PHINEAS GAGE: A GRUESOME BUT
TRUE STORY ABOUT BRAIN SCIENCE
Journaling Bellwork
MONDAY, APRIL 21
Phineas was not expecting his brain injury to occur,
just like other people don’t ask for injuries or
tragedies in their lives. When these bad situations
occur, we wonder what to do or how to react.
Reflect on this and write a short response to the
question:
How do you get through hard
times?
TUESDAY, APRIL 22
Author John Fleischman writes, “this is what I think:
Phineas Gage was lucky. His accident was terrible. It
changed him into someone else, and yet Phineas
figured out how to live as that new person for
eleven years.” Reflect on this and write a short
response to the question:
Was Phineas lucky or unlucky?
FRIDAY, APRIL 25
Write about a time when someone close to
you had a serious accident or illness. How
did you feel? How did you get through it? (If
this has never happened to you, imagine how
you would feel if it did.)
FRIDAY, APRIL 25
How does narration point of view impact a
story?
Consider how Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but
True Story about Brain Science would be
different if Phineas himself told the account.
POSSIBLE RESPONSE
Fleischman's third person point of view greatly
impacts the way Phineas' story is told. It would be
much different if it were written as historical
fiction, from Phineas' point of view. For example,
looking back on the past, Fleischman is able to
write about past and current understandings of
neuroscience. He wouldn’t be able to write about
what neuroscientists currently know if he were
writing from the past.
MONDAY, APRIL 28TH
After Phineas’ brain injury, his personality remained
altered forever. He had a hard time interacting with
people and making decisions. Now that you have
read about Phineas’ struggle, how has this changed
your understanding of people with brain injuries or
personality disorders?
TUESDAY, MAY 6
What are some questions that you are still
curious about involving the case of Phineas
Gage? These can be questions that are still
unknown to even brain science researchers
and the author!
WEDNESDAY, MAY 7
We have discussed in the question, “How do you
get through hard times?” and Phineas Gage is a
great example of a person who has been
confronted with that question. Now consider,
how have you seen others handle hard
times?
THURSDAY, MAY 8
How much of a role do you believe “the
power of positive thinking” plays into a
major struggle, like a brain injury? Explain
yourself, and consider using examples to
support your claim.
FRIDAY, MAY 9TH
What is the author’s purpose (reason for writing)
of Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story about
Brain Science?
POSSIBLE RESPONSE
Phineas Gage is a type of non-fiction that has
the purpose of informing readers of Phineas’
story and the science of the brain, but it is
also written in a way to entertain the reader.