AP Psychology
Brain Project
This project deals with the structures of the brain and their functions. It is composed of three parts as indicated
below. You will complete this project in groups of 3 to 5 (4 is best!), and you may select the people with whom
you will work. (I reserve the right to re-group if I see that groups are not working together productively.)
This project is worth 180 points (divided as shown below) and is due to me on Sept. 17 (for pds 3, 5, 7) or
Sept. 18 (for pds 2, 6.) Late projects will be penalized 18 points (10%) per school day late.
Parts I and II are to be turned in simultaneously; Part III will be completed in class – ALL on the due date
specified.
At that time you will also need to turn in a list of your resources given in APA format. You will need to use
at least 4 sources in addition to your textbook; at least one of these 4 must be printed material and
at least one must be an on-line database. (You should cite your text on your resources list.)
Part I: Mnemonics (65 points)
Your group is required to make up a mnemonic device that helps you to remember the name of each of the
structures listed below, along with its function. (See the back for a list of the parts and the functions you want to
use. This is a matching exercise; each part and each function are used exactly once.) You may compose
separate “sentences” for each part, or you may group certain parts together (choose ones that logically go
together) in one story, song, jingle, rhyme, etc.
On the project due date, you and your group will present a sample (at least 8) of these mnemonics to the class.
amygdala
angular gyrus
association areas
basal ganglia
brainstem
Broca’s area
cerebral cortex
cerebellum
(anterior) cingulate gyrus
corpus callosum
frontal lobe
fusiform gyrus
glial cells (glia)
hippocampus
hypothalamus
locus coeruleus
medulla (oblongata)
meninges
motor cortex (motor strip)
nucleus accumbens
occipital lobe
olfactory bulb
optic chiasm
parietal lobe
pineal gland
pituitary gland
pons
reticular formation
sensory cortex (sensory strip)
suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN)
temporal lobe
thalamus
Wernicke’s area
Part II: Diagrams (65 points)
Your group will be given several diagrams to complete. These diagrams show the brain from various angles and
you will be asked to identify the appropriate parts, given clues about their functions.
This portion of the project will be turned in to me on the due date for your class.
Part III: Group Quiz (50 points)
Your group will take a short quiz for which you will be responsible for knowing the structures of the brain listed
in Part I, and their functions. You will also have to identify the locations of the parts used in Part II of the project.
Finally, the quiz will include a portion where you will need to identify on a 3D model some of the structures from
Part II. This will take place during class on the project due date for your class.
You will have most of the time in class from September 3-11 (and some on the 14th) to work with your groups;
some outside of class time may be required to complete the mnemonic devices.
Other questions? Please feel free to ask me.