AP Psychology Brain Project
This assignment is due the first day of class.
1. You will need to obtain the eighth edition of “The Study Guide” for the Myers psychology
text book These are available online from Amazon and other used book stores for a few
dollars. The Barron’s AP Psychology test prep books also has diagrams of the brain, its
parts, and functions and can be purchased on Amazon and other sites.
http://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Study-Guide-Richard-Straub/dp/0716728001/
ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1430492443&sr=1-3&keywords=myers+psychology+study
+guide
Read chapter 2 (it is the Brain Chapter in your text), and complete the workbook for ch2 as this
chapter applies to the brain. This will help you to become very familiar with identifying brain
parts and their function as we start our discussion of neuroscience in chapter 2. The brain and its
functioning are referred to in every other chapter in your text, and is the most heavily tested
section on the AP exam.
Build a 3D brain model out of clay or other appropriate material and label its major parts and
functions (with flags attached by toothpick).
Your brain parts should include: Amygdala, Hippocampus, Corpus Callosum, Thalamus,
Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Reticular Formation, Medulla, Medulla Oblongata, Spinal Cord,
Cerebral Cortex, Brain stem, Limbic System, Frontal Lobe, Parietal Lobe, Occipital Lobe,
Temporal Lobes, Motor Cortex, Sensory Cortex, Auditory Cortex, Visual cortex, Broca’s
area, Angular Gyrus, and Wernicke’s area.
The Brain must be as large as a real human brain (most students make it larger for ease of
recognition and labeling). Various different regions must be distinctly colored so they are
identifiable (no grey blobs with flags).
Flag label Example: (Thalamus –relays messages between lower brain centers and cerebral
cortex, Brain’s Switchboard).
This diagram will help:
http://centurion2.com/PHP/MyersTenth/Chapter2/Images/Books/Myers%2010th/Chapter
%202/brainStructureReview.PNG
I have several examples of class models of brains in my room which were good, and a few which
look like a plate of spaghetti. Please stop by and view these in room 261 before this school year
ends for summer.
Remember, you should know your parts well enough that when you remove the Flag labels, you or
any other student should be able to replace them because your parts resemble an actual brain.
You will be graded for completion, effort, labeling (with functions), and realism (does it resemble
a human brain, or a football) against the other brains presented on the first day of class.
• 60 pts completion as described
• 15 pts effort/ appearance
•
10 pts labeling (use the flags as I showed you)
•
15 pts realism resemble brain
Please feel free to contact me if you have questions danielg1@fultonschools.org. Have fun.