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Lesson Plan: Build-a-Brain (K-5)
This exercise incorporates a basic neuroanatomy lesson with a fun sensory and motor activity where students get to create the brain of an imaginary animal using Play-Doh. Includes a formal lesson plan for the teacher/instructor and PowerPoint slides to present to students. Brought to you by the Dana Foundation.
Lesson Plan: Expose Your Nose (K-5)
This exercise incorporates a lesson on the sense of smell with an experiment that allows students to observe and gather scientific observations. Includes a formal lesson plan for the teacher/instructor and PowerPoint slides to present to students. Brought to you by the Dana Foundation.
Lesson Plan: Protect Your Brain (K-5)
This exercise incorporates a lesson on the ventricular system and common brain injuries with a demonstration of the importance of cerebrospinal fluid in keeping the brain safe from injury. Includes a formal lesson plan for the teacher/instructor and PowerPoint slides to present to students. Brought to you by the Dana Foundation.
Lesson Plan: Design an Imaginary Animal (Grades 6-8)
This exercise integrates a basic neuroanatomy lesson with a creative group activity where students get to design an imaginary animal and build its brain out of Play-Doh. Brought to you by the Dana Foundation.
Lesson Plan: Touch-a-Brain (Grades 6-8)
This exercise is an extension of the Design an Imaginary Animal neuroanatomy lesson. Touch-a-Brain builds on the information learned in Design an Imaginary Animal by giving students the opportunity to touch a real sheep and/or human brain. Brought to you by the Dana Foundation.
Lesson Plan: Pipe Cleaner Neuron (Grades 6-8)
This exercise combines a lesson on the neuron and neurotransmission with a hands-on activity where students get to create a realistic model neuron out of pipe cleaners. Brought to you by the Dana Foundation.
Lesson Plan: Now You See It, Now You Don't (Grades 6-8)
This exercise incorporates a lesson on the stages of memory formation with a fun activity where students get to test their short-term memory. Brought to you by the Dana Foundation.
Lesson Plan: Optical Illusions (Grades 6-8)
This exercise combines a lesson on the visual system with the opportunity for students to look at some optical illusions and learn how they trick our brains. Brought to you by the Dana Foundation.
Brain Awareness Week Video Contest
Watch the winning submissions for the Society for Neuroscience's annual Brain Awareness Video Contest.
BrainFacts.org for Educators
The Society for Neuroscience's popular site features a section designed for the classroom, where educators can choose from a wide range of brain-related topics, the type of teaching method (articles, audio, video, etc.), one of eight "core concepts," and grade level.
BrainWorks Videos
Kids and parents alike will enjoy BrainWorks, an entertaining and informative show that takes viewers on a journey inside the human brain. The episode on exercise and the brain won a 2017 Northwest Regional Emmy Award. The most recent episode explores brain-computer interfaces.
This site, from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research's Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction sponsors, offers in-depth information to students of all levels about brain-related topics such as the senses, memory, pleasure and pain, and mental disorders.
The Dana Foundation's "Glossary of Key Brain Science Terms" contains terms that reflect the continuing evolution of neuroscience research.
Brain Tour
This two-part tour from the Alzheimer's Association looks at fundamentals of how the mind works and the changes that occur in the brain with Alzheimer's disease.
The Franklin Institute: Your Brain
How can understanding the brain help us build a better society? This high school curriculum (designed for students ages 16-18) offers an in-depth focus on neuroscience through the lens of societal issues relevant to older teenagers.
The Learning Brain and BrainLink
The Learning Brain and BrainLink® projects develop and evaluate science teaching resources on emerging areas in neuroscience for use with elementary and secondary school students. Topics include brain structure, neurons and the nervous system, human senses and movement, and more.
Listen Up! Protect Your Hearing
How loud is too loud? This program was developed to educate students about sound, hearing, and how to protect their ears. Brought to you by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), part of the National Institutes of Health.
Mysteries of the Brain Video Series
The National Science Foundation partnered with NBC to create this online video series to help us understand the latest research from scientists and to better understand the complexities of the human brain.
Neuroscience & the Classroom
This site, by the Annenberg Foundation, is designed for teachers to help explain neuroscience to students. Through lesson plans, videos, and course guides, teachers can better relate the science to their students.
NIDA for Teens
Developed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), with input from teenagers, this site delivers science-based facts about how drugs affect the brain and body, so that kids will be armed with better information to make healthy decisions.
Want to learn about some incredible role models? Celebrate the lives and achievements of numerous female physicians who made great strides in the practice of medicine. You can find bios for specific female physicians or browse through the entire group.
History of European Neuroscience Projects
Take a look at a variety of historical scientific instruments, timelines in neurology, European portraits and caricatures of neuroscientists, among other projects funded by the Federation of European Neuroscience Societies.
Milestones in Neuroscience Research
In 4000 B.C., they discovered the euphoric effects of poppy plants. By the 5th & 6th centuries B.C., the sensory nerves were dissected, and Hippocrates and Plato first proposed that the brain was the center of human intelligence and mental processes. Explore the history of neuroscience research with this site by neuroscientist Eric Chudler at the University of Washington.
National Library of Medicine: Online Exhibitions and Digital Projects
Learn about public health efforts through the decades, discover important medical achievements from the ancient Greeks and early Muslims, and take a look at the other online exhibitions thatinclude online activities and lesson plan ideas.
BrainFacts.org
BrainFacts.org is a public information initiative of The Kavli Foundation, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, and the Society for Neuroscience, which provides information about the brain and nervous system.
Knowing Neurons
This award-winning website was created by graduate students and Society for Neuroscience chapter members who use stories, infographics, interviews, book reviews, and videos to make learning about neuroscience fun.
The Neuroethics Blog
Hosted by the Center for Ethics, Neuroethics Program at Emory University, the Neuroethics Blog serves as an interactive discussion and critique of issues at the intersection of neuroscience, ethics, and society.
Neuroscience in the News--for Kids
What's going on in the world of neuroscience? This page will keep you informed about the breaking discoveries and events in neuroscience by neuroscientist Eric Chudler at the University of Washington.
This blog is part of Discover, a magazine that reports captivating developments in science, medicine, technology, and the world around us.
The magazine's "Mind" section covers behavior and society, cognition, mental health, neurological health, and neuroscience.
Last Updated: 4/2/19
Editor: Seimi Rurup
Contact: danainfo@dana.org
The listing of an organization's website does not imply endorsement by the Dana Foundation or the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives.