological Bases of Behavior

The Biological Bases of Behavior test is almost upon us (scheduled for Tuesday, October 21). To that end, you'll want to take advantage of the spacing effect and break up your studying time over the next few days.

Just a reminder, your study session for this unit will start a little earlier than planned in order to accommodate the National Honor Society Induction also taking place that evening. So, we'll kick things off at 4:30 PM (rather than 5:00, as planned) on Monday, October 20.

In the meantime you may wish to use some of these handy tools to assist with your review:

• Your MC Study Guide Packet (distributed after the quiz on Wednesday). 
• The Unit Objectives - Can you do all of these things? If not, hit the books!
• Quizlet Flashcards for this unit (also embedded below for your convenience).
• Practice Multiple Choice Questions: on Neuroscience and The Brain
• Video Review: The Chemical Mind
• Video Review: Meet Your Master - The Brain
• 3D Brain - for practicing identification of those brain parts. 
• Materials we will be using at Monday's Study Session:
• Agenda/Slide Show
• Brain Damage Exercise
• Neural Transmission Practice WS
• Practice FRQ

Notes: Neurons, Neurotransmitters, and Drugs


Notes: Nervous System Divisions & Endocrine System


Notes: Techniques for Studying the Brain


Notes: Brain Anatomy & Hemispheric Specialization (10-14 through 10-20)

Brain Awareness Week Events

This year, Psychology Club is participating in Brain Awareness Week for the first time. The week is devoted to the celebration and promotion of neuroscience and is organized by the Society for Neuroscience, the Dana Foundation and Brainfacts.org. This year, Brain Awareness Week is March 11-17, so at today's Psych Club meeting, we finalized the details of some of our activities and events. They include:

• Posting quick Brain Facts around the building on bright pink "brains."
• Monday 3/11: Brain-themed music will be played during the lunch hour in the school cafeteria.
• Tuesday 3/12: Demonstrations during the lunch hour: visual displacement goggles.
• Wednesday 3/13: Brain-Related Team Trivia in Rm 136 during Lunch B!
• Thursday 3/14: This is Pi Day...we're taking a break and eating pie with the math department. Brains like Pi and Pie, we figure.
• Friday 3/15: Brain Cookies & Psych Club celebration in rm 136 during Lunch B.

Psych Club members create Brain Fact signs to be hung around the building during Brain Awareness Week.

The Teenage Brain

As often happens after we view an excerpt of this documentary in class, I got requests from my students to post this for parents. Today in class we watched the first few segments of Frontline's Inside the Teenage Brain, a great program highlighting recent neuroscience research that suggest explanations for many typical teenage behaviors (e.g., staying up late at night and sleeping in mornings, taking risks that make their parents uncomfortable, miscommunicating with adults...etc.)

The entire program is available for viewing online (Windows Media and RealPlayer users, try here) and its companion site has numerous links to more information that may be helpful for both parents and teenagers.

The short version of the program's message is that the adolescent brain is still developing, and parents may be able to respond with more empathy to the sometimes frustrating behaviors of their teens if they know some things about this process. While we have to exercise caution when attempting to translate neuroscience research into prescriptions for parenting or teaching, the conversation about teen brain development is an important one, and parents may actually find it quite uplifting.

Those looking for additional resources might want to try these links:

• A Work in Progress: The Teen Brain (2008) in Harvard Magazine
• Teenage Brains (2011) in National Geographic Magazine
• Inside the Teenage Brain (2010) in Parade Magazine
• The Teen Brain: It's Just Not Grown Up Yet (2010) NPR

Boatload of Neuroscience Study Tools

It is that time of the year! The time for all good AP Psychology students to review their neuroscience. To that end, I'm including here a TON of great study helps: some video, some online quizzes, and some flashcards.

First up, if you made it through the study guide that you received in class and would like some more ways to put your knowledge of neuroscience and the brain to the test, have I got the practice for you! Below I'm posting links to two online multiple choice tests that will give you feedback on your mastery of this unit's content.

• Neuroscience & the Nervous System
• The Brain: Anatomy & Function

If you're not feeling quite fluent in the operations of the nervous system in general, below you'll find an excellent "crash course" video on the operations of the nervous system. This 12 minute video captures a great deal of the "big ideas" from this unit. If you would like to use more of these types of videos, check out the great biopsych collection at Education Portal Academy's Psych 101 Course. There are individual videos on virtually every topic we covered this unit.



And, last but not least, there's our old friend Quizlet. Embedded below are the flashcards for the 79 terms for this unit. As always, remember that it is not likely sufficient to JUST know these terms and their definitions, since you will have to know how to apply them in new and dynamic ways to demonstrate understanding on the test. However, no one does well in AP Psych WITHOUT mastering their vocabulary, so this is a great place to start.


And, don't forget that you also have the chance to study with other real live human beings (including your teacher) on Tuesday evening from 5-7 PM. Best of luck, everyone!

Brain Food Contest & Extra Credit Opportunity

Mrs. Welle's Brain Cake - 2010

After completing the Orange Brain Surgery lab on Friday, you have undoubtedly figured out that the best models of the brain are edible ones. So, our next Psych Club meeting will feature a celebration of delicious neuroanatomy through a "Brain Food" contest.
Current AP Psych students who participate will earn 5 points extra credit (computed in test category), as this will help them review important structures in the brain/nervous system.

The Rules:

• Entries must be edible representations of the brain or portions of the nervous system (e.g. neuron, synapse, brain stem, etc).
• Component parts must be accurately labeled.
• Entries will be judged during LUNCH A, so they must be delivered to room 136 no later than 12:15. You have to set up/complete registration for your entry during lunch (or have a friend do so), so please don't just leave your creation in my room in the morning an assume it will get set out.
• Winners will be announced and snacking will commence during our regular meeting time (Lunch B)!

Even if you do not wish to enter (and earn Extra Credit), you are welcome to join us for the meeting and eating. There is always plenty of food to go around.

If Psych Club shirts arrive this week (which might happen), I'll be sure to distribute them so that we can wear them to the meeting!

If you are looking for inspiration and ideas, check out the AP Psychology facebook page for pictures of some of last year's entries and winners.

Mouse Party Assignment & Other Links

Poor, poor intoxicated mice.

Here it is! The link to the Mouse Party interactive! You should have received this worksheet, which you will use to record your answers. Remember, this assignment will require you to use what you learned in class today to determine whether a drug is an agonist or antagonist for a particular neurotransmitter. It will be due tomorrow (Sept. 25).

If you've got time after completing the Mouse Party assignment, you might want to check out some of the other cool interactives and games created for you by the Genetics Science Learning Center at the University of Utah. For example:

• This animated slide show is an EXCELLENT review of the principles we have been discussing in class over the past two days, including neural transmission and the generation of action potentials.
• The "Make a Mad, Mad Neuron" game will help you review the parts of the neuron and their functions.
• If you're interested in learning about the effects of various abused drugs, this animated interactive gives a basic review of the effects of various drug types and reasons they are often abused.
• And...my favorite (besides the Mouse Party), the Cerebral Commando game, which challenges you to help keep the balance in a synapse by encouraging reception and reuptake.

Learn...and have fun!

V.S. Ramachandran Coming to UWEC!!!!!!!!

I learned just on Friday that Vilayanur S. Ramachandran will be speaking at the Schofield Auditorium on the UW-Eau Claire Campus as part of the University's Forum Series THIS WEDNESDAY (February 29th) at 7:30 PM!!!!

Why all the exclamation points?

Mr. Ramachandran is a world-reknowned neuroscientist who has studied some of the most interesting and puzzling brain-related phenomena AND he is a fantastic speaker. For those reasons, he has been featured on the popular TED talks series, and I'm embedding one of those below for your viewing. Even more awesome? Tickets are only $8 for the general public and $4 for students!!!

His talk, entitled The Tell-Tale Brain: a Neuroscientist's Quest for What Makes Us Human (also the title of his newly released book), will feature discussion of attempts by neuroscientists to understand the brain's relation to topics like self-awareness, free-will, and consciousness.

Here's the promotional blurb included on the flyer from UWEC:

Vilayanur S. Ramachandron is a mesmerizing speaker, able to concretely and simply describe the most complicated inner workings of the brain. His investigations into phantom limb pain, synesthesia and other brain disorders have allowed him to explore--and begin to answer--the most basic philosophical questions about the nature of self and human consciousness. In his new book, The Tell-Tale Brain: A Neuroscientist's Quest for What Makes Us Human (2011), Ramachandran addresses the mystery of human uniqueness, in an attempt to shed light on such complex areas as self-awareness, free will and consciousness. Ramachandran is director of the Center for Brain and Cognition at the University of California, San Diego, and an adjunct professor at the Salk Institute. TIME magazine named him one of 2011's 100 Most Influential People in the World.

But let's pretend like that's not reason enough for you disrupt the tranquility of your midwinter break and travel through the cold to UWEC to go to this AMAZING, ONCE IN A LIFETIME opportunity to see a famous neuroscientist in person.

Because of the expense, time commitment, and travel required, Mrs. Welle is willing to offer a whopping 10 POINTS EXTRA CREDIT to anyone who attends. To prove your attendance, you'll have to save your ticket stub and program to bring to school later OR find Mrs. Welle and say hello while at the event (this second part may be hard to do because of the size of the crowd).

If you would like to go, some things to keep in mind:

• Student pricing (for UW-Students and those 17 & under) is half of general admission price only until the day of the show. If you buy your tickets at the door, you'll pay $8.
• If it is REALLY important for you to get in, buy tickets ahead, either by stopping by the UWEC Service Center in Davies to pay in cash, or by calling the Service Center (715-836-3727) and paying with a credit/debit card. When I called this morning (Saturday) to reserve mine, they said only about 100 tickets are left!
• If you are calling to purchase tickets, keep in mind that seating is assigned. That means, if you want to sit with a group of friends, you should purchase them all at once. You can either have a parent call with a credit card or email Mrs. Welle for help (I would be willing to place the order for you & a group with the expectation that you pay me back in cash).
• The event is in Schofield Hall (NOT Zorn Arena, if you've been there for basketball games or Bon Iver concerts). Check campus maps to get to the right place & plan for parking time.

I apologize for not hyping this in class prior to break. I only found out about it on Friday during 7th Hour, thanks to Mr. Gagnon, who sent me the flyers for the event. :) Otherwise, I would have provided you with much more lead time and some handouts with campus maps.

My goal for the night: get an autographed copy of his book. And maybe get my picture taken with him. Don't know if that's possible, but I'm going to try. :)

Brain Food Extra Credit

Mrs. Welle's Brain Cake - 2010

After completing the Orange Brain Surgery lab earlier this week, you have undoubtedly figured out that the best models of the brain are edible ones. So, our next Psych Club meeting will feature a celebration of delicious neuroanatomy through a "Brain Food" contest.
Current AP Psych students who participate will earn 5 points extra credit (computed in test category), as this will help them review important structures in the brain/nervous system.

The Rules:

• Entries must be edible representations of the brain or portions of the nervous system (e.g. neuron, synapse, brain stem, etc).
• Component parts must be accurately labeled.
• Entries will be judged during LUNCH A, so they must be delivered to room 136 no later than 12:15. You have to set up/complete registration for your entry during lunch (or have a friend do so), so please don't just leave your creation in my room in the morning an assume it will get set out.
• Winners will be announced and snacking will commence during our regular meeting time (Lunch B)!

Even if you do not wish to enter (and earn Extra Credit), you are welcome to join us for the meeting & eating. There is always plenty of food to go around.

Be sure to wear your new Psych Club t-shirt, too, since those will be distributed early next week!

If you are looking for inspiration and ideas, check out the AP Psychology facebook page for pictures of some of last year's entries and winners.

Neuroscience Quizlet

Per request, I'm posting the Quizlet flashcard review here for ease of access. Keep in mind, this link is permanently available on the Study Resources tab for this page if you need to access it later.

Test for this Unit will be TUESDAY, October 4th!

Choose a Study ModeScatterLearnFlashcards

Study these flash cards | Study neuroscience flash cards

The Teenage Brain

Dr. Jay Giedd (U of M) studies teen brain development using MRI

Today in class we viewed a selected portion of a Frontline documentary entitled "Inside the Teenage Brain". The program provides an introduction to what recent advances in neuroscience have revealed about the biological causes behind well-documented differences between adult and teenage thinking.

As often happens when we view and discuss the program, I received a lot of requests to communicate this information to parents (e.g. "Could you please come talk to my dad about this?"). Since it seems a little presumptuous to phone my students' parents out-of-the-blue for a nice talk about neuroscience, I'll post the links here and let students start the conversations themselves. Students may want to watch the full version (we only watched a portion in class) and parents may find this extremely interesting as well.

The website to accompany the program also has numerous resources for the parents of teenagers, which some may find helpful.

Another helpful video resource can be found in another PBS series from a few years ago, "The Secret Life of the Brain." Episode Three is focused entirely on the unique developmental features of the teenage brain.

While this program is quite good, I would note that there are some remaining controversies about using the "underdeveloped prefrontal cortex" explanation to explain teen decision-making (this is one of the concepts presented in the Frontline video). These were highlighted in a recent article from National Geographic on the brains of teenagers.

Mouse Party Assignment

Poor, poor intoxicated mice.

Here it is! The link to the Mouse Party interactive! You should have received this worksheet, which you will use to record your answers. Remember, this assignment will require you to use what you learned in class today to determine whether a drug is an agonist or antagonist for a particular neurotransmitter. It will be due tomorrow (Sept. 23).

If you've got time after completing the Mouse Party assignment, you might want to check out some of the other cool interactives and games created for you by the Genetics Science Learning Center at the University of Utah. For example:

• This animated slide show is an EXCELLENT review of the principles we have been discussing in class over the past two days, including neural transmission and the generation of action potentials.
• The "Make a Mad, Mad Neuron" game will help you review the parts of the neuron and their functions.
• If you're interested in learning about the effects of various abused drugs, this animated interactive gives a basic review of the effects of various drug types and reasons they are often abused.
• And...my favorite (besides the Mouse Party), the Cerebral Commando game, which challenges you to help keep the balance in a synapse by encouraging reception and reuptake.

Learn...and have fun!

Sand Brains

Check out this video of neuroscience enthusiasts building anatomically correct sand-art brains in London. If my classroom was located anywhere near beaches adequate to do this, it already would have happened. Brilliant.

Book Review: Out of Our Heads by Alva Noe

Out of Our Heads: Why You Are Not Your Brain, and Other Lessons from the Biology of Consciousness by Alva Noe

Some of my students are chomping at the bit this year, eager to study the topic of human consciousness. We will get there in a few weeks, and I don't blame them for their enthusiasm. It's hard to imagine a more fascinating subject. If you are looking for some outside reading consciousness that will bend your mind to some degree, I'd recommend this book.

Alva Noe's basic thesis in Out of Our Heads: Why You Are Not Your Brain, and Other Lessons from the Biology of Consciousness is that neuroscientists hoping to uncover the "seat" of consciousness in the brain via fMRI's and similar techniques are bound to be disappointed.

Noe presents - with convincing support - the idea that consciousnes is a process created by our experiences with the world, including the reactions of our sensory systems. In essence, the disembodied brain would be unable to have a "conscious" experience because consciousness is tied up in all of the other things that make us human.

I appreciate the argument, and it is interesting to consider. But I did find myself feeling a little defensive about how easily Noe dismissed the work of neuroscientists and neuroimaging. Certainly, consciousness might be a more slippery concept than we first imagine. But that doesn't mean that neuroimaging studies of the brain are unimportant to our understanding of human consciousness, and sometimes I felt Noe was moving toward that idea.

View all my reviews

Dyslexia Info

Today's class discussion and lecture, which featured information about how the brain processes language, sparked many questions about reading and language difficulties, particularly dyslexia.

For those interested in additional information about dyslexia research, the APA website has a number of links to information about the disorder.

For example, this article by Beth Azar describes two areas of difficulty that seem to accompany dyslexia: deficits in phoneme awareness (an inability to distinguish between different basic sounds in language) and slowed processing speed, which may be a more general problem for some (i.e. not limited to just language tasks).

Interestingly, researchers have developed ways for children to overcome some of these processing difficulties using video games. The games systematically train children to distinguish between similar sounding phonemes (e.g. "ba" and "pa"), a task essential for learning reading and writing. This may offer an alternative to costly and time-consuming speech therapy that was previously the popular treatment choice. fMRI scans have revealed changes in brain function following these video treatments.

The International Dyslexia Association (IDA) may also be a good source of information for those with further questions.

Prefrontal Cortex news...

This recent post on the nature of the prefrontal cortex from Neuroskeptic is worth a read. It reviews a current article which argues that the prefrontal cortex operates in a holistic manner (e.g. all together) rather than as distinct, independently functioning parts. I'm simplifying things a bit here, so check out the post and the original article for a more thorough version.

The post also includes a snippet reference to phrenology, so, bonus.

This is a great reminder of the complexity of the cortex in general and the importance of those "association areas" your textbook describes.

Mouse Party Assignment

See how various drugs disrupt activity at the synaptic level. Use the Mouse Party interactive to complete your worksheet.

With funky music and cutesy intoxicated mice, this is a pretty fun way to learn about the neurotransmitters involved in psychoactive drugs.