Your Brain
the most powerful
tool you have
Lesson 1
What do you already know
about your brain? Think about
it, then write down
everything you know on a
sticky note.
• My brain is in my head
• The brain had different
parts
• The brain helps you see
• The brain is an organ
• Your brain has nerves that
send messages to the
rest of your body.
• Our brains are big.
Lesson 2
Your brain weighs about
3 pounds, but it uses around
21% of your body’s energy!
Did you know?
Your brain NEEDS water! You
should drink 2 cups of water for
every 25 pounds that you weigh.
How much water should you
drink a day?
Feeding your Brain
There are foods that your
brain LOVES.
Blueberries
Blackberries
Cranberries
Strawberries
Raspberries
Dark raisins
Red grapes
Oranges
Plums
Garlic
Kelp
Spinach
Brussel
Sprouts
Broccoli
Kale
Avocado
Bell Peppers
What do you
notice?
Feeding your Brain
Walnuts and almonds are also great
brain foods!
Green tea is a
great brain drink!
The BEST Brain
Food
PRUNES!
Eating 1 – 2 prunes a day is
enough to give your brain
powerful nutrients!
Lesson 3
The Prefrontal Cortex
Prefrontal Cortex
http://www.edutopia.org/stw-student-stressmeditation-overview-video
This is the thinking part of
your brain.
Prefrontal Cortex
It helps you control your behavior,
think about problems, make right and
wrong choices, and think about the
consequences of your actions.
Prefrontal Cortex
This area controls your short
term and long term decision
making. It helps you plan and stay
organized.
Prefrontal Cortex
This area helps focus thoughts,
which helps people pay attention,
learn, and concentrate on goals.
Prefrontal Cortex
How is the prefrontal cortex
going to help you in school?
Lesson 4
The Limbic System
The Limbic System
The Limbic System
The limbic system
connects us to our
emotions and
motivations. Most of
these emotions and
motivations are
related to survival.
The Limbic System
This is the area of
the brain where we
feel anger, fear, and
pleasure.
Why would we need
these for survival?
The Limbic System
This system has two
really important
parts:
1. The hippocampus
2. The amygdala
The Amygdala
The amygdala is responsible for
determining what memories are
stored in your brain.
The Hippocampus
The hippocampus is responsible for
long term memories.
It can get these memories when you
need them.
The Limbic System
How will the limbic system (the
amygdala and the hippocampus) help
you in school?
Lesson 5
The Neuron
The Neuron
Neurons are special cells in your
brain that transmit information.
The Neuron
Without neurons, you would not be
able to do anything!
The Neuron
You are born with a certain number
of neurons. Your body can’t make
any more.
Dendrites
Dendrites are like the arms of the
neuron. They get information from
other neurons.
Axons
The longest axon in our
body is 3 feet long! It goes
from the end of our spine,
down to our big toe!
Axons are long fibers that send
messages around the body.
Working Together
Neurons are connected to
hundreds or even thousands of
other neurons in your brain.
Working Together
This is how information is passed
throughout the body.
Working Together
The more connections a neuron has
to other neurons, the better your
brain is working.
Working Together
How do you get more connections?
Use your brain more!
Lesson 4
When you are stressed or worried
about something that happened at
home or at recess, your Limbic
System starts working.
If your Limbic System is focused on
feelings of fear or anxiety, then
your amygdala and hippocampus
cannot store information.
That means all of the available
working memory you would use to
learn math or reading is busy. It’s
busy worrying about what happened
at home or recess.
How can this stress affect your
learning?
So how can we relax and get rid of
this stress so our brains can focus
on learning?
Focused
Attention Break
A focused attention break is a short
quiet time where we calm the noise
in our brain and get rid of thoughts
and feelings we don’t need
anymore.
Focused
Attention Break
A focused attention break can make
you feel relaxed, calm, and
centered. It can be strange at first
because it is new. It might not work
the first couple of times.
Focused
Attention Break
If you don’t believe it will work, it
won’t. You need to trust that this
quiet time has the power to calm
your brain. A calm brain is a brain
that is ready for learning.
Samples:
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5 minute miracle
5 minutes off
Breathing Break
Mindfulness Break
5 minute breathing break
Music only