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)

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!

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!

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.

Brain Food: Extra Credit Opportunity

Friday, October 1 will be our next Psych Club Meeting, and given our current studies in Neuroscience, it will focus on fun with the brain.

We will be having a “Brain Food” competition. In order to participate (and earn some extra credit it AP Psych), you should bring some edible treat that features labeled parts of the brain or the nervous system.

The Rules:

1. Your entry must depict the brain or nervous system, or some component part of either (e.g. a neuron).

2. It must have labels for the component parts. This is educational food, after all.

3. Your name should be marked somewhere on or near your entry, so we know who gets credit.

4. Although items will not be judged on taste, it should be something edible; we will be eating all of the entries during Lunch B, so don’t get too attached to your brain. This also means hygiene/food safety is important. Wash your hands, all right?

5. You must have your entry here at the beginning of Lunch A so our guest judge can make his/her determination of winners, which will be announced during our meeting (Lunch B).

6. Although you can get reasonable assistance from family members, your creation must be your own. For example, you cannot have your mom or dad simply make your entire entry or do all of the decorating, but they can help you with the recipe. Likewise, you cannot order a pre-made treat from, say, a professional bakery.

7. This is a one-shot deal, so if you are sick or for some other reason unable to bring your treat on Friday, you’ll have to wait for the next extra credit opportunity. Sorry, but we don’t want your old cupcakes/dessert/jello/whatever three days later.

5 Points EC (in test category) for All Participants!
Though, Mrs. Welle reserves the right to adjust points (or not award them at all) if your entry seems to not reflect any effort/learning. Don’t bring us one crudely-constructed cupcake. That’s lame. Bring your A-game.

Need some ideas? Here are some links to inspire you, but be creative! With Halloween coming up, supplies are bound to be out there if you are motivated.

• Brain cheese spread
• Cerebral Cortex cupcakes (I'll be making some of these if time allows...)
• Brain Pate
• Brain Jello Mold
• Brain Cake
• Another Brain Cake
• And another Brain Cake

PsychSim: Neural Messages

Greeting, AP Psychology students! On Tuesday this week we will be making the trip across the hall to the computer lab to complete a PsychSim on Neural Messaging.

Click on the above link, then read through the module, using the "previous" and "next" buttons to navigate while finding answers to the questions on your accompanying worksheet.

You will get a printed copy in class, but if you lose the worksheet or were absent, here's link to another copy.

This will be due at the beginning of class on Wednesday, September 22.

Mouse Party Assignment

Today's assignment will require you to access a cute/funny/funky informational module put together by our friends at the University of Utah. It will introduce you to various psychoactive drugs and demonstrate how these drugs influence the activity of specific neurotransmitters at the synaptic level.

Complete the worksheet by working through the "Mouse Party" demonstration. For each drug, you place the labeled mouse in the chair and listen/follow along with the description of its effects by clicking "next" at the appropriate time. Although it may not be possible if you are in a public setting (e.g. library), this demo is the most fun with the sound on because you hear the narration AND the funky music.


If you get done early, why not kill the time by amusing yourself with a rousing game of Cerebral Commando?! This is a game that challenges you to maintain an optimal level of dopamine particles by adding/subtracting receptor cites and assisting in the reuptake of dopamine. Level two poses a bigger challenge with the addition of cocaine! If your supervising teacher bothers you about it, tell him/her you are just studying psychology. :)

Practice Your Neuron-Building Skills!

Okay, Psychology Friends, it's time to practice those neuron-building skills! The folks at the University of Utah have created a cutesy (albeit weird) game to help you review the basic parts of a neuron.

The game allows you to be an apprentice to a "mad scientist" who is building a neural pathway. Along the way, you get quizzed on the parts of the neuron and where they go. And who said learning can't be fun?

Play it now!

Neural Communication PsychSim

Students,

Well, folks, since I last saw you there has been a negative turn of events in my life. :( Nothing too tragic, but it will prevent me from being with you today in class. Over the past weekend I...

1. Apparently chipped a tooth... one of my molars. ARGH! and...
2. Developed an unpleasant cold.

Hopefully things start looking up for me soon! But this means I will be spending Monday hoping to get in at my dentist's and trying to recover from the cold, which presently has me coughing up a storm.

However, it turns out that, of all the days I should have to be gone, Monday is not a bad choice. This is because the main task of the day was to head to the computer lab and complete a PsychSim on Neural Messages.

Here are the directions:

1. Obtain the worksheet from my substitute. Or, if you've lost yours, click here to print another.
2. Go to PsychSim 4.o: Neural Messages. When you get to the menu screen, click on "Neural Messages". This is an online module that gives you an introduction to the smallest parts of the nervous system: neurons!
3. Proceed through the module by clicking "next" (on the bottom of your screen) to advance to the next part. Use the information provided to complete the worksheet.
4. If you finish before the end of the hour, you can give the worksheet to the sub. Otherwise, I'll expect to get it from you in class tomorrow.

Good luck!

P.S. Also, don't forget to vote on the final version of our Psych Club t-shirts (see post below).

A Psychology Teacher's Wish List

Everyone knows that psychology teachers are hard to shop for. Their continual need to overanalyze motivations makes gift-giving a nightmare: "What does this gift imply about our relationship? What does it say about the giver's impressions of me? Do my possessions suggest anything about my personality?" And the list goes on and on. Play it safe this holiday/birthday by purchasing a gift that says, "Here! Indulge your psychology geekiness!"

Or, why wait for a birthday? Next time you're groveling for extra points on that free-response, it might be to your advantage to be that "thoughtful student who brought me the Sigmund Freud action figure."

Ideas:

1. The Stuffed Toy Neuron from Giantmicrobes.com. Thanks to the folks at the Teaching High School Psychology blog for pointing this one out to me. Also, this would make a great gift for the child of a psychology teacher, especially if the parent wants to corrupt him/her early.
2. Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung action figures! Enough said.
3. Skydiving Sigmund Freud. If the action figure isn't enough... here you get Freud with the parachute so he can drop in an psychoanalyze anyone at a moment's notice!
4. What about a Phrenology Head? Wouldn't this make a lovely addition to your favorite psychology teacher's desk? Also good for storing wigs. Apparently these are so popular that the folks at thepsychologyshop.com are temporarily out of them!
5. For those who can't get enough abnormal psychology: The Obsessive-Compulsive Action Figure!
6. Of course, you can't go wrong with psychology-related apparel. The folks at http://www.cafepress.com/ have a wide array of t-shirts to choose from, including my favorite: "I'm on that like Bandura on Bobo."

In case you were wondering, my birthday is September 3rd.