Name___________________________________Date__________________________

Neuroscience for Kids - Scavenger Hunt

This lesson was developed by Ms. Susan Songstad (Shoreline, WA)

This page is available in PDF Format.

This worksheet is designed to allow you to explore this web site: "Neuroscience for Kids." This site has many creative games, activities, experiments and demonstrations that will allow you to explore the nervous system of man and animals. This site also has links to many other exciting and informative resources.

Print out this worksheet and follow the directions. Write your answers directly on this worksheet.

The first section (http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/introb.html) of this site explores the nervous system through seven different categories. Choose three of the seven areas to explore and give a brief description in the space below of what you find out. Categories:

1. The Brain:
Common questions about the brain and neuroscience
Divisions of the Brain
Our divided Brain: lobes of the Brain
Functional Divisions of the Cerebral Cortex
The Brain Right Down the Middle
Brain Size/Cerebral Cortex
1 Brain or 2? Split Brain Experiments
She Brains - He Brains
Brain Development
The Cranial Nerves
Your Brain's Home: The Skull
The Coverings (Meninges) of the Brain
Blood Supply of the Brain
The Ventricles and CSF
Directions and Planes of Section
Compare the brains of nine different species
4 more brains: human, monkey cat and mouse
The Brain During Sleep
How Much do Animals Sleep?
Brain Fitness - Your Guide to Good Brain Health
The Brain Vs The Computer
Neuroethics
Disorders of the Brain

2. The Spinal Cord:
Our Divided Spinal Cord: Segments of the Spinal Cord
The Knee Jerk Reflex (monosynaptic reflexes)

3. The Peripheral Nervous System:
Autonomic Nervous System

4. The Neuron:
Billions and Billions of Cells: Types of Neurons
Making Connections
Gallery of Neurons
The Synapse - Up Close and Personal
Lights, Camera, Action Potential
Glia: The Forgotten Brain Cell
Dangerous Chemicals: Neurotransmitters and Neuroactive Peptides
Chemical Weapons: Nerve Agents
Conduction Velocity
Salty What? Saltatory Conduction

5. Sensory Systems:
The skin and its Sensory Receptors
Pain and Why it Hurts
The Tooth
I Spy...The Eye
The Retina
The visual Pathway
Do you wear glasses. Find out Why!
Eye Safety Tips
Here Ye, Here Ye - The Ear
How the Nose Knows
That's Tasty
Color Affect on Taste
Animal Senses

6. Neuroscience Methods and Techniques:
The 10-20 system of Electrode Placement
Common Methods
Brain Image Methods
Glossary
Statistics: By the Numbers
Careers in Neuroscience

7. Effects of Drugs:
Alcohol
Amphetamines
Barbiturates
Caffeine
Cocaine
Ecstasy
Heroin
Inhalants
LSD
Marijuana
Nicotine
Rohypnol
1,4-Butanediol
PCP
GHB
Hallucinogenic Mushrooms

1. Name of Site #1 that you explored:

Brief description of information found:

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Name of Site #2 that you explored:

Brief description of information found:

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXPERIMENTS AND ACTIVITIES (http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/experi.html)

Modeling the Nervous System (http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chmodel.html) - Questions 3-11 will be found under this heading.

3. Find an activity that teaches the structure and function of a neuron. Write name and location of the activity:

 

 

4. Draw and label the structures of a neuron in the space below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Find an activity that models the human brain. On average, how much does a human brain weigh?

 

 

6. Find an activity that will help you name the different lobes of the brain. List the lobes of the brain in the space below:

 

 

 

 

 

7. Find another activity that will help you answer this question: How many bones are in the spinal column?

 

 

 

8. How is the spinal column related to the nervous system?

 

 

 

Scroll down further and look for - Message Transmission Activity and fill in the blank:

9. Messages travel in the nervous system speeds up to ____________miles per hour.

Look for Mr. Egghead and answer the following questions:

10. What is CSF?

 

 

 

11. Name one function of CSF:

 

 

Go back to Experiments and Activities (http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/experi.html) and locate the section called BRAIN GAMES(http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chgames.html). Questions 12-13 will be found under this heading.

12. Go to Colors/Colors at (http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/colors3.html), do the activity and describe the Stroop effect:

 

 

 

 

13. Chose 2 Brain Facts that make you go "hmmmmmmm" and write them down here:

a)

 

b)

 

Go back to Experiments and Activities (http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/experi.html) and locate the section called The Senses (http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chsense.html). Question 14 will be found under this heading.

14. Describe two amazing animal senses:

a)

b)

Go back to Experiments and Activities (http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/experi.html) and locate the section called Reflexes (http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chreflex.html). Questions 15-17 will be found under this heading.

Chose and review one site in this section.

15. Which site did you view?

 

 

16. What do you especially like about this site?

 

 

17. What ideas changes/additions/comments do you have to share about this?

 

 

Go back to Experiments and Activities (http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/experi.html) and locate the section called Sleeping and Dreaming ( http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/chsleep.html). Questions 18-20 will be found under this heading.

Chose and review one site in this section.

18. What site did you view?

 

 

19. What do you especially like about this site?

 

 

 

20. What ideas changes/additions/comments do you have to share about this?

 

 

Go back to Experiments and Activities ( http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/experi.html) and locate the section called Biological Rhythms ( http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/clock.html). Questions 21-22 will be found under this heading.

21. Define circadian rhythms:

 

 

22. Give two examples of circadian rhythms:

a)

 

b)

 

Go back to Experiments and Activities ( http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/experi.html) and locate the section called Disorders of the Brain (http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/disorders.html). Question 23 will be found under this heading.

23. Chose one disorder from the list and describe it here:

 

 

 

 

This is your chance to just look around these pages on your own and describe what cool information you can find. List "What's Cool" below, on the back of this page, or on a piece of paper.