Kick it Up a Notch!
Engage Students’
Brains
Energizing Your Classroom
with Laughter
“Good laughter” is energizing
and invigorating.
When we laugh heartily, we
bring oxygen into our bodies
and work our muscles.
It is described as “internal
jogging.”
Corners
Corners
1
3
2
4
Where were you born?
1. Midwest
2. East
3. West
4. South
Favorite Eating Choice.
1. Mexican
2. Chinese
3. American
4. Italian
How familiar are you with
Brain-Based Instructional
Strategies?
1. Am using them all the time
2. Implemented a few
3. Heard or read about them
4. Brain-Based what???
Pairs Pair
• Hands up and “High Five” to pair
with someone in your corner.
• You and your partner pair with
another pair that is not in your
corner.
• Find a place to sit with your
group of four.
Graphic
Organizers
The amount of information
held in working memory can be
increased by chunking the
information. A chunk is any
coherent group of items that
can be remembered as if it
were a single item.
Explicitly engaging students in the creation of
nonlinguistic representations of any kind
stimulates and increases activity in the brain.
BrainBased
Learning
Research’s Top 10 Reasons
Graphic Organizers are Useful Tools
10.They are one of the best methods for
teaching thinking skills.
9.They stimulate creative thinking.
8.They teach students to think clearly,
process, summarize, organize and
prioritize information.
7.They help students derive meaning
from the content.
6.They increase retention of the
content.
Research’s Top 10 Reasons
Graphic Organizers are Useful Tools
5. They create strategic readers and
writers.
4. They display students’ thinking.
3. They provide a structure to transfer
information from one situation to
another.
2. Students who align their thinking with
an organizational pattern when reading
significantly increase their
understanding of the selection.
(Comprehension)
And the #1 reason…
Research’s Top 10 Reasons
Graphic Organizers are Useful Tools
#1 Reason. . .
Teaching students how to organize their
thinking is a lifetime tool.
Brain
Breaks
In general, students should sit only about
15 to 20 minutes or else their sedentary
position causes a decrease in blood and
oxygen flow to the brain.
Movement awakens their senses and
engages their minds.
The male brain in particular is designed for
physical movement (act, sing, debate,
pantomime, experiment, discuss, build,
draw, recite, teach, demonstrate, or
improvise).
Michael Gurian and Kathy Stevens (2005) The Minds of Boys
Brain Breaks
• Please stand up! When I say “Go,” touch
two walls, greet two people with a high
five, and find yourself returning to your
seats.
• Everyone take a deep breath! Let it out
slowly. Now take another deep breath and
say, “Life is s-weeeet!”
• Thumb wrestle with a partner. Thank your
partner when you’re done.
Source: Jensen’s Brain Expo. (1993). Laughter Spontaneity Fun & Learning!!! [Handout].
Brickley, L. & DeBolt, K: Presenters. Copyright 2001 Performance Learning Systems,
Inc. Performance
Brain Breaks
• Turn to the person next to you and say…
“You are a powerful learner.” (Or any
other affirmation pertaining to your lesson.
The goal is to have a choral response.)
• Put your right hand above your head, now
your left hand, bring them down to wrap
around your skull, and give yourself a brain
massage.
Source: Jensen’s Brain Expo. (1993). Laughter Spontaneity Fun & Learning!!! [Handout].
Brickley, L. & DeBolt, K: Presenters. Copyright 2001 Performance Learning Systems,
Inc. Performance
Brain Breaks
• While teaching an interesting fact, ask
“Can I have an ‘Oooooo’ on that?" Other
options include “Ahhhhhh,” “Hmmmmm,”
“Ah-Ha,” “Cha Ching,” and “Oh Yeah!”
• Jump up and down as many times as there
are letters in your first, middle, and last
names.
Source: Jensen’s Brain Expo. (1993). Laughter Spontaneity Fun & Learning!!! [Handout]. Brickley, L. &
DeBolt, K: Presenters. Copyright 2001 Performance Learning Systems, Inc. Performance
Brain Breaks
• Giving Brain Breaks at regular
intervals can ensure that everyone is
taking a break together, which can in
turn mean everyone is paying
attention to the lesson together!
Logic
Line-Ups
Logic Line-Ups
Deductive Thinking/Reasoning
Deductive Reasoning
• Start with facts or premises
• Deduce conclusions
Body movements help make connections for children.
Logic Line-Ups
Deductive Thinking/Reasoning: Round #1
• Team stands shoulder to shoulder.
• Teacher gives the first clue.
• Team discusses how they should line up
according to what they can deduce from
the clue.
• If the team agrees, they move, if not, they
discuss until they reach consensus and then
move.
Logic Line-Ups
Deductive Thinking/Reasoning: Round #2
• Teacher calls on a correct team to shout
out the line-up order.
• If correct, other teams celebrate.
• If incorrect, rearrange your team and then
celebrate.
• Thank your team members for playing.
Problem #1
1. The farmer is not in the middle.
2. The mechanic is first.
3. The fire fighter is to the right of the
mechanic.
Answers
1. Mechanic, Fire Fighter, Nurse, Farmer
Problem #2
1. The nurse is on an end.
2. The farmer is to the left of the mechanic.
3. The mechanic is on the far right.
Answers
2. Nurse, Fire Fighter, Farmer, Mechanic
Problem #3
1. The fire fighter is not next to the
mechanic.
2. The nurse is to the left of the fire
fighter.
3. The farmer is to the left of the mechanic.
4. The mechanic is second.
Answers
3. Farmer, Mechanic, Nurse, Fire Fighter
Music
Music Can Be Used To…
• lower stress and boost learning
• understand or store content
• calm down or energize
• prepare specific pathways for learning
content (impacts the immune system, and
is an energy source for the brain)
An open mind in a relaxed body empowers the
long term memory.
Closure
Take two minutes to think of the brain-based
learning strategies/facts that you learned
today.
Barb Rowenhorst
browenhorst@tie.net
browenhorst.tie.wikispaces.net
Pam Lange
plange@tie.net
plange.tie.wikispaces.net