Neuroscience for Kids - Brain Awareness Week (1999)

Brain Awareness Week - 1999

Brain Awareness Week (BAW) is a nationwide effort organized by the Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives and the Society for Neuroscience to promote the public and personal benefits of brain research. The official week for BAW was March 15-21, 1999, but the whole month of March was filled with activities. Classroom visits, an open house, a visit to the Pacific Science Center "Brain Day", library displays and a lecture made BAW at the University of Washington a real success.

Classroom Visits

Comparative Neuroanatomy
Sensory Testing
Future Neuroscientists?

University of Washington BAW Open House
Map of Exhibits
On March 17, 320 students attended the 1999 University of Washington Brain Awareness Week Open House (10 am to 1 pm; Health Sciences Bldg., 3rd Floor Lobby).
On arrival to the Open House, each student received a:

BAW button
BAW bag
BAW pen
BAW bookmark
To start the open house, students attended the interactive, multimedia "Brain Power" assembly produced by the Pacific Science Center/Group Health Cooperative Brain Power Team.
Some students recieved gifts (books, pamphlets, key chains, etc.) donated by: Archie McPhee, the Cascade Bicycle Club, the DANA Alliance for Brain Initiatives, Fiorini Sports, Gregg?s Greenlake Cycle, Millbrook Press, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, New Horizons for Learning, Salmon Bay Soap Co., Science, Art and More, and the Society for Neuroscience.
There were several UW departments and other organizations with interactive exhibits for the students to see. Students were connected to EEG machines for recording of their brain waves, a transcranial Doppler machine to measure their brain blood flow and a visual/auditory response time device to measure their reaction time. The Pacific Science Center/Group Health Cooperative Brain Power Team provided many exhibits that they bring out to schools and even had a real human brain for the students to hold. The ThinkFirst! organization also provided a powerful demonstration of the importance of wearing helmets during bike riding and other potentially dangerous activities.

Open House Activities
Brain Power Assembly	Brain Power Assembly	Brain Wave Measurement
Holding the brain	Brain Blood Flow Measurement	Brain Power Team Exhibit
Brain Power Team Exhibit	ThinkFirst! Exhibit

Student Comments about the Open House

Yesterday at the University of Washington I learned that you should always wear a helmet no matter what because your life can change in a split second.
My favorite part was when we got to see a real human brain and how big it is and what it feels like.
I got to hold a real brain. It felt like a hard piece of clay. It made me feel strange inside.
The assembly was so interesting. They covered everything that we learned in health and much much more.
It was very fun. I wish we could go again.

Brain Day at the Pacific Science Center

Pipe Cleaner Neuron
Adding to the Neural Net

Public Library Displays

Lecture
On March 16, the second annual UW Brain Awareness Week Lecture was presented by Samuel F. Dworkin, DDS, PhD (Departments of Oral Medicine and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington). Dr. Dworkin's lecture was titled "The Reign Of Pain Is Mainly In The Brain: The Self-Management of Pain".

BACK TO:	Brain Awareness Week 2000	Brain Awareness Week 1999
BACK TO:	Brain Awareness Week 1998	Table of Contents

Classroom Visits
Comparative Neuroanatomy	Sensory Testing	Future Neuroscientists?

Brain Day at the Pacific Science Center
Pipe Cleaner Neuron	Adding to the Neural Net