Probing the brain’s connections
Students will answer questions based on the Science News article "Flex time," which explores how flexible brains might make for better learning.
Educator Guide: Flex Time
FLEX TIME In brains that learn with ease, groups of nerve cells can readily switch between conversations.
Stefan Fuertinger and Kristina Simonyan, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai/NIH/Flickr (CC-BY-NC)
About this guide
The article “Flex time” describes how flexible brains might make for better learning. Students can focus on details reported in the article, follow connections to earlier articles about the neuroscience of learning and explore cross-curricular connections to other major science topics such as the biology of neurons or how magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) works. In a related activity, students can study prepared microscope slides of a variety of neurons and explore how these cells learn by creating models of interconnected neurons.
This Guide Includes:
The amazingly malleable brain
Students will search the Science News archive for other stories related to brain connections and learning.
Your inside guide to the learning brain
These discussion prompts focus on neurons and their signals and how magnetic resonance imaging works.
How do neurons form connections?
Students will study prepared microscope slides and create model neurons to gain a better understanding of what neurons look like, how they connect and how learning changes these connections.