BrainologyImplGuideEdit2 Compl

THE BRAINOLOGY® CURRICULUM

GUIDE TO IMPLEMENTATION

www.mindsetworks.com

COPYRIGHT © 2002-2015 MINDSET WORKS, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

www.brainology.us

Building Students’ Confidence, Fulfillment, and Achievement

Through the Understanding of Expandable Intelligence

Brainology® Guide to Implementation: Get Ready

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THE BRAINOLOGY®

CURRICULUM:

TEACHING A GROWTH MINDSET

What are Mindsets?

Mindsets are the beliefs that people hold about their attributes. When people believe that their

attributes—such as intelligence—are unchangeable, they hold a Fixed Mindset. When they believe

that these attributes can be developed through learning, they hold a Growth Mindset.

Decades of research by Dr. Carol Dweck and colleagues show that when people understand that

they can develop their intelligence through learning, they are motivated to seek challenge, value

learning, invest effort, and persist through difficulty—and they achieve more highly. Furthermore,

the Growth Mindset can be taught.

What is Brainology®?

Brainology® is a research-based method for teaching students a Growth Mindset, along with the

tools to put it into practice. The Brainology® curriculum combines online, interactive animation

with classroom-based activities to teach students how the brain changes with learning, and how

they can use brain-based study strategies to accelerate their progress.

How do I get started?

The Brainology® Implementation Guide will walk you through the process. It is organized in 3

sections, as follows:

Get Ready! provides an overview of the purpose and structure of the Brainology®

Curriculum.

Get Set! provides recommendations and tools for planning, and technical instructions on

how to implement the program.

Go! provides step-by-step guidance on teaching Brainology® in the classroom. The Go!

Guide is chunked into an Introductory Unit and four Units of classroom activities and

reproducibles for use with students.

On the next page, you will find a summary of materials in each section.




SUMMARY OF MATERIALS

In these Guides you will find the following materials:

I. GET READY! CURRICULUM OVERVIEW .......................... 5-12

a. Why Teach Brainology? .................................................................. 8

b. The Growth Mindset: An Overview ................................................ 9

c. Brainology®: Developing a Growth Mindset ........................... 10-11

d. Brainology® Curriculum Overview ............................................... 12

II. GET SET! PLANNING AND SETUP ................................... 13-24

a. Plan Your Implementation ........................................................ 16-18

b. Technical Setup – Using the Brainology® Website ................. 19-24

III. GO! LESSON & MATERIAL GUIDES ............................. 25-195 a. Intro Unit ................................................................................... 29-57

b. Unit 1: Brain Basics .................................................................. 59-86

c. Unit 2: Brain Behavior ............................................................ 87-119

d. Unit 3: Brain Building .......................................................... 121-151

e. Unit 4: Brain Boosters .......................................................... 153-195

IV. UNIT ASSESSMENTS AND RE-TEACHING GUIDES .......197-223

a. Intro Unit ............................................................................... 201-205

b. Unit 1: Brain Basics .............................................................. 206-209

c. Unit 2: Brain Behavior .......................................................... 210-214

d. Unit 3: Brain Building .......................................................... 215-219

e. Unit 4: Brain Boosters .......................................................... 220-223




GET READY!

PART I. CURRICULUM OVERVIEW:

RESEARCH FOUNDATION & PLANNING

GUIDE FOR TEACHERS








GET READY!

Curriculum Overview

Table of Contents:

I. Why Teach Brainology®? Mindsets and Student Agency ......... 8

II. The Growth Mindset: An Overview ............................................ 9

III. Brainology®: Developing a Growth Mindset………………….10

IV. Cultivate a Growth Mindset Through Process Praise ............. 11

V. Brainology® Curriculum Overview ........................................... 12




WHY TEACH BRAINOLOGY®?

WHAT DO STUDENTS NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL?

Mindsets and Student Agency

What do students need to succeed? We know

that they need good curriculum and

instruction, including appropriate levels of

challenge and support. But even before that,

they need to be ready to learn—to have the

attitudes, skills, and habits of effective

learners.

The Raikes and Lumina Foundations

commissioned the UChicago Consortium on

Chicago Student Research (CCSR) to

conduct a research literature review to

determine what adolescents need to become

learners. CCSR determined that there are

several critical factors that together

contribute to building student agency—the

belief that they can achieve and that they

have the knowledge and strategies needed to do so.

“The best ways to improve students’ perseverance and strengthen their academic behaviors is through

academic mindsets and learning strategies. This is the central point emerging from our review.” CCSR

Review: Farrington, Roderick, et. al, 2012.

Highlights from the CCSR Report:

We can positively change student mindsets in a

real world setting, which impacts real performance

in academics and more broadly.

Mindset interventions reduce the achievement

gap. (REL 2012)

Focusing on study skills without the mindset

component is ineffective.

Embedding mindset cultivation in a school-wide

context and as a part of school culture is most

supportive to learners.

Among these critical academic mindsets, the Growth Mindset plays a central role in helping students to

forge a sense of self-efficacy. At Mindset Works, we have developed the Brainology® program to help

teachers and schools cultivate a growth mindset and improve the learning strategies of their students.

“Notably, across the empirical

literature, one’s beliefs about

intelligence and attributions for

academic success or failure are more

strongly associated with school

performance than is one’s actual

measured ability (i.e., test scores).” -

Farrington, Roderick, et. al, 2012




THE GROWTH MINDSET: AN OVERVIEW

Mindset is a powerful yet simple idea discovered by Professor Carol S. Dweck of Stanford and her

colleagues in decades of research on motivation, achievement, and success. Mindsets are beliefs individuals

hold about their most basic qualities and abilities. In a Growth Mindset, people believe they can develop

their brain, abilities, and talents. This view creates a love for learning, a drive for growth and a resilience

that is essential for great accomplishments. On the contrary, people with a Fixed Mindset believe that basic

qualities such as intelligence and abilities are fixed, and can't be developed. They also believe that talent

alone creates success, and see effort as a sign of weakness rather than as an effective strategy needed to

reach one's full potential.

The following diagram shows how people with different views of intelligence respond in different

situations:

Decades of research show that when people understand that they can develop their intelligence through

learning, they are motivated to seek challenge, value learning, invest effort, and persist through

difficulty—and they achieve more highly. Moreover, the Growth Mindset can be taught.




BRAINOLOGY®: DEVELOPING A GROWTH MINDSET

Brainology® is designed to help students to develop a Growth Mindset and, as a result, to reach a higher

level of academic achievement. Students with a growth mindset think of their intelligence as something

that they can develop through learning and study rather than as something fixed. Cultivating a growth

mindset can help increase students’ sense of self-efficacy and their motivation to learn.

Brainology® is based on decades of research by leading experts in the area of motivation. Psychologists

Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D. and Lisa Sorich Blackwell, Ph.D. discovered that developing a Growth Mindset

helps students to value learning, invest effort, and improve their academic performance. (See Blackwell,

Trzesniewski, & Dweck, 2007.) They developed the Brainology® program to help students cultivate a

Growth Mindset by teaching them the powerful combination of the malleable brain lesson and effective

study skills.

Brainology® helps students develop a growth mindset by teaching them how the brain functions, learns,

and remembers, and how it changes physically when we exercise it through study and learning. In addition,

the program teaches a practical set of skills for tackling academic challenges by showing students how to

apply what they have learned about the brain to their schoolwork.

The Brainology® program has been implemented in hundreds of schools with great results. When students

realize that they control their learning, they are motivated to apply effort and take an active role in learning.

Teachers note positive changes in students' behavior (becoming engaged in class, reflecting, asking

questions, doing homework), as well as in the higher student achievement that results from more motivated

students with higher expectations of themselves.

Brainology® is a blended learning curriculum that includes an interactive multimedia online program and

classroom activities. In an introduction plus four 30-minute units, students follow animated teenaged

characters Chris and Dahlia as they tackle various problems in their most difficult subjects. They visit the

lab of eccentric brain scientist Dr. Cerebrus and learn about the basic structure and function of the brain:

how thinking occurs, how learning and memory work, how to develop and change the brain, and how to

improve their study habits and skills in light of this knowledge. They gain experience in visualizing and

applying these ideas through interactive activities and exercises. Throughout the program they reflect on

their challenges and their learning through an e-Journal, and they engage in classroom activities to connect,

reinforce, and practice what they learn in the context of their own experience. This curriculum helps students

understand that they have great, untapped potential and that the development of their mental ability is

largely within their own control, and provides them with study habits and skills that they can use to achieve

highly.

Through this Curriculum Guide for Teachers, we will help you support your students by providing

information and strategies that you can use to reinforce their growth mindset development.




CULTIVATE A GROWTH MINDSET THROUGH

PROCESS PRAISE

Focus on leading your students' mindset shift

There's a lot you can do every day, in every interaction with your students, to reinforce the growth

mindsets they are developing. For example, the type of praise a student receives profoundly influences his

or her mindset. Research has shown that praising students for their intelligence after they succeed on a

task can set them up to hold a fixed mindset. They seek to protect themselves by avoiding challenge; and

when they do encounter failure, their motivation and performance plummet. On the other hand, when

students are praised for their effort and strategy, they get excited about challenges and stay resilient in the

face of failure. So it is important that you reinforce the growth mindset with process praise.

How? Here is an excerpt from an article Prof. Dweck wrote for Educational Leadership:

Praising students for their intelligence, then, hands them not motivation and resilience but a fixed mind-

set with all its vulnerability. In contrast, effort or “process” praise (praise for engagement, perseverance,

strategies, improvement, and the like) fosters hardy motivation. It tells students what they've done to be

successful and what they need to do to be successful again in the future. Process praise sounds like this:

You really studied for your English test, and your improvement shows it. You read the material

over several times, outlined it, and tested yourself on it. That really worked!

I like the way you tried all kinds of strategies on that math problem until you finally got it.

It was a long, hard assignment, but you stuck to it and got it done. You stayed at your desk, kept

up your concentration, and kept working. That's great!

I like that you took on that challenging project for your science class. It will take a lot of work—

doing the research, designing the machine, buying the parts, and building it. You're going to learn

a lot of great things.

What about a student who gets an A without trying? I would say, “All right, that was too easy for you.

Let's do something more challenging that you can learn from.” We don't want to make something done

quickly and easily the basis for our admiration.

What about a student who works hard and doesn't do well? I would say, “I liked the effort you put in.

Let's work together some more and figure out what you don't understand.” Process praise keeps students

focused, not on something called ability that they may or may not have and that magically creates success

or failure, but on processes they can all engage in to learn. —Carol Dweck, 2007

In addition, keeping a consistent and visible growth mindset orientation in your classroom can be a key

component of reinforcing what your students learn in the Brainology program. Here are a few more

suggestions for integrating Brainology terminology and activities into your classroom:

Are your students losing focus on the lesson? Ask them if they are "using all their channels"!

Are your students struggling with a difficult challenge? Remind them that their neurons are

growing most when things seem most difficult.

Do your students have projects to complete? Have them use the Brainology Study Guide and

Study Plan!




BRAINOLOGY®

CURRICULUM OVERVIEW

Structure of the Online Curriculum:

The Brainology® online curriculum is composed of a ~10 minute introduction and four ~30 minute units

(depending on how much time the students spend on optional activities such as reading Chris’ & Dahlia’s

e-journal entries and entering their own). We recommend doing no more than one of these four main units

each week so that children have time to reflect, integrate takeaways into their own lives, and incorporate

the offline materials.

The Introduction to Brainology® presents the curriculum and its purpose, the characters that will

guide the students throughout the program, and the tools available (e.g., the e-Journal, Map, Brain

Book and Help). Users also create an inventory of their personal challenges so they can more easily

relate the Brainology® lessons to their lives.

Unit 1: Brain Basics introduces the basics of brain structure and function. This unit also explains

what is required to maintain readiness to learn and how attention and concentration are supported.

This unit teaches students the physical aspect of thinking and learning, which underlie a growth

mindset.

In Unit 2: Brain Behavior, students learn that the brain functions by sending chemical messages

through a network of nerve cells, and that these cells are responsible for thought. This insight

provides a foundation for understanding how learning changes the brain. They also learn how

emotions can influence the brain and are taught strategies for managing their negative emotions and

enhancing their positive ones.

In Unit 3: Brain Building, students discover how learning changes the brain through the growth of

connections in neural networks with repeated use, the key to the growth mindset. Students learn that

intelligence can be developed through mental exercise, and they are introduced to activities that

promote learning.

Unit 4: Brain Boosters extends the concept of the malleable brain to understand the processes of

memory. The unit introduces a variety of study strategies to capitalize on the way the brain works

and learns to deepen and reinforce the students’ understanding of the growth mindset, and to guide

the student to the study skills resources

Ground yourself in Mindset theory

While it is possible to spend a lifetime investigating the psychology of motivation and achievement, you

don't have to in order to be very successful with Brainology®. Some background in the theory is needed,

however. If you have the time, the inclination, and the opportunity, we recommend that you read Dr.

Dweck's book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success.

If this isn't the right moment for you to read the book, we suggest reading these three articles (which are all

freely available on the internet):

Even Geniuses Work Hard

The Power (and Peril) of Praising Your Kids

Boosting Achievement with Messages that Motivate


Brainology® Guide to Implementation: Get Set


GET SET!

PART II. PLANNING & SETUP:

SCHEDULING & TECHNICAL GUIDE

FOR TEACHERS







GET SET!

Planning & Setup Guide

Table of Contents:

I. Plan Your Implementation a. Identify and prepare the implementation team ........................................ 16

b. Plan the implementation schedule ........................................................16-17

c. Brainology® Planning Calendar ................................................................. 18

II. Technical Setup - Using the Brainology® website

a. Creating and managing your own account ..........................................19-20

i. Joining a school account ................................................................... 19

ii. Changing your password .............................................................19-20

iii. Resetting your password .................................................................. 20

b. Set up for your classroom(s) ..................................................................20-22

i. Creating and managing student groups and access codes ............ 20

ii. Viewing or changing student groups and group access codes ...... 21

iii. Creating and managing student accounts....................................... 21

iv. Resetting a student password ........................................................... 22

c. Tracking your students’ progress .........................................................22-23

i. Viewing your list of students ............................................................ 22

ii. Viewing your available licenses ....................................................... 23

iii. Viewing your students' data ............................................................. 23

d. Tips for the Computer Lab ......................................................................... 24



PLANNING YOUR BRAINOLOGY®

IMPLEMENTATION

This section of the Guide covers the activities required to carry out a successful Brainology®

implementation. The material in the Get Ready! section should have provided a general overview of the

goals, content, and operation of the program. The next step is to review what needs to happen and make

detailed plans.

A well-known maxim holds that failing to plan is planning to fail. A little preparation goes a long way

towards ensuring a successful implementation of Brainology®.

Identify and prepare the implementation team

The critical first step is to identify who will be leading the implementation. If you are a teacher who has

brought Brainology® to your classroom on your own initiative, look in the mirror. If you are an

administrator, an instructional coach, a counselor, or other educational leader who has brought Brainology®

to a group of classrooms, you need to decide whether or not you will be part of the day-to-day

implementation. If not, identify who will be responsible for leadership, coaching, and coordination.

Whoever is responsible for leading the implementation should start by sharing this guide with the rest of

the team. We recommend spending some time with the team to review the process and plans and ensure

that everyone is becoming well-prepared.

If you're not leading the implementation, coordinate with whoever is to be sure you're fully aware of the

schedule.

Plan the implementation schedule

The key features of a best-practices implementation of Brainology® are these:

The online units are presented at least a week apart.

All of the classroom activities are completed.

As a result, you should plan to spend about fifteen hours over at least six weeks on Brainology®.

There is considerable flexibility in the implementation process:

With a little extra reinforcement along the way, the online units can be spaced two or even three

weeks apart.

Many of the additional classroom activities can be spread out over two or three days if you prefer

not to devote a complete period to them.

The online Brainology® units can be paused and resumed, so those can each be split over a couple

of days, too, if necessary.

Some of the classroom activities can be assigned as homework.

Your implementation can occur in one classroom, or can be part of a school-wide implementation. In the

case of school-wide implementation, consider how the computer lab sessions will be spaced out and whether

the lab sessions could occur in a content area class, while the classroom-setting lessons occur in another

setting (like an Advisory or Homeroom).



You should feel comfortable planning the schedule to coordinate with your own circumstances (length of

class periods, holidays, testing schedules, availability of computer lab time, etc.). We strongly recommend

that you take the time to plan specific dates for Brainology® – even if you expect to have to adjust them

later.

Scheduling Options

Brainology® is a blended learning curriculum that requires a total of about 15 hours of classroom time to

teach, including about 2.5 hours of online activities, in 20 sessions over 5-20 weeks. It can accommodate

different schedules, as follows:

Length of Class Period: The optimal length of a class period for Brainology® is 45 minutes, which

permits ample time for each activity to be completed within one session. It can also work within

shorter (30 minute) or longer (60 minute) periods.

Number of Sessions per Week: Brainology® can be taught in 1-4 sessions per week.

Number of Weeks to Complete: Depending on the length of class periods and number of sessions

per week, Brainology® can take from 5-20 weeks to complete.

Here is a sample implementation schedule:

Each unit also contains alternative activities to accommodate learners with different needs and skills.

On the next page you will find a blank Brainology Planning Calendar. You can also find an automated

planning tool online at https://www.mindsetworks.com/teacherschedule.aspx. It may be helpful to include

the calendar in your lesson plans and fill in the dates for when you plan to complete the activities.

Sample 10-week, 20-session implementation schedule with 40 min. per session

Week Unit Day Activity Day Activity

1 Intro Tuesday Activity I-1 (offline) Thursday Activity I-2 (online)

2 Intro Tuesday Activity I-3 (offline) Thursday Activity I-4 (offline)

3 Unit 1 Tuesday Activity 1-1 (offline) Thursday Activity 1-2 (online)

4 Unit 1 Tuesday Activity 1-3 (offline) Thursday Activity 1-4 (offline)









BRAINOLOGY®

PLANNING CALENDAR

Unit Activity # Activity Date

Intro

I-1 “Connect It”: Mindset Assessment Profile (MAP) and Reflection

I-2 “Check It”: Online Brainology® Intro and Formative Assessment

I-3 “Practice It”: You Can Grow Your Intelligence

I-4 “Apply It”: Values Lesson and Reflection

1

Brain

Basics

1-1 “Connect It”: Information Search and Scan or Inventory

1-2 “Check It”: Online Brainology® Unit 1 and Formative Assessment

1-3 “Practice It”: Effective Effort

1-4 “Apply It”: John’s History Test

2

Brain

Behavior

2-1 “Connect It”: Overcoming Challenges


2-3 “Practice It”: Scan or Inventory and Emotions & Learning Handout

2-4 “Apply It”: Alicia’s Presentation

3

Brain

Building

3-1 “Connect It”: The Two Mindsets Part 1 and Reflection


3-3 “Practice It”: Mindset Scan and Reflection

3-4 “Apply It”: Scientific Research Brief

4

Brain

Boosters

4-1 “Connect It”: The Two Mindsets Part 2


4-3 “Practice It”: Brain Study Plan or Learning Strategies Scan

4-4 “Apply It”: Class Motto



TECHNICAL SETUP - USING THE BRAINOLOGY® WEBSITE

The Brainology® curriculum is centered on the online instructional units for students. As a teacher, you

have visibility into your students' progress and interaction with the online curriculum. You also have access

to administrative tools to manage student accounts (and your own). This section provides step-by-step

instructions for those interactions with the website, organized approximately in the order you will need

them as you proceed through your implementation.

Creating and managing your own account

Joining a school account

If you don’t already have a user name and password, and your school has already purchased Brainology®,

your local administrator has an Educator Registration Code that you will need to register. If you're having

any difficulty identifying your local administrator or any uncertainty about the Educator Registration Code,

feel free to contact Brainology® support at [email protected] or 888-344-6463. Once you have the

Educator Registration code, follow these steps:

Go to the Brainology® website homepage, http://www.mindsetworks.com.

Click on the words “Sign Up” near the upper right corner of the page.

In the left hand column of the “Sign Up” page, under the heading “Already have a registration

code?” enter your Educator Registration Code, select the “I am an educator” option, and click the

“Sign Up!” button.

On the “Educator Registration” page:

◦ select a username and password

◦ enter your personal details

◦ check the box to indicate you have reviewed the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

◦ click the “Sign Up!” button

You now have full access to the online Brainology® units, the supporting materials, and the rest of

the administrative controls.

Changing your password

If you wish to change the password you use to log in to the Brainology® website, follow these steps:


Click on the words “Log In” at the upper right corner of the page.

In the left hand column of the “Log In” page, under the heading “Already a User?”, enter your

Brainology® login username and password and click on the “Log In” button.

Click on the words “My Brainology®” at the top of the page.

In the left hand column of the “Getting Started” page, click on the words “My Account.”

In the third section, “Manage Your Personal Information & Account”, click on the words “Change

my password to log in.”

On the password update page, enter your old password, enter your new password, reenter your new

password for confirmation, and click the “Submit” button.

mailto:[email protected]





Please note that your password is securely encrypted and cannot be retrieved by anyone. If you should

forget it, follow the instructions for resetting your password.

Resetting your password

If you know your Brainology® login username and have access to the e-mail account you used when you

registered on the Brainology® website, follow these steps to reset your password:


Click on “Log In” at the upper right corner of the page.

In the left hand column of the “Log In” page, under the “Log In” button, click on the words “Forgot

password.”

Enter your Brainology® login username and the e-mail address you used to register on the

Brainology® website, and click the “Submit” button.

Use the password that the system e-mails to you to log in to the Brainology® website.

Change your password to one of your own choosing immediately, following the instructions for

changing your password.

Set up for your classroom(s)

Creating and managing student groups and group registration codes

The Brainology® administrative system organizes students by groups. Typically, a teacher will create one

group for each class of students with which he or she is working on Brainology®. Students create their own

Brainology® login usernames and passwords using a code created and supplied by the teacher that is

associated with the group they are in.

To create student groups and their associated registration codes, follow the steps below. Note that there is

no procedural difference between creating your first group and creating additional groups.



In the left hand column of the “Log In” page, under the heading “Already a User?”, enter your




In the first section, “Create & Manage Student Accounts and View Student Usage”, click on the

words “Create student group & student registration code (needed to register students).”

Follow the directions on the “Create a Student Group & Student Registration Code” page. Enter a

descriptive name for the Student Group and Student Registration Code for that group to use to create

their Brainology® login accounts, and click the “Create Group” button.

Record the Student Registration Code you create, as you will need to give it to your students.





Viewing or changing student groups and student registration codes

To see the student groups that you have created and their associated student registration codes, or to change

the name of a group or its associated registration code, follow these steps:



In the left hand column of the “Log In” page, under the heading “Already a User?” Then enter your





words “View my student group names & student registration codes for students to register.”

If you want to change a student group name or its associated registration code, follow these steps:

◦ Click on the word “Edit” on the right hand end of the row with the student group you want to

adjust.

◦ Change the group name or its access code (or both).

◦ Click on the word “Update” to confirm your changes, or on the word “Cancel” to cancel them.

Creating and managing student accounts

Students create their own Brainology® login usernames and passwords with the registration code you

created above. If you need to have accounts created in advance for a large group of students, please contact

Brainology® support at [email protected] or 888-344-6463.

Instructions for Students: You will need an access code from your teacher to create your Brainology®

account. Once you have that code, follow these steps:


If you are logged into the website, click “Log Out”, in the upper-right corner of the webpage.

In the upper right hand corner of the homepage, click on “Sign Up”, under the heading “Already

have a registration code?”, enter the access code your teacher gave you, select the “I am a student”

option, and click the “Sign Up!” button.

On the first “Student Registration” page choose your age from the drop-down and click the “Submit”

button.

On the second “Student Registration” page,

◦ enter your personal details (first name, last initial, grade, and location)

◦ enter a username and password of your choice (just letters and/or numbers, no spaces)

◦ (optional) if you would like to use the Brainology® e-mail features and …

▪ … you are younger than 13, enter your parent's e-mail address

▪ … you are 13 or older, enter your own e-mail address

◦ review, and check the box to indicate you have reviewed, the Terms of Service and Privacy

Policy

◦ if you are 13 or older, check the box to certify your age

◦ and click the “SUBMIT” button

You now have full access to the online Brainology® units!






Resetting a student password

Like Brainology® login password for adults, student passwords are securely encrypted and cannot be

retrieved by anyone. If a student should forget his or her password, follow these steps to reset it:





Click on the words “My Brainology®” at the top of the page. In the left hand column of the “Getting

Started” page, click on the words “My Account.”


words “View my students, change their passwords or view student usage data.”

Find the student whose password you wish to reset in the list.

In the row with that student's name, click on the words “Change Password.”

Enter a new password in the password box.

Click on the word “Update” to confirm the new password, or on the word “Cancel” to cancel the

change.

Tracking your students’ progress

Viewing your list of students

To see a list of the students who have registered with access codes you have created, follow these steps:



In the left hand column of the “Log In” page, under the heading “Already a User?” enter your

Brainology® login username and password and click on the “Log in” button.




words “View my students, change their passwords, or view student usage data.”





Viewing your available licenses

The licenses your school has purchased are held in a pool associated with the organizational access you

your local administrator provided to you. Each time a student uses an access code you created to create a

student account, a license is removed from the pool. To see how many licenses are available to you, follow

these steps:







In the second section, “Manage Student Licenses”, click on the words “View available student

licenses.”

Viewing your students’ data

To see how far your students have progressed through the online Brainology® units, see their responses to

the brief mindset assessment survey incorporated within the online Brainology® units, or see their e-journal

entries, follow these steps:








words “View student e-journal entries and other usage data.”

On the “User Usage Summary” page, select the student you wish to review from the drop-down

box.

You can select additional students, sequentially, without leaving that page. Just select each student

you wish to review from the drop-down box. If you would like a consolidated report with all the

data for all of your students, please email Brainology® support at [email protected] or

call us at 888-344-6463.






Brainology® Tips for the Computer Lab

Logistics for the Online Program

Headsets/earphones: Remember to bring them; students might bring their own with prior notice.

Make 3x5 cards for each student with his/her name, Brainology® user name, and password. You can use these cards

to “call on” students later during discussions/sharing out. (Students always forget their user names and passwords!)

To Launch Brainology®, students must sign up, set up an account, click “My Brainology®”, then “Launch

Brainology®.”

Pause! When students go to the restroom or pencil sharpener, make sure they don’t leave the program “running.”

Online Program Navigation

The map on the left tells you where kids are. Click it to

check on students who are behind or going ahead farther

than you want.

“Save and Exit” button is important to click when

finished to make sure the students can pick up where they

left off.

Be available for the miscellaneous tech support that the

students will need! Walk around a lot the first two online

days to monitor and help.

Online Brainology® Computer Lab Information

Fill this in before you go to the lab and take it with you!

My Educator Registration Code:

Get this from your local administrator

My Student Group Registration Code:

You create this yourself at “My Brainology®”

My Brainology® User Name:

You create this yourself at “Sign Up Now”

Brainology® is located at: http://www.mindsetworks.com. Contact Brainology® support at

[email protected] or 888-344-6463.



Brainology® Guide to Implementation: Intro Unit


GO! PART III.

LESSON AND MATERIAL GUIDES

FOR TEACHERS



www.brainology.us






PART III. LESSONS & MATERIAL GUIDE FOR TEACHERS

Overview: This section of the Implementation Guide contains detailed information about the

content of each unit of the Brainology® Online Curriculum, as follows:

The Introduction to Brainology® presents the curriculum and its purpose, the characters that will

guide the students throughout the program and the tools available (e.g. the e-Journal, Map, Brain

Book and Help). Users also create an inventory of their personal challenges so they can more easily

relate the Brainology® lessons to their lives.

Unit 1: Brain Basics introduces the basics of brain structure and function. This unit also explains

what is required to maintain readiness to learn and how attention and concentration are supported.

This unit teaches students the physical aspect of thinking and learning, which underlie a growth

mindset.

In Unit 2: Brain Behavior, students learn that the brain functions by sending chemical messages

through a network of nerve cells, and that these cells are responsible for thought. This insight

provides a foundation for understanding how learning changes the brain. Students also learn how

emotions can influence the brain and are taught strategies for managing their negative emotions.

In Unit 3: Brain Building, students discover how learning changes the brain through the growth of

connections in neural networks with repeated use, the key to the growth mindset. Students learn that

intelligence can be developed through mental exercise, and they are introduced to activities that

promote learning.

Unit 4: Brain Boosters extends the concept of the malleable brain to understand the processes of

memory. The unit introduces a variety of study strategies to capitalize on the way the brain works

and learns to deepen and reinforce the students’ understanding of the growth mindset, and to guide

the student to the study skills resources.

Differentiating Instruction: Throughout the next five Go! Curriculum Guides, many lessons

have been modified so that you can differentiate and scaffold your instruction for the unique

needs of your students. Several lessons have two options: Option A is intended for On-Level or

Advanced Learners, and Option B is intended for Below-Level Learners (based on a 7th grade

level).

Whenever you see the icon, look for tips to differentiate your instruction for process,

product, or content, and ways to scaffold the material for all learners.

Process refers to how a student comes to understand the material.

Product refers to the work product in which the student demonstrates mastery.

Content refers to adjusting the material based on prior knowledge of the student.



Organization: Each unit of the Teachers’ Guide contains the following sections:

I. Overview and Goals provides a description of the instructional goal of the unit, the key

challenge in student motivation, recommended readings, and key content contained in the

unit.

II. Lesson Plans has suggestions for teacher practice, and an explanation of the research-

based principals underlying these recommendations, and a sample outline of lessons for that

unit.

III. Reproducibles and Handouts contains instructions and printable materials for

classroom activities that support the learning of the key concepts in that unit of Brainology.

These activities are organized as follows:

Connect It activities are intended to be used before the introduction of a new unit of Brainology®.

In these activities, students activate their prior knowledge and/or prior learning in the Brainology®

program to heighten their readiness to learn and interest in the content of the upcoming unit. These

activities connect to students’ lives, to their experiences with other texts or learning, and to other

lessons in this program.

Check It quizzes are provided for the purpose of using as a formative assessment. The teacher can

allow the student to fill in the Check It while they complete the online lesson, to keep them focused

on a goal. They may also be used to diagnose the extent to which students have grasped the

information in each unit. If the Check It shows that students have gaps in their understanding and

need further practice, the teacher can differentiate and remediate using the Additional Activities

provided.

Practice It activities are provided for the purpose of deep practice. In these lessons, students have

the opportunity to interact with the information at an instructional level towards the goal of

increasing understanding of the content and learning to use their knowledge independently.

Apply It activities can be used to enhance metacognition by allowing students to apply their new

knowledge in a variety of ways. These scenarios can also be used to assess the depth of student

understanding in relation to the content in Brainology®.

Additional Activities are included at the end of each unit. While not a part of the core curriculum,

they are meant to deepen students’ understanding of the key concepts. The Additional Activities

provide opportunities to express this understanding through a wider variety of learning modalities,

and to apply them to their own learning.

Supplies: Please review the lesson plans prior to instruction to be sure you have the necessary

materials.



Introductory Unit

Table of Contents:

I. Overview and Goals

A. Introductory Unit: An Overview ................................ ................. 30

B. The Growth Mindset ................................ ................................ .... 31

C. Brainology®: Developing a Growth Mindset ................................ 32

II. Lesson Plans

A. Activity 1: Mindset Assessment Profile (MAP) and Reflection .. 34

B. Activity 2: Check It – Formative Assessment ....................... 35-36

C. Activity 3: You Can Grow Your Intelligence

a. Option A: Plain Text Version .................................................................. 37

b. Option B: Interactive Text Version ........................................................ 38

D. Activity 4: What Are Your Values? ................................ ........... 39

III. Reproducibles and Handouts

A. Activity 1: Mindset Assessment Profile (MAP) & Reflection 42-44

B. Activity 2: Check It – Formative Assessment ............................. 45

C. Activity 3: You Can Grow Your Intelligence Article ............ 46-48

a. Option A: Plain Text Version ............................................................ 49-50

b. Option B: Interactive Text Version .................................................. 51-55

D. Activity 4: What Are Your Values?

a. Option A: Advanced Version .................................................................. 56

b. Option B: Basic Version .......................................................................... 57



INTRODUCTORY UNIT: AN OVERVIEW

Unit Goal Students complete a Mindset Assessment Profile which will explore their

beliefs and attitudes about learning, effort, and challenge. The MAP is

used as a pre- and post-program activity, with the expectation that once

students finish the Brainology® program, they will have moved toward a

growth mindset. In this unit, students are also introduced to the

Brainology® online program and resources, and to the concept of a growth

mindset through reading and reflecting on an article which presents

evidence of malleable intelligence.

Activities

Key Concepts Mindsets are those implicit beliefs we all hold about our most basic abilities

and intelligence. People with a fixed mindset believe their ability and

intelligence are largely fixed and outside of their control, whereas people

with a growth mindset believe that their intelligence and ability can be

developed through their own efforts. Having a growth mindset helps people

be motivated to push themselves to reach their true potential.

Suggested Teacher Reading

Dweck, Carol (2010). Mindsets and Equitable Education. Principal Leadership, pp. 26-29.

http://www.principals.org/Content.aspx?topic=61219

Activity

# Activity Lesson Plan Handout

Intro-1

“Connect It” – Complete both:

Mindset Assessment Profile (MAP) survey

Brainology® Reflection Questions 1-6

p. 34

pp. 42-44

Intro-2

“Check It” – Complete both, together:

Online Brainology® Introduction

Formative Assessment

pp. 35-36 p. 45

Intro-3

“Practice It” - “You Can Grow Your Intelligence” - Choose one:

o Option A. Plain Text Version or

o Option B. Interactive Text Version

pp. 37-38 pp. 46-55

Intro-4

“Apply It” – Values Lesson & Reflection – Choose one:

o Option A. Advanced Version or

o Option B. Basic Version p. 39 pp. 56-57

http://www.principals.org/Content.aspx?topic=61219



THE GROWTH MINDSET

Discovered by Professor Carol S. Dweck of Stanford in decades of research on motivation, achievement,

and success, Mindsets are beliefs individuals hold about their most basic qualities and abilities. In a

Growth Mindset, people believe they can develop their intelligence, abilities, and talents. This view creates

a love for learning, a drive for growth, and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishments. On the

contrary, people with a Fixed Mindset believe that basic qualities such as intelligence and abilities are

fixed, and can't be developed. They also believe that talent alone creates success, and see effort as a sign of

weakness rather than as an effective strategy needed to reach one's full potential. The following diagram

shows how people with different views of intelligence respond in different situations.



BRAINOLOGY®: DEVELOPING A GROWTH MINDSET

Brainology® is designed to help students to develop a Growth Mindset and, as a result, to reach a

higher level of academic achievement. Students with a growth mindset think of their intelligence as

something that they can develop through learning and study rather than as something fixed.

Cultivating a growth mindset can help increase students’ sense of self-efficacy and motivation to learn.

Brainology® is based on decades of research by leading experts in the area of motivation. Psychologists

Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D. and Lisa Blackwell, Ph.D. discovered that developing a Growth Mindset

helps students to value learning, invest effort, and improve their academic performance. (See

Blackwell, Trzesniewski, & Dweck, 2007.) They developed the Brainology® program to help students

cultivate a Growth Mindset by teaching them the powerful combination of basic brain science and

study skills.

Brainology® helps students develop a growth mindset by teaching them how the brain functions, learns,

and remembers, and how it changes physically when we exercise it through study and learning. In

addition, the program teaches a practical set of skills for tackling academic challenges by discovering

how to apply what they have learned about the brain to their schoolwork.

The Brainology® program has been implemented in hundreds of schools with great results. When

students realize that they control their learning, they are motivated to apply effort and take an active

role in learning. Teachers note positive changes in students' behavior (becoming engaged in class,

reflecting, asking questions, doing homework), as well as in the higher student achievement that results

from more motivated students with higher expectations of themselves.

Brainology® is designed as a blended learning curriculum combining a challenge-based, interactive

multimedia online program and classroom activities. In the online program, consisting of an

introduction plus four 30-minute units, students follow animated teenaged characters Chris and Dahlia

as they tackle various problems in their most difficult subjects. They visit the lab of eccentric brain

scientist Dr. Cerebrus and learn about the basic structure and function of the brain: how thinking

occurs, how learning and memory work, how to develop and change the brain, and how to improve

their study habits and skills in light of this knowledge. They gain experience in visualizing and

applying these ideas through interactive activities and exercises. Throughout the program they reflect

on their challenges and their learning through an e-Journal. The classroom activities contained in this

guide provide opportunities to reinforce, apply, and practice what students learn in the online

component in the context of their own experience. The goal is for them to understand that they have

great, untapped potential and that the development of their mental ability is largely within their own

control, and to provide them with study habits and skills that will help them take action.

Through this Curriculum Guide for Teachers we hope to help you support your students by providing

information and strategies that you can use to reinforce their growth mindset development.



Introductory Unit:

Lesson Plans



Introductory Unit Activity 1, “Connect It”: Mindset Assessment Profile (MAP) and

Reflection

Description: Survey for getting a quick assessment of the students’ mindsets

Objective: Students will complete the MAP and reflection to get a baseline on what sort of

mindset they currently hold about learning.

Timeline: Before beginning Brainology® – 30 minutes

Instructions for the teacher:

This is a tool to get a quick assessment of your students’ mindsets—their beliefs about

the malleability of intelligence, the relative importance of learning and perfect

performance, and their attitudes toward effort and mistakes. It’s important that students

not feel labeled by this tool. The MAP categories just represent the way they are

thinking and feeling about these questions at the present time. They can change these

beliefs, and they may feel differently on different days.

You can use this assessment tool in a number of ways:

o Individual assessment, scored by the teacher

o Individual assessment, scored by the student

o Individual assessment, scored by a peer

Once students have completed the

assessment, you can follow up with a

class discussion. Here are some

questions that you might explore:

o Are there some subjects where you

don’t feel confident that you can

learn and do well?

o How do you think it feels to get a

bad grade if you believe that you

can’t do any better?

o Can you think of a time when you

learned to do something really

hard? How did you learn it?

o What would you be willing to work

hard to achieve if you knew it was

possible?

o If you knew that you could develop your intelligence through effort, what goals

would you set for yourself?

When students finish the MAP, ask them to complete the reflection. Keep the MAPs

and the reflections so that you can keep track of how your students were thinking when

they began the program. At the conclusion of the Brainology® program, re-administer

the MAP to measure the areas where students grew their mindset!

Differentiating Instruction:

Process A teacher could ask students to process

these questions in several different ways.

The class could do an “Ink-Pair-Share”

where students first write, then discuss with

a partner, then participate in a class

discussion. The teacher could have students

write about the questions and hold 1:1 mini-

conferences with some or all students. Last,

students could be put in groups to make a

poster answering each question with the

teacher choosing which groups get which

questions.



Introductory Unit Activity 2, “Check It”: Online Lesson with Formative Assessment

Description: Brainology® Program Introductory Unit Formative Assessment

Objective: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the concepts presented in the

Introductory Unit online lesson.

Timeline: Complete with Brainology® Introduction Online Lesson - 30 minutes


Distribute the “Check It” questions to the students.

Have students work silently and independently, completing the online lesson while

filling out the “Check It.”

See the next page for the ANSWER KEY.

When gaps are identified in student understanding, work with them individually to

reteach the concepts, or encourage them to go through the online lessons again for a

deeper understanding. Feel free to re-test if appropriate.



Introductory Unit Activity 2, “Check It”: Formative Assessment ANSWER KEY

(1) Explain, draw or represent what you think you’ll be learning in the Brainology

program.

This is a free response question, but most students should write or draw a representation of

learning about the brain and how it works. The metaphor in the online lesson is that Brainology is

an instruction manual for your brain.

(2) What makes the brain grow stronger? Explain or draw a picture to represent your

answer.

Learning new things makes the brain grow stronger.

(3) Name the four levels of Brainology.

1. Brain Basics

2. Brain Behavior

3. Brain Building

4. Brain Boosters

(4) Which level do you think you’ll like the best? Why?

This is a free response question. Accept all reasonable answers.

(5) What are three different activities you can do in the e-Journal?

Accept any three:

Read about Chris’ challenges

Read about Dahlia’s challenges

Read Chris’ reflections

Read Dahlia’s reflections

List my challenges

Write and review my own challenges

(6) What is one reason you might use the Brain Book?

The Brain Book can be used for any of the following:

Researching the brain and its functions

Finding learning strategies

Learning about how to remember things better

Finding out how emotions are connected to learning

Figuring out how to learn new things more effectively



Introductory Unit Activity 3, “Practice It”: You Can Grow Your Intelligence

Description: An introductory article about brain science with a follow up activity

Objective: Students will learn about the concept of expandable intelligence.

Timeline: Approximately 30 min

Instructions: There are 2 versions of the article: Option A (Plain Text Version) and Option

B (Interactive Text Version). Choose the one most appropriate for your learners.

Instructions for Option A (Plain Text Version):

To activate student’s prior knowledge, ask them to generate research questions about

intelligence. Record the research questions on chart paper. (Some examples are below.)

o What is intelligence?

o Do all humans have equal intelligence? How do we know?

o What are the most “intelligent” animals on Earth?

o What are the best ways to measure intelligence? How do we know?

Ask students if they would like to learn how to grow their intelligence, and explain that the

class will be reading research today about how to grow their intelligence.

Students will draw 6 pictures to help the students’ brains add this new information to their

long-term memories.

Pass out copies of the worksheet and discuss non-linguistic representations of concepts

(drawings) as a way to process and remember a new idea. You can connect the idea to the

saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words” and remind students that the brain has an

amazing ability to remember pictures.

Read the first section as a class and model the drawing and the response to the first one.

Ask students to read silently the next section and complete the second drawing.

Have students check for understanding with a partner using these frames:

o I made a connection to the article when I read… because…

o The article explores my research question… when it talks about…

o The article raises a new question for me, which is… because…

Students finish the article and record

one research question from the class

list about which they would like to

independently research (for homework

or in a lab setting).

Students can report back their findings

to the class individually, with partners,

or in small groups. Use this

opportunity to differentiate for all

levels of learners.

Differentiating Instruction: Option A—

Content & Process This lesson contains content intended for On-

Level and Advanced Learners. The text is

chunked by use of the graphic organizer. Much

of the lesson requires the student to read the text

independently, but discuss ideas as a class. There

are scaffolding suggestions as well as extension

opportunities.



Introductory Unit Activity 3, “Practice It”: You Can Grow Your Intelligence, cont.

Instructions for Option B (Interactive Text Version):

To activate student’s prior knowledge, ask them to generate research questions about

intelligence. Record the research questions on chart paper. (Some examples are below.)

o What is intelligence?

o Do all humans have equal intelligence? How do we know?

o What is animal intelligence measured as compared to human intelligence?

o What are the most “intelligent” animals on Earth?

o What are the best ways to measure intelligence? How do we know?

o What are some people more intelligent than others?

Ask students if they would like to learn how to grow their intelligence, and explain that the

class will be learning today how to grow their intelligence.

Pass out the copies of the Interactive Text and read as a class as the students complete the

prompts and thought bubbles.

Have students record one research question from the class list that they would like to

search for information about as independent practice (for homework or in a lab setting).

Students can report back their findings to the class individually, with partners, or in small

groups. Use this opportunity to differentiate for all levels of learners.

Differentiating Instruction: Option B

Content & Process This lesson contains content intended for Below-

Level Learners. The text is chunked throughout

the article with built-in processing boxes and

language response frames. The process is best

delivered in a whole class setting with some

read-alouds by the teacher, some by student

volunteers, and some independent reading.

The additional research component can be

modeled by the teacher using a projector or smart

phone and a simple Internet search. Show the

students how people do information searches on

one of the class research questions.



Introductory Unit Activity 4, “Apply It”: What Are Your Values?

Description: Brainology® Unit 1 Academic Mindset Exercise

Objective: Students will identify their values and write a brief essay to affirm their

belonging in an academic learning community.

Timeline: After beginning Unit 1 online lesson – 25 minutes


Ask students to help you define the word “values.” Possible definition:

o Values: Important and lasting beliefs or ideals shared by the members of a culture

about what is good or bad and desirable or undesirable.

Pass out copies of the Values word cloud Option A or Option B. Tell students to circle

between 5-10 values that are most important to them in life.

Give the students the following writing prompt:

o Writing Situation: People from many backgrounds bring a host of different values,

beliefs, and ideals to our world. Today, your teacher wants to hear a little bit about

what is really important to you.

o Writing Directions: Write a brief response (1-2 paragraphs) explaining which

value words you chose as most important to you. Describe what these values are

and explain about why these values are important to you. How do these values help

you and make your life better?

Collect the responses, read them, and write feedback for the students that helps them

connect their personal values to the academic mindset of “I belong in this learning

community.” Here are some suggestions for feedback when students share something

positive: o Thank you for sharing!

o It’s exciting to find this out about you.

o I hope that you will be able to bring this

value to our work this year.

o I really connect with this value because…

o I see how strongly you feel about this!

o It would be great to find out how many of

your classmates feel a similar way about

this.

o We are lucky to have someone with these

values in our classroom and learning

environment.

o Thank you, this helps me get to know you

a little better.

o I would love to discuss this more with you

sometime.

Differentiating Instruction: Option A

Content & Process

This lesson can be differentiated by

content by selecting the best word cloud

for your learners. Review both and make

a choice. To differentiate for process, the

teacher can assign various types of

writing, such as paragraphs, a traditional

essay, a free-write, a poster or piece of

art, an online poster, blog, or webpage

like Glogster or Google Sites.



Introductory Unit:

Reproducibles and Handouts



Brainology® Intro Unit Activity 1, “Connect It”: MAP

MINDSET ASSESSMENT PROFILE TOOL

This is NOT a test! It is an opinion survey. It asks your opinion about things to do with

school and being a student. It is very important that you give your own opinion, not what

someone else thinks. Read each statement. Decide how much you agree or disagree with

the statement and circle your answer.

Do you Agree or Disagree? Disagree

A Lot

Disagree Disagree

A Little

Agree

A Little

Agree Agree

A Lot

Profile

Number

1. No matter how much intelligence

you have, you can always change it

a good amount.

1 2 2 3 4 5 6

2. You can learn new things, but you

cannot really change your basic

amount of intelligence.

1 2 2 3 4 5 6

3. I like school work best when

it makes me think hard.

1 2 2 3 4 5 6

4. I like school work best when I can

do it really well without too much

trouble.

1 2 2 3 4 5 6

5. I like school work that I'll learn

from even if I make a lot of mistakes.

1 2 2 3 4 5 6

6. I like school work best when I can

do it perfectly without any mistakes.

1 2 2 3 4 5 6

7. When something is hard, it just

makes me want to work more on it,

not less.

1 2 2 3 4 5 6

8. To tell the truth, when I work hard

at my schoolwork, it makes me feel

like I'm not very smart.

1 2 2 3 4 5 6

MINDSET ASSESSMENT PROFILE NUMBER



Creating Your Mindset Assessment Profile

1. First, determine your Profile Number for each question.

For questions with odd numbers (1, 3, 5, 7), write the number of your answer into the boxes in the right

column. For questions with even numbers (2, 4, 6, 8), use the table below to fill in the gray boxes in the right column.

If you chose this answer: Then write this number in the gray box on the right (Profile

Number).

Disagree A Lot (1) 6

Disagree (2) 5

Disagree A Little (3) 4

Agree A Little (4) 3

Agree (5) 2

Agree A Lot (6) 1

2. Now, add up all your Profile numbers. Add up all the numbers in the Profile column on the right, and write the total in the last box in the bottom right

corner. 3. What does your Mindset Profile Number mean?

Find the group that includes your number in the chart below and circle it.

Now, read what it says about your MAP group.

If your profile

number falls

into this

range:

Then your MAP (Mindset

Assessment Profile) group is:

People in this MAP group usually believe the

following things:

8-12

F5 You strongly believe that your intelligence is fixed—it

doesn’t change much. If you can’t perform perfectly you

would rather not do something. You think smart kids

don’t have to work hard. 13-16 F4

17-20

F3 You lean toward thinking that your intelligence doesn’t

change much. You prefer not to make mistakes if you

can help it and you also don’t really like to put in a lot of

work. You may think that learning should be easy. 21-24 F2

25-28

F1 You haven’t really decided for sure whether you can

change your intelligence. You care about your grades

and you also want to learn, but you don’t really want to

have to work too hard for it. 29-32 G1

33-36

G2 You believe that your intelligence is something that you

can increase. You care about learning and you’re willing

to work hard. You do want to do well, but you think it’s

more important to learn than to always score well. 37-40 G3

41-44

G4 You really feel sure that you can increase your

intelligence by learning and you like a challenge. You

believe that the best way to learn is to work hard, and

you don’t mind making mistakes while you do it. 45-48 G5



Brainology® Intro Unit Activity 1, “Connect It”: MAP Reflection

Name____________________________________________Class__________________

MAP Reflection

1. Do you think the description under your MAP group matches the way you think and feel

about your school work? Which parts are true for you and which are not?

2. Now that you have taken the MAP, what do you think we will be learning about while we

do the Brainology® program?

3. What if we told you that Brainology® might teach us how to be excited about challenges,

how to learn from mistakes, and how to increase your intelligence. What do you think

about that?

4. Would you like to learn how to increase your intelligence? Why or why not?

5. Can you think of a time when you learned to do something really hard? How did you learn

it?

6. If you knew that you could develop your intelligence through effort, what goals would you

set for yourself?



1) Explain, draw or represent what you think you’ll be learning in the

Brainology program.

2) What makes the brain grow stronger? Explain or draw a picture to represent

your answer.

5) What are three different activities

you can do in the e-Journal?

1. ______________________________

2. ______________________________

3. ______________________________

6) What is one reason you might use

the Brain Book?

4) Which level do you think you’ll

like the best? Why?

Brainology® Intro Unit Activity 2, “Check It”

Check It!

3) Name the four levels of Brainology.

1. ____________________________

2. ____________________________

3. ____________________________

4. ____________________________



Brainology® Intro Unit Activity 3, “Practice It”: Reading for Activity Options A and B

You Can Grow Your Intelligence New Research Shows the Brain Can Be Developed Like a Muscle

Many people think of the brain as a mystery. They don’t know much about intelligence

and how it works. When they do think about what intelligence is, many people believe that a person is born either smart, average, or dumb—and stays that way for life.

But new research shows that the brain is more like a muscle—it changes and gets stronger

when you use it. And scientists have been able to show just how the brain grows and gets stronger when you learn.

Everyone knows that when you lift

weights, your muscles get bigger and you get stronger. A person who can’t lift 20 pounds when they start exercising can get

strong enough to lift 100 pounds after working out for a long time. That’s because

the muscles become larger and stronger with exercise. And when you stop exercising, the muscles shrink and you get weaker. That’s

why people say “Use it or lose it!”

© 2010 Mindset Works

But most people don’t know that when

they practice and learn new things, parts of their brain change and get larger a lot like

muscles do when they exercise.

HEALTH & SCIENCE News You Can Use

© Fotosearch

A section of the cerebral cortex

Inside the cortex of the brain are billions

of tiny nerve cells, called neurons. The nerve cells have branches connecting them to

other cells in a complicated network. Communication between these brain cells is what allows us to think and solve problems.

Axon Dendrites © Fotosearch

A typical nerve cell

When you learn new things, these tiny

connections in the brain actually multiply and get stronger. The more that you challenge your mind to learn, the more your brain cells

grow. Then, things that you once found very hard or even impossible to do—like speaking

a foreign language or doing algebra—seem to become easy. The result is a stronger, smarter brain.



How Do We Know the Brain Can Grow Stronger?

Scientists started thinking that the

human brain could develop and change when they studied animals’ brains. They found out

that animals who lived in a challenging environment, with other animals and toys to

play with, were different from animals who lived alone in bare cages.

While the animals who lived alone just ate and slept all the time, the ones who lived

with different toys and other animals were always active. They spent a lot of time

figuring out how to use the toys and how to get along with the other animals.

Effect of an Enriched Environment


These animals had more connections between the nerve cells in their brains. The

connections were bigger and stronger, too. In fact, their whole brains were about 10%

heavier than the brains of the animals who lived alone without toys.

The animals who were exercising their brains by playing with toys and each other

were also “smarter”—they were better at solving problems and learning new things.


Even old animals got smarter and developed more connections in their brains

when they got the chance to play with new toys and other animals. When scientists put

very old animals in the cage with younger animals and new toys to explore, their brains also grew by about

10%!

Children’s Brain Growth

Another thing that got scientists thinking about the brain growing and changing was

babies. Everyone knows that babies are born without being able to talk or understand

language. But somehow, almost all babies learn to speak their parents’ language in the first few years of life. How do they do this?

The Key to Growing the Brain: Practice!

From the first day they are born, babies are hearing people around them talk—all

day, every day, to the baby and to each other. They have to try to make sense of these strange sounds and figure out what

they mean. In a way, babies are exercising their brains by listening hard.

Later, when they need to tell their parents

what they want, they start practicing talking themselves. At first, they just make goo-goo sounds. Then, words start coming. And by

the time they are three years old, most can say whole sentences almost perfectly.

Once children learn a language, they

don’t forget it. The child’s brain has changed—it has actually gotten smarter.

This can happen because learning causes

permanent changes in the brain. The babies’ brain cells get larger and grow new connections between them. These

new, stronger connections make the child’s brain stronger and smarter, just like a

weightlifter’s big muscles make them strong.

Nerves in brain of animal living in bare cage

Brain of animal living with other animals and toys



Growth of neuron connections in a child from birth to 6 years old

At birth At age 6


The Real Truth About “Smart” and “Dumb”

No one thinks babies are stupid because they can’t talk. They just haven’t learned how to yet. But some people will call a

person dumb if they can’t solve math problems, or spell a word right, or read fast—

even though all these things are learned with practice.

At first, no one can read or solve equations. But with practice, they can learn

to do it. And the more a person learns, the easier it gets to learn new things—because

their brain “muscles” have gotten stronger!

The students everyone thinks as the “smartest” may not have been born any

different from anyone else. But before they started school, they may have started to practice reading. They had already started

to build up their “reading muscles.” Then, in the classroom, everyone said, “That’s the

smartest student in the class.”


They don’t realize that any of the other students could learn to do as well if they

exercised and practiced reading as much. Remember, all of those other students

learned to speak at least one whole language already—something that grownups find

very hard to do. They just need to build up their “reading muscles” too.

What Can You Do to Get Smarter?

Just like a weightlifter or a basketball

player, to be a brain athlete, you have to exercise and practice. By practicing, you make your brain stronger. You also learn

skills that let you use your brain in a smarter way—just like a basketball player learns new

moves.

But many people miss out on the chance to grow a stronger brain because they think they can’t do it, or that it’s too hard. It does

take work, just like becoming stronger physically or becoming a better ball player

does. Sometimes it even hurts! But when you feel yourself get better and stronger, all the work is worth it!



Brainology® Intro Unit Activity 3, “Practice It”: Plain Text Version - Option A

“You Can Grow Your Intelligence”

Directions: 1) Read each numbered section. 2) Draw a picture that represents the main ideas in that part

of the article. 3) Fill in the sentence frames to explain how your picture represents the idea.

This picture of a _________________________ represents the main

idea because ______________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________.

My picture represents the branches (dendrites) growing between brain

cells because ______________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________.

My picture represents the difference between animals who had toys and

stimulation and those animals that did not because _______________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________.



The way babies learn to speak is represented in my picture because

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________.

Everyone has a brain that can be exercised, and what I drew shows

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________.

Summary: Things that I learned from this article are _______________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

and are represented by my picture because_______________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________.



Brainology® Intro Unit Activity 3, “Practice It”: Interactive Text Version - Option B

You Can Grow Your Intelligence New Research Shows the Brain Can Be Developed Like a Muscle

Many people think of the brain as a

mystery. They don’t know much

about intelligence and how it works.

When they do think about what

intelligence is, many people

believe that a person is born smart,

average, or dumb—and stays

that way for life.

That’s why people say, "Use it or lose it!"

What do YOU think??

GUESS WHAT?

New research shows that the brain is more like a

muscle—it changes and gets stronger when you use it!

But what happens to your muscles

when you STOP lifting weights? Everyone knows that when

you lift weights regularly,

your muscles get bigger and

you get stronger.

I think that when you stop lifting

weights….



Most people don’t know that when they practice and learn new things, part of their brain

changes, grows, and gets stronger and larger, a lot like muscles do when they exercise.

Scientists have actually been able to show just how the brain grows and gets stronger when you

learn.

Here’s the secret:

Inside the cortex of the brain are billions of tiny nerve cells called neurons. The nerve cells have

branches connecting them to each other in a complicated network. Communication between

these brain cells is what allows us to think and solve problems.

When you learn new things, these tiny connections in the brain actually multiply and get

stronger.

The more that you challenge your mind to learn, the more neuron connections

you make in your brain.

If you continue to strengthen these connections, things that you once found very hard to do—

like remembering information for a test or doing algebra—seem to become easy. The result is

a stronger, smarter brain.

Use the information you have just read to complete the organizer below

IF… THEN…

So here is an analogy: Muscle is to exercise as the brain is to _________________.

In other words… Muscles will grow with exercise and the brain will grow with_______.



The Secret…. continued

Scientists started thinking that the human brain could develop and change when they studied

animals’ brains. They found out that animals who lived in a challenging environment, with

other animals and toys to play with, were different from animals who lived alone in bare

cages.

While the animals that lived alone just ate and slept all the time, the ones that lived with different

toys and other animals spent a lot more time figuring out how to use the toys and how to get

along with other animals.

The animals who lived in the stimulating environment had more connections between nerve

cells in their brains. The connections were bigger and stronger, too. In fact, their whole brains

were about 10% heavier than the brains of the animals who lived alone without toys. The

animals who were exercising their brains by playing with toys and each other were also

“smarter”—they were better at solving problems and learning new things.

Even old animals got smarter and developed more connections in their brains when they got a

chance to play with new toys and other animals. When scientists put very old animals in cages

with younger animals and new toys to explore, their brains grew by about 10%.

© 2002-2013 Mindset Works, Inc. All rights reserved

Brain of animal living with other animals and toys

(stimulating environment)

Brain of animal living in bare cage

(non-stimulating environment)

Hmm... it is interesting to me that…



Children’s Brain Growth

Another thing that got scientists thinking about the brain growing and changing was babies.

Everyone knows that babies are born without being able to talk or understand language. But

somehow, almost all babies learn to speak their parents' language in the first few years of life.

How do they do this?

Neuron connections in a child from birth to 6 years old

The Real Truth about “Smart” and “Dumb”

No one thinks babies are stupid because they can't talk. They just haven't learned how to yet.

But some people will call a person dumb if they can't solve math problems, or

spell a word right, or read fast—even though all these things are learned with

practice. At first, no one can read or solve equations. But with practice, they can

learn to do it. And the more a person learns, the easier it gets to learn new

things—because their brain “muscles” have gotten stronger!

What Can YOU Do to Get Smarter?

Just like a weightlifter or a basketball player, you have to exercise and practice to make your

brain grow stronger. By practicing, you also learn skills that let you use your brain in a smarter

way—just like a basketball player learns new moves.

Do you think this child developed strong language

skills by the age of six? Why or why not?

How do you think this child grew all of those

neuron connections and pathways?

© 2002-2013 Mindset Works, Inc. All rights reserved

At birth At age 6



Why doesn’t EVERYBODY do this?

Many people miss out on the chance to grow a stronger brain because

they think they can't do it

they think it's too hard

they think it’s too much work

Reflection: Remember a time when you worked extremely hard on something that was at first

difficult, but after practice and effort you were able to succeed.

Can you relate?

At first, I couldn’t…. In order to get better, I… Finally, I was able to…

How did you feel when you were successful? Was it worth the effort? Explain.



Brainology® Intro Unit Activity 4, “Apply It”: What Are Your Values? Option A



Brainology® Intro Unit Activity 4, “Apply It”: What Are Your Values? Option B

Unit 1: Brain Basics


UNIT 1: BRAIN BASICS

LESSONS AND MATERIAL GUIDE

FOR TEACHERS



www.brainology.us

Building Students’ Confidence, Fulfillment and Achievement





Table of Contents:


A. Unit 1: An Overview ............................................................................................. 62

B. Online Lesson Summary ................................ ............................. 63

C. Building, Reinforcing and Maintaining the Growth Mindset ...... 64

II. Lesson Plans

A. Activity 1: Information Search and ................................ ............ 66

a. Option A: Brain Health Scan or ................................ ......... 66

b. Option B: Food and Sleep Brain Inventory ............................................ 67

B. Activity 2: Check It – Formative Assessment ......................... 68-69

C. Activity 3: Effective Effort Rubric, Option A or B ................ 70-71

D. Activity 4: John’s History Test ................................ ................... 72

E. Additional Activities:

a. Using Your Brain: Take an Active Approach ..................... 73


A. Activity 1: Information Search and ................................ ............ 76

a. Option A: Brain Health Scan or ................................ .... 77-79

b. Option B: Food and Sleep Brain Inventory ........................ 80

B. Activity 2: Check It – Formative Assessment .............................. 81

C. Activity 3: Effective Effort ................................ .................... 82-83

D. Activity 4: John’s History Test ................................ ................... 84


a. Using Your Brain: Take an Active Approach ................ 85-86



UNIT 1: AN OVERVIEW

Unit Goal Students learn the basics of brain structure and function, particularly

what is required to maintain readiness to learn and how attention and

concentration are supported. This unit prepares students both for

higher-level understanding of thinking and learning processes that

underlie a growth mindset, and for more advanced study strategies.

Activities

Key Concepts The brain is a physical organ that needs to be healthy to work well. It

receives information through your 5 sensory pathways. Students can

increase their ability to concentrate on learning by eating good food,

getting enough sleep and exercise, and using their senses to focus

effectively on what they are learning.

Suggested Teacher Reading:

Dweck, Carol (2008). Boosting Achievement With Messages That Motivate. Education Canada,

6-10. 47(2). www.cea-ace.ca/media/en/Boosting_Achievement_Spring07.pdf

Activity


1-1

“Connect It” – Complete two:

Information Search and

o Option A: Brain Health Scan or

o Option B: Food and Sleep Brain Inventory

pp. 66-67 pp. 76-80

1-2


Online Brainology® Unit 1


pp. 68-69 p. 81

1-3

“Practice It” – Effective Effort – Choose one:

o Option A: Advanced Version or

o Option B: Basic Version

pp. 70-71 pp. 82-83

1-4 “Apply It” – John’s History Test p. 72 p. 84

http://www.cea-ace.ca/media/en/Boosting_Achievement_Spring07.pdf



UNIT 1: BRAIN BASICS

What promotes self-efficacy?

Self-efficacy is the feeling that you have the power to achieve or do something through your own

efforts. Young people usually do not feel in control—of their environment, of the standards they

must meet, of their success or achievement level. By helping students understand how to use their

brains in a more effective way, you can help your students to feel more in control of what they

can achieve.

Unit 1: Online Lesson Summary

The brain needs certain things in order to function well. Some examples are sleep,

exercise, and foods like eggs, nuts, fish, fruits, and vegetables that contain important

chemicals.

The brain is the body’s control center: it gets information from all your senses, and is in

charge of all of the body’s voluntary and involuntary movement.

Different areas of the brain take in information from different senses and do different

things. The Frontal Lobe handles emotions, reasoning, planning, movement, creativity,

judgment, problem solving, and planning. The Parietal Lobe controls the sense of touch,

pain, taste, pressure, and temperature. The Occipital Lobe is responsible for vision and

recognizing objects. The Temporal Lobe processes sound, memory, and language. Learning

about the functions of the brain can help people learn more effectively.

Your senses serve as different “pathways” to the brain: using more than one sense to learn

about something lets you use more of your brain and aids learning and memory.

Using two or more complementary modes of learning one thing can help focus your

attention and increase learning. For example, seeing a picture while hearing an explanation

is a very effective way to learn.

In contrast, getting information about competing things through different senses can

interfere with learning. For example, playing music and watching a cartoon while trying to

read may distract you and reduce your learning capacity.

In other words, we can ask ourselves: are my different senses pulling me in the same

direction, or in all different directions?

Active learning approaches are best, because they help to keep your attention focused on

the subject, and increase understanding of the subject.



Unit 1: Building, Reinforcing and Maintaining the Growth Mindset

Providing Student Feedback:

Use opportunities in class to praise students for using all the different parts of their brains through

varied learning strategies. Some examples include:

Drawing a diagram to help you see your work is a great problem-solving strategy!

Good job helping each other out with that problem; it really helps to talk things out!

I can see that you are working hard to use all the parts of your brain.

I notice you are using complementary pathways to learn that information. Great strategy!

I see you are reading and then summarizing the text in your own words. That will help

your brain learn the information better!

Remind students that they need to think about whether they have given their brains everything

they need to learn well. Suggest that they be their own brain scientist and use a checklist to make

sure they are giving their brains all the help they need:

Have you eaten a good breakfast/lunch today?

Did you get enough sleep last night?

Did you keep your attention on this when you were trying to learn it?

Were there other distractions in your environment when you were trying to learn?

Did you use more than one sense to learn this material?

Did you find an active way to practice this material?

By helping your students to understand how their brains work and how they can use this

knowledge to learn more effectively, you are laying the groundwork for them to develop a sense

of self-efficacy and a growth mindset!

Concrete Strategies:

The use of different learning strategies can also be facilitated in classroom learning. Some

examples include:

After reading part of the math text book, or a math problem, ask students to rephrase the

main ideas of the text, or explain the main points of the problem to another student.

Students can design their own cartoon strips to rephrase key parts of a lesson, re-tell a

story problem or sequence problem-solving steps.

Students can use other senses and abilities when they work in small groups to

cooperatively solve problems.

When students present their solutions to problems at the board, ask them to describe what

they thought and what strategies they used as they solved the problem. For example, was

it like a problem they had seen before? Did drawing a figure help them sort through what

to do? Did they use formulas that they knew from the text? Did they recognize that the

problem involved more than one concept? Did they discuss with someone?



Unit 1:

Lesson Plans



Unit 1 Activity 1, “Connect It”: Information Search and Brain Health Scan or Food

and Sleep Brain Inventory

Description: This activity is a self-assessment. There are two options provided. Please

choose the handout that is most appropriate for your learners.

Objective: Students will activate prior knowledge and actively gather information about

topics related to Level 1: Brain Basics. They will also connect prior knowledge to new

knowledge and increase metacognition by completing a self-assessment of their brain

health. They will use the Brain Scan to target an area in which to improve throughout the

unit.

Timeline: Approximately 25 minutes


Information Search:

Pass out a “Unit 1 Brain Basics: Connect It” activity sheet to each student.

Each sheet contains 8 boxes.

Instruct students to move around the classroom to find a classmate who can help to

answer a question on the sheet.

Adaptations: You can also have students do this activity in pairs or small groups where

moving around the classroom is not possible, or as individuals to assess their level of

prior knowledge.

Option A: Brain Health Scan:

Allow students to complete the Brain Scan and rate their own brain habits. This should

be kept in a notebook.

Students will score their brain health

on page 2, and use the feedback to set

goals for improving their brain health

on page 3.

Check back at the end of the unit to

see if the students are making

improvements.

*Optional Additional Extensions:

o Ask students to record the number of

hours of sleep they get every night, then

graph the results over a two-week

period.

o Periodically redistribute this inventory so

that students can compare their habits

over the course of the program.


Content & Product

This lesson contains content intended for

On-Level and Advanced Learners. The

task is self-reflective and asks students to

process feedback about their habits and

write a plan for improvement.

Possible lesson scaffolds are to allow

students to make pictorial posters to

demonstrate the “what, when, who, and

how” of their goal as written on page 3

of the Brain Scan and/or to have a class

discussion to process the feedback.



Unit 1 Activity 1, “Connect It”: Information Search and Brain Health Scan or Food

and Sleep Brain Inventory, cont.

Option B: Food and Sleep Brain Inventory:

Allow students to complete the Food and Sleep Brain Inventory and rate their own food

and sleep habits. This should be kept in a notebook.

Discuss how students’ choices for food and sleep affect brain performance.

Check back at the end of the unit to see if the students are making better choices.

Important Note: Some students may suffer from eating disorders, have limited access to

food, religious or medical dietary restrictions, or other issues, and may feel uncomfortable

sharing information on their eating habits with others. It is recommended that you assure

them that they can keep this information private.


Content

This lesson contains content intended for

Below-Level Learners. The students will

benefit from the teacher chunking the

handout in sections with some discussion

and “check-ins” in between.

Ask students what the Brainology

program taught them that they can apply

to the reflective questions.



Unit 1 Activity 2, “Check It”: Online Lesson with Formative Assessment

Description: Brainology® Program Unit 1 Formative Assessment

Objective: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the concepts presented in Unit 1.

Timeline: Complete with Brainology® Unit 1 Online Lesson - 30 minutes





See the next page for the ANSWER KEY.






Unit 1 “Check It”: Formative Assessment ANSWER KEY

Brain Basics

(1) Explain 4 things that the brain does (the functions that it performs). Be specific! In other

words, do NOT just say, “think”!

The brain:

Receives and interprets the information from all of your senses–sight, hearing, touch,

smell, and taste.

Is in charge of all your voluntary activity, which includes all the things you do by choice,

such as move or speak.

Lets you talk to others by taking thoughts and feelings and connecting them to words and

sounds.

Lets you throw a ball into a basket or jump rope by calculating exactly where the ball or

the rope will land, without your even knowing that it’s happening.

Is in charge of involuntary movement.

Controls basic functions, like breathing, heartbeat, reflexes, and balance.

(Midbrain) controls body temperature and sleep cycles.

(Forebrain) controls most of our behavior.

Interprets the sense of touch. (Translates our touch sensations and identifies the objects we

touch.)

(Frontal lobe) allows us to make decisions, understand other people’s behavior, make

choices and think about the future.

(Occipital lobe) is where the brain translates visual input.

(Temporal lobe) takes in sound that is received as electrical input and processes it into

language.

(2) Name 3 “brain power foods” that help you think.

Eggs, nuts, and fish (Tuna and pecans were also mentioned specifically)

(3) Describe 3 things the Brainology® program said that you can do to help you concentrate

and learn new information when you study:

Take care of your brain’s physical needs (i.e. get plenty of sleep, and eat healthy foods,

especially, brain power foods; eggs, nuts, and fish).

Turn off distractions that clog your brain channels (vision, hearing, touch, smell and taste).

Stimulation, such as music and television, competes for your attention, making learning a slower,

more difficult process. With no distractions, your brain can focus on what you are trying to learn.

Always try to use all your information channels (senses) to learn any one thing. Suggestions

include: drawing pictures of something you’re reading about, writing out a math problem, and

talking out problems with someone.



Unit 1 Activity 3, “Practice It”: Effective Effort

Description: Brainology® Program Unit 1 Practice Activity

Objective: Students will use meta-cognition to reflect on their process and their level of

effective effort based on the Effective Effort Rubric.

Timeline: Approximately 25-30 minutes


Explain to students that the focus of today will be discussing how to apply effective

effort (i.e., how to go beyond “working hard” to “working smart”).

Introduce the brief discussion topic: “It seems effortless to perform many of our

favorite activities and to learn some of our favorite things: playing games,

remembering basketball stats, playing video games or learning new apps, learning new

dance moves, etc. However, the things that seem easy to us actually are more complex

tasks that require lots of work and effort.” Ask:

o What is your favorite thing to do? (or one of your favorites)

o Recall when you first did the activity. How did you learn to do it? What did you do

to get better? Did you make mistakes before you got it right? Do you think you

learned from mistakes?

Dr. Carol Dweck is a psychologist who is fascinated with why some people are

successful and why some fail. Here is what she discovered after decades of research:

o When people believe they failed because they are not smart or talented, they stop

trying to learn – and continue to fail.

o When people believe that they failed because of not working hard enough, they

work harder and learn – and eventually become successful.

Ask students if they have found this to be true in their own lives. Do they try harder

and practice more if they think that effort and practice will make them successful?

Ask the class: How does a person’s attitude affect his/her success?

o Ask them to complete this

response frame: “I think that a

person’s attitude…”

o Use an interactive strategy to

share responses (think-pair-share;

whip-around; numbered heads

together; random response cards

or craft sticks)

Differentiating Instruction: Rubrics

Content

Option A is for Advanced and On-Level

readers (lexile 860); Option B is for

Below-Level readers (lexile 600). There is

an additional cognitive challenge in the

metacognitive reflection that this lesson

requires. Consider that challenge when you

select your rubric options.



Unit 1 Activity 3, “Practice It”: Effective Effort, cont.

Tell the class: Sometimes we think we tried hard to learn something, but still didn’t

learn it. We give up too soon because we do not know how to apply effective effort to

learn or practice—how to work hard AND work smart.

Pass out Effective Effort Rubric Option A or B. This rubric is a tool for thinking about

how well you tried to learn something. When people say “try harder,” we know it

doesn’t work to just stare at something harder. We need to do something differently!

Look at the column on the left. These are the things we can do to learn:

o Take on challenges (don’t run away when things get tougher)

o Learn from mistakes (and do things differently next time)

o Accept feedback (don’t get upset)

o Practice and use appropriate strategies (give it time)

o Persevere and have focus (don’t try to do two or more things at once)

o Ask questions (ask for help)

o Take risks – do something!

This rubric is a way for you to think about learning something new (like research

essays, Pre-Algebra, Spanish, Tennis, or music). Think about something you tried to

learn recently that you didn’t already know how to do. How much effective effort did

you use? Use this rubric to circle or highlight the boxes that explain pretty well how

you performed.

Turn your rubric over. On the back, write a short paragraph to me, explaining how

much effective effort you put into learning this new thing. Use language from the

rubric in your explanation.

o For example: Perseverance - “When I had my coach there next to me giving me

tips, I kept trying to learn to pitch. But when he paid more attention to the other

pitcher, I gave up and asked to play outfield. I think I was mixed in that category

because I took his feedback well, but gave up.”

Common Core Connections: While the lesson does not specifically provide instruction in

any of the Common Core Literacy or Math Standards, there is meta-cognitive support in

this lesson for students to reflect on their process as learners. When they are learning to

write a research paper, to solve an equation, or to closely read a complex text, what is their

process? Do they have an effective way to apply effort? This lesson helps students connect

effective efforts to successful learning experiences.



Unit 1 Activity 4, “Apply It”: John’s History Test

Description: Brainology® Program Unit 1 Application of new knowledge

Objective: Students will deepen their understanding of the concepts learned in Unit 1 by

applying this knowledge to a unique situation.

Timeline: After completing Unit 1 online lesson – Approximately 25 minutes


Present John’s situation. You may read it to the class, print copies for every student, or

use a document camera to present the situation.

Students can be asked to display their understanding in several ways:

o Role Play: Perform a short skit showing how John can be successful.

o Written response: Write a letter of advice to John telling him what to do.

o Plan of Action: Write out a plan John could follow to do well on his test.

o Create a movie: Use students’ video devices (iPod, iPhone) to create a short video

to give John advice or role play the scenario with before and after.

o Discussion: Elicit group responses and track them on chart paper.

o Create a cartoon strip: Draw a scene in which John makes brain-based choices.

Differentiating Instruction: Apply It

Product

This lesson provides the teacher with an

opportunity to differentiate instruction by

offering students multiple ways to respond

and show what they have learned. Students

can select the method they want to use from

the list above (i.e. movie, action plan,

cartoon, etc).



Unit 1 Additional Activities

Using Your Brain: Take an Active Approach

Objective: Students will use a new learning strategy to learn and remember the lobes of the

brain. This will give the students and teachers a common vocabulary with which to talk

about the brain and its functions.


Tell the students they will practice a new learning strategy that will help them to learn

new information.

Pass out the “Using Your Brain: Take an Active Approach!” handouts.

Read through the first page with the students. Model using mnemonics and memory

tricks to remember information.

Have the students complete “Your Turn: Take an Active Approach!” in pairs or

individually.



Unit 1:




Brainology® Unit 1 Activity 1, “Connect It”: Information Search

INFORMATION SEARCH

Walk around the room and find someone who can answer each question about the brain. Have them write

their initials in the box when they answer.

You MUST get 8 DIFFERENT classmates to answer and initial the questions!

The brain

uses_______% of the

energy from the food

you eat.

Initials:

If you could pinch the

brain, would it feel pain?

Initials:

Name 2 “POWER

FOODS” that keep the

brain healthy.

Initials:

What is the difference

between “voluntary” and

“involuntary”?

Initials:

Name one good way to

help yourself pay

attention.

Initials:

Name 2 ways your brain

can receive information

(Hint: 5 senses).

Initials:

How much does the brain

weigh?

Initials:

How many hours of sleep

do teenagers need each

night?

Initials:



Brainology® Unit 1 Activity 1, “Connect It”: Brain Scan, Option A

Scan Your Brain Health

To learn, grow, and perform well, your brain needs to be physically healthy. Answer the

following questions to get feedback on how healthy your brain habits are right now and

how you can improve them.

For each question below, circle the number next to your answer.

1. Sleep: How many hours of sleep did you get last night?

1) 6 or less

2) 7-8

3) 8 or more

2. Nutrition: How many of the following types of food did you eat today?

Fish or lean meat (fish, chicken, or turkey)

Dairy (eggs, milk, cheese, or yogurt)

Fruits & Vegetables (apples, oranges, broccoli, beans, spinach, etc.)

Nuts & Grains (almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pistachios, cashews, whole wheat pasta,

whole grain bread/cereal, bran muffin)

1) None of these food types

2) One of these food types

3) Two of these food types

4) Three or more of these food types

3. Exercise: What kind of exercise did you do today?

1) None

2) Light (for example, walking, housework)

3) Medium (dancing, skateboarding, baseball, hiking, etc.)

4) Heavy (running, swimming, basketball, soccer, etc.)

4. Exercise: How long did you do the exercise above?

1) Less than 10 minutes

2) 10-19 minutes

3) 20-30 minutes

4) More than 30 minutes




Score Your Brain Health

Add up all the numbers that you circled (1, 2, 3, or 4) and look at the feedback chart below.

If your total

points were: You were in the: This means:

Less than 7 Fixed Mindset Zone

Your overall brain health for this period was in the Fixed

range. This means that your brain does not have all the

support it needs to grow stronger. Sleep, nutrition, and

exercise all help the brain learn. Look at the feedback below

to see how you can keep your brain healthy and move into

the Growth Zone.

7-11 Mixed Mindset Zone

Your overall brain health for this period was in the mixed

range. This means that you are doing some good things for

your brain, but it still does not have all the support it needs

to grow stronger. Sleep, nutrition, and exercise all help the

brain learn. Look at the feedback below to see how you can

keep your brain healthy and move into the Growth Zone.

12 or more Growth Mindset Zone

Your overall brain health for this period was in the growth

range. This means that you are doing lots of good things to

make your brain healthy. Even so, there may be ways that

you can do better. Sleep, nutrition, and exercise all help the

brain learn. Look at the feedback below to see how you can

keep your brain healthy.

What can you do about it?

Take a look at your answers to each of the questions. Where

did you circle a 3 or 4? Those were your healthy brain

growth areas! Where did you circle a 1 or a 2? Those are the

places to work on. Look at the categories below to see how

moving yourself into the Growth Zone can help.

Sleep

The recommended amount of sleep is 8 hours or more for young people. When you

sleep, your brain cleans out the junk, locks in new knowledge, and grows new brain

cells. If you are having trouble sleeping, try using “square breathing” (from

Brainology® Level 2—see your Study Tips Guide).

Nutrition

Good nutrition makes your brain cells work faster and better. Foods that are best for

brain health are natural foods, like eggs, fish and poultry, low-fat dairy, fruits,

vegetables, and whole grains. Try not to eat lots of sugar, fat, and salt such as found

in processed snacks and fast food—they are not healthy for your brain.

Exercise

Exercise gets oxygen flowing to your brain and makes you grow more new brain

cells. Doing aerobic exercise—where your heart rate and breathing go up—for at

least 20 minutes a day is best. This includes activities like dancing, jogging,

swimming, basketball, soccer, or similar sports that get you moving.




What will you do to help your brain stay in the Growth Zone?

I will focus on increasing my:

o Sleep

o Nutrition

o Exercise

How will you do this?

What I will do:

When will I do it?

Who will help me?

How will this help me to grow?



Brainology® Unit 1 Activity 1: Food and Sleep Brain Inventory, Option B

How is YOUR BRAIN Performing Today?

BRAIN FOOD: List ALL of the food that you ate in the last 24 hours.

Yesterday Breakfast/ Morning Snacks

Lunch/ Afternoon Snacks

Dinner/Evening or Late

Night Snacks

Today Breakfast/ Morning Snacks

Lunch/ Afternoon Snacks

Dinner/Evening or Late

Night Snacks

CIRCLE the foods in the list above that are considered BRAIN FOODS.

How many foods are circled? __________

Have you eaten enough BRAIN FOOD for your brain to perform at its best? Yes No

SLEEP: How many hours of sleep did you get last night?

Time you fell asleep last night:

Time you woke up this morning:

Total Hours of sleep last night: _____

Research says that you need 8 to 9 hours of sleep every night to be at your best. Did you

meet this goal?

READINESS TO LEARN: Circle the answer that shows how you feel today.

How awake and alert do you feel today? Not at All Somewhat Very Alert

How energetic do you feel today? Not at All Somewhat Very Energetic

How focused do you feel today? Not at All Somewhat Very Focused

What will I do differently tomorrow? _________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________



Brainology® Unit 1 Activity 2, “Check It”

Check It!

1) Explain, draw or represent 4 things that the brain does (the functions that it performs).

Be specific! In other words, do NOT just say, “think”!

2) Name 3 “brain power foods” that help your brain perform.

1. ______________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________

3) Describe or represent 3 things the Brainology® program said that you can do to help you

concentrate and learn new information when you study:



Brainology® Unit 1 Activity 3, “Practice It”: Effective Effort, Option A

Effective Effort Rubric

In each row, circle the one statement that describes you the best. Then pick one or two areas where you will work on moving into a growth mindset.

Fixed Mixed Growth

Taking on

Challenges

You don’t really take on challenges on your own. You feel that challenges are to be avoided. You prefer easy work.

You might take on challenges when you have some previous experience with success in that area.

You look forward to the next challenge and have long range plans for new challenges. If things are easy, you find them boring.

Learning from

Mistakes

You see mistakes as failures, as proof that the task is beyond your reach. You may hide mistakes or lie about them.

You can accept mistakes as temporary setbacks, but you want to forget about them as much as possible. You don’t use your mistakes to learn and improve the next time.

You see mistakes as temporary setbacks—something to be overcome. You think about what you learned from your mistakes and use it to do better at the task.

Accepting

Feedback and Criticism

You feel threatened by feedback and may avoid it all together. Criticism and constructive feedback make you feel like giving up.

You may be motivated by feedback if it is not too critical or threatening. It depends on who is giving the feedback and how difficult the task is.

You look for feedback and criticism on your performance so that you can improve. You apply new strategies as a result of feedback.

Practice and

Applying Strategies

You do not like to practice and avoid it when you can.

You do not have many strategies for accomplishing the learning goals or tasks, or the strategies you’re using are not working.

You practice, but a big setback can make you want to quit. You are more willing to practice things you are already considered “good at.” You are open to being given a strategy to meet a challenge, but you rarely apply your own strategies unless it is something you are already “good at.”

You enjoy practicing and see it as part of the process of getting good at something. You may create your own practice or study plans. You use many strategies, think of some of your own strategies, and ask others about their strategies.

Perseverance

(focus on task)

You have little persistence on learning goals and tasks. You tend to give up at the first sign of difficulty.

You may stick to it and persist if you get support from others. Unless others give you strategies for overcoming obstacles, you usually stop or give up.

You “stick to it” and keep working hard until the task is complete, even when it’s difficult.

Asking Questions

You do not ask questions or do not know which questions to ask, but you can usually say you don’t “get it” if asked.

You might ask questions about a portion of the task that you feel you can do. If you perceive it to be outside of your ability and skills, you probably won’t ask questions.

You ask lots of specific questions of yourself and others. You don’t just take things as they appear—you challenge yourself, the material, the task, and the teacher to make sure that you understand.

Taking Risks You do not take risks, and if something is too hard you turn in blank work or copied work, if anything at all. You would rather not learn something than risk failing at it.

You will take risks if the task is already familiar to you. If not, you will resort to copying or turning in partially completed work. You may be willing to make a mistake to learn, but not if you are doing it in front of others.

You begin tasks confidently and you are willing risk making errors. You’d rather try and fail than never try.



Brainology® Unit 1 Activity 3, “Practice It”: Effective Effort, Option B

Effective Effort Rubric

In each row, circle the one statement that describes you the best. Then pick one or two areas where you will work on moving into a growth mindset.

Fixed Mixed Growth

Taking on

Challenges

You don’t try hard things.

You only do easy work or

take shortcuts.

You might try something

difficult if someone makes

you, but you would not choose it on your own.

You will choose something

hard rather than easy if

you have a choice. If

things are easy, you find them boring.

Learning

from

Mistakes

You want to forget about

mistakes as much as

possible. You may hide

mistakes and find excuses for them.

You try to avoid making a

mistake a second time.

You don’t like to think about them.

You see mistakes as a

chance to learn. You think

about what you can do differently next time.

Accepting

Feedback and

Criticism

You are so upset by

feedback and criticism

that you feel like giving up.

Feedback and criticism

make you a little

embarrassed and/or

bummed out. You may

want to stop trying.

You feel OK about

feedback and criticism

because you know that

you can do better next

time.

Practice You do not like to practice

or work hard. You do not

have many strategies for

learning.

You only work as hard as

you have to. You will

practice things you are

already “good at.”

You enjoy practicing and

you work hard at new

things. You may create

your own study plans.

Persistence You give up as soon as

something is hard.

You may stick to it and

keep trying if you get help

from others. If something

is too hard, you might not try very much.

You “stick to it” and keep

working hard. If

something is very difficult, you try harder.

Asking

Questions

You do not ask questions

or ask for help if something is hard.

You might ask questions

about something that you

think you can do. If it’s

too hard though, you

might give up.

You ask lots of questions

of yourself and others.

You do whatever it takes

to make sure that you

understand.

Taking Risks If something is too hard

you turn in blank work or

copied work, if anything

at all. You would rather

not learn something than fail at it.

You may be willing to try

something hard, but not if

you are doing it in front of

others.

You are willing to risk

making mistakes. You’d

rather try and fail than

never try.



Brainology® Unit 1 Activity 4, “Apply It”: Johns History Test

John’s History Test

John is a student at Washington. His favorite class is Physical Education because he loves to be

active.

Since John likes to stay active, he enjoys playing sports after school. On Tuesdays and

Wednesdays, he has to make dinner for himself and his little sister because his mom works late.

John also likes gaming on the internet and finding and downloading interesting new music. He

usually stays on the computer way after everyone else is asleep.

John usually doesn’t have time for breakfast because he wakes up late. He often finds himself

doing his homework on the way to school.

John has a big history test on Friday. Today is Monday, and John’s teacher has given him plenty

of notice for the test.

John thinks about and lists what he has done in history class recently:

o Read his text book chapters

o Took notes during class

o Completed homework assignments

John is disappointed with his grade on his last history test and would like to do better this time.

Congratulations!

You have just completed Unit 1 of Brainology® and are now an

“Apprentice.” Dr. Cerebrus has taught you well. You know the Brain Basics

and are qualified to give advice. John needs your help!



Brainology® Unit 1 Additional Activity: Using Your Brain: Take an Active Approach!

USING YOUR BRAIN: Take an Active Approach!

Draw a Clockwise Arrow from the Frontal Lobe to the Temporal Lobe. Moving your hand to

actually draw the arrow will help you to remember. This the order in which you will remember

the lobes.

Create an acronym to memorize the 4 lobes of the Cerebral Cortex: Make it something silly and

meaningful to you so you will remember it. For example:

F inally

P eter’s

O n

T ime !

Function How I will remember it Visual/Color

Frontal

Lobe

emotions, reasoning,

planning, movement,

creativity, judgment,

problem solving, and

planning

FRONT of the brain

If you are at the FRONT, you are in

control and have to be able to plan,

reason and solve problems.

I will make this RED

because RED is a power

color. It means “in charge”

to me.

Parietal

Lobe

relating to the senses

such as touch, pain,

taste, pressure, and

temperature

“The word “parietal” reminds me of

a scary word like pariah or pirahna.

Those words remind me of feeling

pain.

I will draw a hand grasping

the entire parietal lobe to

remind me of “touch.”

Occipital

Lobe

vision, recognizing

objects

My favorite stuffed animal growing

up was “Ollie the Octopus.” He wore

big thick black glasses!

I will make the occipital

lobe into a face wearing

glasses to remind me of

“vision.”

Temporal

Lobe

hearing, memory, sound

meaning, and language

The word “oral” is in Temporal. If I

give an oral report it means I have to

speak out loud. It is also positioned

right behind the ear.

I will draw a bunch of

music notes within the

temporal lobe in order to

remind me of its role.



YOUR TURN: Take an Active Approach!

Name:

1) Draw a clockwise arrow on the diagram beginning with the Frontal Lobe.

2) Create your own Mnemonic:

F

P

O

T

3) Make Silly Connections and Visuals that will help you memorize the function and the

position of the lobes of the cerebral cortex

Function How I will remember it Visual/Color

Frontal

Lobe

emotions, reasoning,

planning, movement,

creativity, judgment,

problem solving, and

planning

Parietal

Lobe

relating to the senses

such as touch, pain, taste,

pressure, and temperature

Occipital

Lobe

vision, recognizing

objects

Temporal

Lobe

hearing, memory, sound

meaning, and language

___________________________________________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

Unit 2: Brain Behavior


UNIT 2: BRAIN BEHAVIOR


FOR TEACHERS



www.brainology.us






Table of Contents:


A. Unit 2: An Overview ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90

B. Online Lesson Summary ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91

C. Building, Reinforcing and Maintaining the Growth Mindset .. . . . . . . . . . . . 92

II. Lesson Plans

A. Activity 1: Overcoming Challenges .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94-95

B. Activity 2: Online Lesson and Formative Assessment .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96-98

C. Activity 3: Emotions & Learning Handout and ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

a. Option A: Stress Symptoms Scan or .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

b. Option B: Personal Stress Symptoms Inventory .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99

D. Activity 4: Alicia’s Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100


a. Fill in the Blank ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

b. Stress Event Scan .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

c. Synaptic Similes .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101-102

d. Neuron Building .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103


A. Activity 1: Overcoming Challenges .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

B. Activity 2: Online Lesson and Formative Assessment .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

C. Activity 3: Emotions & Learning Handout .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

a. Option A: Stress Symptoms Scan ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109-110

b. Option B: Personal Stress Symptoms Inventory .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

D. Activity 4: Alicia’s Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112


a. Fill in the Blank ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

b. Stress Event Scan .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114-115

c. Synaptic Similes .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116-117

d. Neuron Building Reflection .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118-119



UNIT 2: AN OVERVIEW

Unit Goal Students learn that the brain functions by sending chemical messages

through a network of nerve cells, and that these cells are responsible for

thought. This insight provides a foundation for understanding how

learning changes the brain—the growth mindset. They also learn that

emotions influence the brain and are taught strategies for managing their

negative emotions and enhancing the positive ones.

Activities

Key Concepts Thinking and feeling are physical processes in the neural network of the

brain. Students whose learning and performance are hampered by test

anxiety and other negative emotions can learn to manage their anxiety

with a little knowledge about how the brain works.


Bronson, Po. (2007). "How Not to Talk to Your Kids: The Inverse Power of

Praise". New York Magazine. http://nymag.com/news/features/27840/

Activity # Activity Lesson

Plan Handout

2-1

“Connect It” – Overcoming Challenges

pp. 94-95 p. 106

2-2


Online Brainology Unit 2


pp. 96-98 p. 107

2-3

“Practice It” – Complete two:

o Option A: Stress Symptoms Scan or

o Option B: Personal Stress Symptoms Inventory and

Emotions & Learning Handout

p. 99 pp. 108-111

2-4

“Apply It” – Alicia’s Presentation

p. 100 p. 112



UNIT 2: BRAIN BEHAVIOR

What makes students want to learn?

When students are focused on learning as a goal, they are more likely to stick with difficult

things, to seek help when they need it, and to work hard even when they don’t have to. However,

because many students are worried about performing poorly in the very areas where they most

need to learn, they may be too afraid of “looking dumb” to risk trying to learn. Anxiety is often a

product of a fixed mindset, in which every performance is high-stakes. We can help to focus

students on a learning goal by letting them know that learning usually involves making mistakes,

showing one’s lack of skill and not doing as well as others who are more expert. Students often

feel that only top students are successful and admired by teachers. Focusing on students’ growth

and progress, rather than on their performance relative to others, can decrease their fear of

“looking dumb.” Remind students that everyone blunders when they are learning something. Let

your students know that mistakes are not only okay; they can be useful feedback in the learning

process. Praise students’ for their effort and progress, and don’t overemphasize perfect

performance.


The brain is made up of billions of nerve cells, called neurons, in a network with

trillions of connections.

Neurons communicate with each other through these connections, using chemicals

called neurotransmitters.

The branching parts, called dendrites, receive messages, and the long part, called the

axon, transmits a signal through the neuron.

Thinking is influenced by the emotions, especially anxiety.

When facing any type of threat, the brain sets off a fight-or-flight response--physical

signs of anxiety that interfere with thinking.

Many students have performance anxiety—stress related to taking tests, giving

presentations, or other performance-oriented situations—that can interfere with

performance even when they know the material.

A student can lower anxiety by being prepared, thinking positively, and practicing

regular breathing.





In class, encourage students to use new strategies and stay persistent despite difficulties by

praising their process, rather than their ability. Taking on challenges is the only way to learn, and

making mistakes is an important part of learning. Reminding students that learning a new skill is

usually difficult at first will help them persist until they achieve mastery. Knowing that other

people struggle as well helps students overcome their frustration with difficult new applications.

For example,

If you could already do it perfectly, you wouldn’t be learning anything.

I don’t know anyone who hasn’t struggled with this kind of word problem, until they learn how

to do it.

Your skills have really improved in this subject!

You can use this mistake. Think about why it didn’t work, and learn from it.

Don’t worry about getting it wrong—I just want you to understand how to do it.

You know, if you learn how to do this type of problem it will really help you with ________

(describe how a new skill might be applicable in a student’s life; for example,

understanding percentages and fractions will help you to keep track of sports statistics).

Remember the feeling you felt when you accomplished something hard after a lot of effort.

Strive to achieve that feeling again.

Concrete Strategies: Students often have performance anxiety, particularly when it comes to test-taking, giving

presentations, or discussing their questions and problems with the class. This anxiety can interfere

with learning and performance much more often than we may recognize. To deal with anxiety

about performance, address stress in class directly to show that it is perfectly normal to feel

anxious when being tested or performing new skills. Suggest that your students try the following

strategies to manage anxiety:

Change thoughts and preconceptions about test taking from negative to positive—instead

of saying, “I’m going to fail,” say, “I’m going to do my best.” Set positive and realistic

goals.

Focus on the PROCESS, not the OUTCOME. A learning or test-taking strategy (process)

that includes studying as well as ways to relax before and during the test, if students begin

to panic, will ultimately yield a better test score (outcome) without placing emphasis on

the score alone.

Square breathing can really help students if they start to panic during a test, or at any other

time they feel overcome with anxiety. Use a moment of square breathing to relax your

mind during a test—taking time out can help you finish what you need to do and feel good

about it, too.



Unit 2:

Lesson Plans



Unit 2 Activity 1, “Connect It”: Overcoming Challenges

Description: Brainology Program Unit 2 Anticipatory Activity

Objective: Students will make connections between their behavior, the lives of famous and

successful people, and the content of Brainology Level 2: Brain Behavior.



Explain to students that the focus today will be overcoming challenges; they will be

learning in Unit 2 of Brainology more information about how the brain works and how

emotion plays a role in thinking.

Discussion Topic: Think about some of the most famous people who are very

successful at what they do. Let’s brainstorm some famous professionals: (take 2 or 3

for each category and move on)

o Who are some famous business people?

o Who are some famous mathematicians?

o Who are some famous scientists?

o Who are some famous musicians?

o Who are some famous athletes?

Tell the class: Many famous and successful people did not seem headed for greatness in

their early lives. Michael Jordan, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, did

not make his high school basketball team (he went home, locked himself in his room,

and cried). Yet he went on to achieve great things in basketball and in his life. People

may face prejudice – low expectations and negative judgments by others based on their

identity – such as “girls can’t do math well.”

Differentiating Instruction: Connect It

Process

Ask students to look on

www.SchoolTube.com to find videos that

are a great example of overcoming

challenges. Preview the videos and ask

several students to present their video to the

class, briefly connecting it to overcoming a

challenge.

This video featuring Michael Jordan is an

example of what students might suggest:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HkGm

RShkjI



Unit 2 Activity 1, “Connect It”: Overcoming Challenges, cont.

Pass out the handout and look at the pictures with the students. Tell them to look for

names and faces they recognize and read the details about their struggles and

challenges.

o Mae Jemison: first African American woman in space. Attended Stanford

University and majored in engineering at 16 years old. Has several doctorates and

honorary doctorates.

o Lionel Messi: Football player for Barcelona and widely known as the best in the

world.

o Albert Einstein: famous mathematician who contributed to the invention of the

atom bomb and the famous theory of relativity.

o Thomas Edison: invented the light bulb, the phonograph and the motion picture

camera.

o Helen Keller: an author, influential political activist, and an actress.

o Walt Disney: made over 50 films, hosted a TV show, envisioned and built

Disneyland.

o Oprah Winfrey: a film actress, TV talk show host, public speaker, writer, business

woman, and holder of honorary doctorates.

Ask the following questions to encourage a thoughtful discussion:

o What obstacles do you think these people experienced early in their lives?

o Do you think that others may have told them they couldn’t succeed?

o Do you think that sometimes doubted themselves?

o What do you think they did to overcome those challenges and achieve their goals?

Have the students complete the handout by writing their responses to the reflection

questions.


Process

The discussion questions here might be

delivered in a Think-Pair-Share setting. The

teacher can provide 45 seconds of think time

and a brief partner discussion before opening

up each question to the whole group.



Unit 2 Activity 2, “Check It”: Formative Assessment

Description: Brainology Program Unit 2 Formative Assessment


Timeline: Complete with Brainology Unit 2 Online Lesson - 30 minutes





An Answer Key is provided.






Unit 2 Activity 2, “Check It”: Formative Assessment ANSWER KEY

(2) Explain, draw or represent what is happening in your brain when you think.

An electrical pulse goes down the axon of the neuron, and when it reaches the end, it makes the

neuron release chemicals into the synapse–the space between it and the next neuron. These

chemicals are messenger chemicals. They travel through the space between the neurons, and

when they reach the other cell they fit into it like tiny keys in a lock, turning on the message.

Most thoughts are the result of hundreds or thousands of neurons firing at once.

(3) Explain, draw or represent the brain’s “fight or flight” response.

When you feel angry, anxious or afraid, your brain causes your body to release chemicals into

your bloodstream that make your heart beat faster, your skin sweat, and your breathing speed up.

(1) Label the parts of the Neuron!



Unit 2 Activity 2, “Check It”: Formative Assessment ANSWER KEY continued

(4) Explain, draw, or represent 3 things that the Brainology® program said that you can do

to help yourself feel calm when you feel nervous before taking a test.

Replace negative thoughts with positive ones

Think about stress-inducing situations in a different way. Write down all the thoughts that

worry you, and then write down more positive thoughts to replace each of them. Whenever

you have a negative thought, practice saying the positive thought instead. Replace, “What

if I fail?” with “I’m going to give it my best shot.”

Develop a strategy that will help you accomplish your goal and focus on executing your

strategy.

Focus your mind on what you need to do, not on the outcome. Think about what you need

to do instead of what might go wrong. Developing and executing a strategy will decrease

your anxious feelings and allow you to concentrate.

Use a breathing technique to physically calm yourself

You can also do “square breathing” to help calm your body. Breathe in slowly, counting

slowly one to five. Hold your breath for five more counts. Then, slowly breathe out to the

count of five. Wait a count of five before you breathe in again. Repeat this process about

ten times and it should help calm you down.



Unit 2 Activity 3, “Practice It”: Stress Symptoms Brain Scan or Stress Symptom

Inventory and Emotions & Learning Handout

Description: This activity is a self-assessment. There are two options provided. Please

choose the assessment that is most appropriate for your learners.

Objective: Students will increase metacognition by completing a self-assessment of their

stress symptoms. They will use the Brain Scan to target an area in which to improve

throughout the unit. Students will then learn about four strategies for controlling their

emotions for optimal brain development.



Allow students to complete Stress Symptoms Brain Scan OR Personal Stress

Symptoms Inventory and rate their own brain habits. This should be kept in a notebook.

If using Option A, students will score their stress symptoms on page 2, and use the

feedback to set goals for improving their stress management.

Pass out the Emotions & Learning handout. Talk with students about the fact that “fight

or flight” responses to stress are normal. Everyone experiences them to some degree

and we all have slightly different physical responses (sweating, “butterflies” in the

stomach, fidgeting, etc.). Review these strategies from the online program with the class.

o Square-Breathing: The purpose is to calm oneself, become “present,” and to get oxygen into the

blood. Breathe in for a count of 5, hold, breathe out for a count of 5, hold, repeat.

o Positive Self-Talk: Re-frame the negative, fixed-minded, and unkind things we say to ourselves

into language that is process oriented, positive, and solution-focused.

o Chunking: Break down big problems into smaller chunks. Smaller “bites” are more manageable.

Take a big issue and think about it one piece at a time.

o Visualization: Picture yourself being successful – What does it look like? What does it sound

like? What will you do? Visualization helps your brain experience the event as something you

already did and succeeded at. Every time you do this you will be less nervous later!

Check back at the end of the unit to see if

the students are making improvements.


Content & Product Option A contains content intended for On-

Level and Advanced Learners. The task is

self-reflective and asks students to process

feedback about their habits and write a plan

for improvement. Option B is for Below-

Level Learners. It includes a more hands-on

approach to the reflection. Another scaffold or

differentiation option is to allow some

students to make posters to demonstrate the

strategies they will use to manage stress, as

written on page 2 of the Brain Scan.



Unit 2 Activity 4, “Apply It”: Alicia’s Presentation

Description: Brainology Program Unit 2 Application of new knowledge


applying this knowledge to a unique situation.



Present Alicia’s situation. You may read it to the class, print copies for every student,

or use a document camera to present the situation.

Students can be asked to display their understanding in several ways:

o Role Play: Perform a short skit showing how Alicia can be successful.

o Written response: Write a letter of advice to Alicia telling her what to do.

o Plan of Action: Write out a plan Alicia could follow to do well on her performance.

o Create a cartoon strip: Draw a scene in which Alicia makes good brain-based

choices.

o Create a movie: Use students’ video devices (iPod, iPhone) to create a short video to

give Alicia advice or role play the scenario, including “before” and “after” behavior

outcomes.

o Discussion: Elicit group suggestions and track them on chart paper.

Differentiating Instruction: Apply It

Product

This lesson provides the teacher with an

opportunity to differentiate instruction by

offering students multiple ways to respond

and show what they have learned. Students

can select the method they want to use from

the list above (i.e. movie, action plan,

cartoon, etc.).




Fill in the Blank

Objective: Students will use new knowledge from the online lessons to complete a fill-in-the-blank

handout and learn new information.


Pass out the Fill-in-the-Blank handout and ask the students to complete it.

This could be done as a warm-up or exit ticket activity.

Stress Event Scan

Objective: Students will identify stressful events in their lives and reflect upon how to cope with the

challenges. (This is a different assessment from the Stress Symptoms Scan of Activity 11—it assesses

situations, rather than personal emotions and behaviors.)


Allow students to complete Stress Events Scan and rate these events. This should be kept in a

notebook.

Students will score their stress events on page 2, and use the feedback to set goals for improving

their coping with stressful situations.

Check back at the end of the unit to see if the students are making improvements.

Synaptic Similes

Objective: Students will use new knowledge from the online lessons to create similes or metaphors for

new vocabulary and reinforce what they’ve learned. The purpose of learning the vocabulary is to have a

common language when discussing how intelligence can be improved through effort. For example, “You

are working hard to grow new dendrites in your brain!”


Show the class the picture of a labeled neuron on a document camera or an overhead. Print copies

for each student to keep in their notebooks. Use choral response to safely practice the

pronunciation of the terms.

Pass out the Information Search sheets.

Discuss/Review each part of the neuron and its function. (See answer key on page 102.) The

students can fill in the definitions as you are discussing the terms, or you can assign it as a

research project or group activity.

Explain to the class that the strategy of creating similes and metaphors helps our brains to learn

something new by attaching the new concept to something that is familiar.

Allow students to create their own metaphors or similes.

Share/post in classroom. Use as examples and reference as a sound study strategy.



Brainology® Unit 2 Additional Activity continued: Synaptic Similes ANSWER KEY

Vocabulary Word Our definitions and notes

Simile or Metaphor

(You may write your own!)

Brain The grey matter in your head that helps

you think, feel, and plan.

It’s like a computer CPU (Central

Processing Unit) PLUS the hard

drive. The CPU processes

instructions; the hard drive is the

memory.

Neuron

We have billions of these. We can grow

new ones and strengthen existing ones

with learning and healthy habits. The

amount of effort we put into learning

determines how many neuron

connections we will create in our brain.

Everyone can get smarter.

A neuron is like a muscle in the

body. If I exercise, I can make my

muscles expand and grow. The

amount of effort I put into working

out determines how much stronger

my muscles will grow. Everyone can

get stronger.

Dendrite

We have over 100 trillion of these. This

is what grows on the ends of neurons

(like hairs) they connect to other neurons

to grab information and send it through

the brain. A “smart” person has a dense

brain because they have grown so many

dendrites.

A dendrite is like a shortcut from one

place to another. It is like sending a

text message or an IM. Your

message is quickly sent and connects

to the person (or people) to whom

you are sending the message.

Axon

This is the tube that carries the messages

from neuron to neuron. It connects to the

synaptic buttons which send to the next

set of dendrites. It can be built thicker in

a stronger brain.

The axon is like veins in the body

which carry blood from one place to

another. They have to be healthy

and clear to do their job, just like an

axon.

Synaptic buttons

These are the end of a neuron and send

the chemical messages off to the

dendrites.

The buttons are like a launch pad for

a space ship. They are a necessary

base for sending something from one

place to another.



Neuron Building: Making a Scientific Model

Objective: The students will deepen understanding of the functions of the brain by building a model of a

neuron, reflecting on their creative process, and connecting to prior learning. This lesson addresses the

following Common Core State Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.7.


Collect an assortment of art supplies that might be used for making a model of a brain neuron

(suggestions below)

Show students a model that you have built of a neuron made from found materials. Consider using

at least one material that is different from what is available to the class to encourage students to be

unique.

Discussion: Ask students to help you identify all the parts of YOUR neuron (dendrites, axon, cell

body, nucleus, synaptic buttons). Ask students:

Why they suppose you chose the materials you did for each part

What physical qualities does that art supply have that would make it a good

representation of that neuron part?

Show class the selection of art supplies that they may use.

Direct the class to take 15 minutes to use the materials creatively to build a model of a strong,

healthy brain neuron.

When students are finished ask them to complete the reflection: Option A (Advanced) or Option B

(Basic). Choose one to differentiate for your class.

As students work, provide growth-minded feedback to cultivate a growth mindset:

o What made you choose this material to work with?

o Why did you select those colors to work with?

o I like the thought and planning you are putting in to this task.

o What are you thinking to do next?

o Would you be willing to explain your process to the class?

o Is your product what you originally planned to make? Why? Why not?

o You kept at it and didn’t give up, good job!



Unit 2:




Brainology® Unit 2 Activity 1, “Connect It”: Overcoming Challenges

The people listed here are well known for their success and contributions to society. They share another

common experience though – they all experienced enormous struggles, setbacks, and failures. Read on

to learn more about them. Write reflective responses to the questions below.

Details about their struggles and challenges Reflection

Mae

Jemison

She says of her time at Stanford: “Some

professors would just pretend I wasn't there. I

would ask a question and a professor would

act as if it was… the dumbest question he had

ever heard.”

How were these people

“judged”?

Lionel

Messi

At age 11 he was cut from his team after being

diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency,

which made him smaller in stature than most

kids his age.

Albert

Einstein

He wasn’t able to speak until he was almost 4

years old and his teachers said he would

“never amount to much.” He failed classes in

elementary school.

Thomas

Edison

A teacher told him he was “too stupid to learn

anything” and that he should go into a field

where he “might succeed by virtue of his

pleasant personality.”

Helen

Keller

She was identified as having a learning

disability and did not learn to read or write

until she was 8 years old and to speak when

she was 10.

What if they had “given up”?

Walt

Disney

He was fired from a newspaper for “lacking

imagination” and having “no original ideas.”

At one point, he owed 6 million dollars to the

bank and his business failed.

Oprah

Winfrey

She was demoted from her job as a news

anchor “because she wasn’t fit for television.”

Is there a high pressure situation in your own life when you also overcame a challenge?

In this situation, what did you do to achieve your goals?




Check It!

(2) Explain, draw or represent what is happening in your brain when you think.

(3) Explain, draw or represent the brain’s “fight or flight” response.

(4) Describe or represent 3 things the Brainology® program said that you can do to help

yourself feel calm when you feel nervous before taking a test.

______________

______________

______________

_____________

_____________

(1) Label the parts

of the Neuron!



Brainology® Unit 2 Activity 3, “Practice It”: Emotions & Learning Handout



Brainology® Unit 2 Activity 3, “Practice It”: Stress Symptoms Brain Scan, Option A

Scan Your Stress Symptoms

Stress can make it harder for you to learn, grow your brain, and perform your best. Check all the stress symptoms

you experienced to get feedback on your stress level and how you can manage it.

1. Physical symptoms:

o Trouble sleeping, feeling tired

o Aches & pains (headache, stomachache, etc.)

o Loss of appetite or eating too much

o Jittery/nervous (heart racing, short of breath, shaky)

o Other (please describe):____________________________

____________________________

2. Emotional symptoms:

o Sad, lonely, or depressed

o Angry or frustrated

o Worried, nervous, or anxious

o Embarrassed or ashamed

o Bored or distracted

o Other (please describe): ____________________________

____________________________

Reflect

What do you think may be causing your stress symptoms?

What have you done to cope with your stress symptoms?



Measure Your Stress Symptoms

Count up your checks for both categories and look at the feedback chart below.

If you checked: Your stress symptom level is: This means:

0 None

You are not having any symptoms of stress. This puts

you in the Growth Mindset Zone, where your brain can

focus on learning and you can do your best.

1 Low

You are having some symptoms of stress. Even one

stress symptom could keep you from focusing and

learning at your highest level. It’s hard to be motivated

when you’re sad or tired, or to focus when you feel

nervous or angry.

2-3 Medium

You are having several symptoms of stress. That’s a

sign that your brain may be entering the “fight or

flight” mode. This can keep you from learning your

best and may put you in the Fixed Mindset Zone.

4 or more High

You are having many symptoms of stress. That’s a sign

that your brain is in “fight or flight” mode. This can

keep you from learning your best and put you in the

Fixed Mindset Zone.


These feelings are common—the key is to learn how to

deal with them. You can reduce your physical and

emotional stress by doing thought exercises and

physical relaxation techniques, by seeking support from

others, and by tackling the problems that are making

you stressed using Growth Mindset strategies.




Brainology® Unit 2 Activity 3, “Practice It”: Stress Symptom Inventory, Option B

PERSONAL STRESS SYMPTOM INVENTORY

“Fight or Flight”

Circle the top 5 symptoms that would significantly affect a student’s performance in school.

Put a star next to the top 5 symptoms that YOU experience when you feel stress.

Feel restless/start fidgeting Feel sad/depressed Grind teeth

Feel exhausted/fatigued Begin crying Heart beats faster

Begin sweating Boredom Heartburn

Sleep or go to bed to escape Aggression Muscles tighten up

Withdraw from people Can't concentrate Cramps

Increase caffeine use Can’t sleep Diarrhea

Stomach gets upset Feel Sick Tap fingers/feet

Headache Feel dizzy Lose appetite

Face feels hot, flushed Mouth/throat gets dry Bite nails

Which symptoms are both circled and starred?

Think of the strategies that you learned in Level 2 that you can try when you feel nervous and

finish the quote below:

Next time I feel stressed, I will..............



Brainology® Unit 2 Activity 4, “Apply It”: Alicia’s Presentation

Alicia’s Presentation

Alicia has to give an oral presentation about her research on endangered animals. This is a topic

she is very interested in and she has researched it thoroughly.

The last time Alicia gave her presentation, though, she was also very interested in the topic and

thought she was well prepared. To her surprise, when Alicia stood in front of the classroom, she

froze! Her heart was beating fast, she was shaking, and her throat closed up so she couldn’t even

speak.

Alicia couldn’t understand why, as soon as she stood in front of the class, she couldn’t remember

a thing! She thought she did everything she could to prepare- she read all about endangered

animals, took notes, made drawings, watched videos, and even put her notes on index cards!

What could have happened?

Alicia does not want the same thing to happen this time when she stands in front of the class. She

knows her information really well and is prepared to tell the facts. She took notes, made

drawings, and created index cards, just like she did the first time.

But what can she do to make sure she doesn’t freeze up again?

Congratulations!

You have successfully completed Level 2 of Brainology and you are now an

Adept. Dr. Cerebrus has taught you well. You know about brain behavior and

you are now qualified to give advice. Your new knowledge is ready to be

applied. Alicia needs your help!



Brainology® Unit 2 Additional Activity: Fill in the Blank

Word Bank

neurons trillion connections dendrites

1. The brain is made up of nerve cells called ___________, in a network of over

____________ of connections.

2. Neurons communicate with each other through their __________________, using

chemicals called neurotransmitters.

3. The branching parts, called ____________ receive the message and the long part,

called the axon, transmits a signal through the cell.

New information!

Thinking is affected by emotions – especially anxiety.

When facing any threat – our body releases chemicals that make it hard to think (but

easy to fight!).

There are things YOU can do to counteract these physical responses.

Axon

?

© Fotosearch

© Fotosearch

http://images.google.com/url?q=http://1stnews.org/images/obama-text-vp.jpg&usg=AFQjCNGW9RLF2ax4pIzNOBlICvIpxPtcZg



Brainology® Unit 2 Additional Activity: Stress Events Brain Scan

Stress Event Scan

Stressful situations can make it harder for you to learn, grow your brain, and perform your best. Check all the stress

events you experienced to get feedback on your stress level and how you can manage it.

1. Academic stresses:

o Test coming up or behind on work for class

o No time or good place to study

o Not accepted for a program or team that I wanted

o Other (please describe):

2. Social stresses:

o Fight or argument with someone

o Kids being mean or ignoring me

o No one to help or support me

o Conflicts with teachers or getting in trouble

o Conflicts or problems in my family


Reflect

How do you feel about these events?

What have you done to cope with the challenges?



Score Your Stress Events

Count up your checks for both categories together and look at the feedback chart below.

If you had: Your stress level is: This means:

0 None

You are not having any stressful events right now. This

frees your mind to stay in the Growth Mindset Zone,

where your brain can focus on learning and perform its

best.

1 Low

You are having one stress event in your life. Even one

stress situation can keep you from focusing and learning to

your highest level—especially if it is causing you to feel

unhappy, worried, or angry.

2-3 Medium

You are having several kinds of stress events, and that

may be causing anxiety or other negative feelings. These

can get in the way of learning and put you in the Fixed

Mindset zone.

4 or more High

You are having many stressful events. That may be

causing you to feel anxiety and other negative feelings that

can get in the way of learning and put you in the Fixed

Mindset Zone. You can use Growth Mindset strategies to

overcome the challenges.


These events happen to many people—the key is to learn

how to deal with them. When we are worried, lonely or

have fights with other people, our brains send out

chemicals that can make us feel bad physically and

emotionally. You can use Growth Mindset strategies to

solve the challenges, and thought exercises and physical

relaxation techniques to help you stay in the Growth Zone.




Brainology® Unit 2 Additional Activity: Synaptic Similes

Name _____________________________________

The Neuron

Neurons in the cerebral cortex



Brainology® Unit 2 Additional Activity continued: Synaptic Similes

Name _____________________________________

Vocabulary Word

Function

Simile or Metaphor

Brain

Neuron

Dendrite

Axon

Synaptic buttons



Brainology® Unit 2 Additional Activity: Neuron Building Reflection, Option A

Name: _____________________________________________ Class: ___________________

Neuron Building Reflection

1. Explain the process you used to create your neuron. How did you approach the task? When you got

stuck, what did you do?

2. Explain why you chose to use the material(s) that you did. How are those materials a good

representation of a brain neuron?

3. When you look at your neuron, what does it remind you of from the Brainology program? (This

connection doesn’t have to be about neurons, but it can be.)



Brainology® Unit 2 Additional Activity: Neuron Building Reflection, Option B

Name: _____________________________________________ Class: ___________________

Neuron Building Reflection

Explain the process you used to create your neuron.

First: I did this because…

Next: I did this because…

Lastly: I did this because…

1. Which of the art materials was your favorite one to work with? Why was it?

Use this language frame: “The art material I most enjoyed using was ___because ___.”

2. How would you explain to another student what a brain neuron is? Write a short explanation of your

brain neuron below.

3. When you look at your neuron model, what does it remind you of from the Brainology program?

(This connection doesn’t have to be about neurons, but it can be.)


UNIT 3: BRAIN BUILDING


FOR TEACHERS



www.brainology.us



Unit 3: Brain Building





Table of Contents:

IV. Overview and Goals

A. Unit 3: An Overview ................................ ................................ . 124

B. Online Lesson Summary ................................ ........................... 125

C. Building, Reinforcing and Maintaining the Growth Mindset .... 126

V. Lesson Plans

A. Activity 1: The Two Mindsets Part 1 ................................ ....... 128

B. Activity 2: Online Lesson and Formative Assessment ........ 129-130

C. Activity 3: Mindset Assessment

a. Option A: Scan Your Mindset ................................................................ 131

b. Option B: Review Your Mindset ............................................................ 132

D. Activity 4: Scientific Research Briefs ................................ 133-136


a. What Leads to Success? ................................ ................... 137

VI. Reproducibles and Handouts

A. Activity 1: The Two Mindsets Part 1 ................................ . 140-141

B. Activity 2: Online Lesson and Formative Assessment ............... 142

C. Activity 3: Mindset Scan

a. Option A: Scan Your Mindset ........................................................ 143-145

b. Option B: Review Your Mindset .................................................... 146-147

D. Activity 4: Scientific Research Briefs ................................ 148-150


a. What Leads to Success? ................................ ................... 151



UNIT 3: AN OVERVIEW

Unit Goal Students discover how learning changes the brain through the growth of

connections in neural networks with repeated use—the key to the

growth mindset. Students learn that intelligence can be developed

through mental exercise, and what sorts of activities promote learning.

Activities

Key Concept When you learn something new, you develop new connections between

neurons in the brain, and they grow and get stronger and faster when you

practice. Students have difficulty learning, especially in certain subjects,

because they don’t put in effective effort and practice over time.


Dweck, Carol (2008). "Transforming Students' Motivation to Learn." School Matters,

National Association of Independent Schools.

http://www.nais.org/publications/ismagazinearticle.cfm?ItemNumber=150509

Activity


3-1 “Connect It” – The Two Mindsets Part 1 and

Reflection p. 128 pp. 140-

141

3-2


Online Brainology Unit


pp. 129-

130 p. 142

3-3

“Practice It” – Mindset Scan and Reflection

o Option A: Scan Your Mindset or

o Option B: Review Your Mindset p. 131

p. 132

143-145

146-147

3-4 “Apply It” – Scientific Research Briefs

o Option A: Independent reading or

o Option B: Shared reading

pp. 133-

136

pp. 148-

150



UNIT 3: BRAIN BUILDING

For the Teacher: Hard Work is Hard!

Let’s face it, working hard can be—hard! What makes it worthwhile is the belief that you

can gain something by doing it. As long as students don’t receive a paycheck in school,

learning and developing their ability is their main payoff for hard work! Research shows

that students who believe that effort will make them more successful work more

persistently and do better in school than students who think that success is something that

should come easily. When students have a growth mindset and see their ability as

something they can develop, they are more likely to be willing to work hard and want to

learn. As a teacher, you can reinforce the importance of effort by giving feedback that lets

students know how valuable it is, and by reminding students that when they work hard

they are “working out” their brains.


The brain and intelligence are not fixed; they both change when you learn.

The brain grows more new cells and the cells make new connections when you learn.

You get smarter by exercising your brain, much the same way that you get stronger by

exercising your muscles.

How can you exercise the brain?

o You exercise the brain by exploring new information, learning new concepts,

and practicing skills.

o Practice is the key to learning. Only by practicing something over and over again

can you ensure that you grow new connections in the area of your brain

responsible for learning that thing.

o The more connections you make, the easier it gets to make new ones.

Learning actually causes the brain to grow denser (as shown in studies with lab rats) and

areas of the brain to grow larger and more active (in studies with people).

Different environments can influence brain growth; stimulation and active learning are

the keys.

You are never too old to learn and develop your brain!



How can we strengthen the brain and build intelligence ?

Unintelligence (Learning is occurring; student is becoming smarter) Intelligence

Unit 3: Building, Reinforcing, and Maintaining the Growth Mindset

Providing Student feedback:

If it were easy, you wouldn’t be learning anything.

When the work is hard, that’s how you know you’re building your brain!

Every time you practice, you’re making the connections in your brain stronger.

You’re good at things you like because you put in the effort to learn them.

You just need to put in more time and thought and you’ll get this.

If you work as hard at this as you do at (video games, basketball, etc.) you’ll be doing

great!


Do reps or sets of types of problems over time: Much like when you exercise in the

gym, you can build up your “brain muscles” by practicing a skill repeatedly through

multiple problems or tasks. You also build a mental skill more effectively when you vary

the task enough to make more connections. Finally, allowing some breaks between

practicing a skill conditions your brain, as rest breaks between exercises builds strength.

All of these forms of practice help to build long-lasting connections between neurons.

Isolate key skills and practice these: If you are learning a complicated physical skill,

you can practice small parts of the skill by themselves to make your whole performance

stronger. For example, in learning to dance or to play ball, you practice one move over and

over to perfect it and make it automatic. You can do the same for your mental abilities by

picking one skill that you find difficult by practicing it many times.

A new

Concept

or Skill is

introduced

Students

engage with

(see/ hear/

discuss/

read about)

the new

concept, or

perform the

skill once

Neurons in

the part of

the brain

related to

that concept

or skill are

stimulated

Repeated

practice of

new

concept or

skill;

connection

of new to

existing

knowledge

The

branches of

the neurons

start to

grow and

make new connections

with lots of

other neurons

The

network

of neurons

is more

efficient

and

powerful;

the brain

becomes

denser



Unit 3:

Lesson Plans



Unit 3 Activity 1 “Connect It”: The Two Mindsets Part 1

Description: This activity is an introduction of the two mindsets and reflection.

Objective: Students will gain an understanding of the two mindsets by analyzing a graphic

organizer and then apply this knowledge to their own experiences.



Tell the class, “Today I have something to show you that is a graphic organizer. The

purpose of this graphic organizer is to help us understand an important concept about

people and what makes them successful. Would you like to learn about how to become

successful at something that you want to master?”

Complete the reflection as a model for your students. Show them how you struggled

with something that you had to figure out how to overcome. Model that you did not

have all the answers easily.

Ask students to complete the reflection for something they want to succeed in.

Present the Nigel Holmes graphic on the two Mindsets. Explain that this came from

decades of research where it was discovered that people can choose to respond in one

of two ways whenever they have a challenge (whether that challenge is large or small).

Ask them to think about the reflection they just wrote as the class reviews the two

Mindsets.

Begin with the Fixed Mindset. Review and have students help to read each part to the

class. Next go over the Growth Mindset.

Ask the class to complete the reflection.

Ask students to think about their reflection. Are they approaching their challenge in the

Growth or the Fixed Mindset? Ask them to explain, using language from the graphic

organizer.

Finally ask all students to write a response to this question on the back of their paper:

What is one recent choice you made, that you made in the Fixed Mindset?

What will you do differently next time to make a Growth Mindset choice?






Timeline: At the end of Unit 3– Approximately 30 minutes











Unit 3 “Check It”: Formative Assessment ANSWER KEY

1) What happens to the brain when you learn something new?

Your brain neurons (dendrites) grow and make new and stronger connections with other

cells; your brain grows denser.

2) The study of summer camp rats and couch potato rats showed that:

When a person or animal practices, plays and interacts with information, the brain

grows denser and intelligence is increased.

3) When they studied the brains of cab drivers in London they found that:

The hippocampus of the cabbies was stronger and larger than the hippocampus of

regular people.

4) When they studied adults practicing the sounds of new language they found that:

A PET scan showed that an area of the brain they had never used before became active.

5) You grow new neurons when you are learning a lot of new things.

6) Babies have more connections in their brains than grownups.

7) If you learn too much, you will use up all of your neurons.

8) A good way to make brain connections strong is to practice.

T

F

F

T



Unit 3 Activity 3 “Practice It”: Mindset Assessment: Scan Your Mindset– Option A

Description: Brainology Program Unit 3 Mindset Scan


mindset and targeting an area in which to improve. There are two options provided. Please

choose the one most appropriate for your learners.

Timeline: At the beginning of Unit 3 – Approximately 25 minutes


Explain to the class that this activity will help them give themselves a kind of ‘check-

up’ on strategies, challenges, and mindset for learning. They’ll be able to score

themselves to see where they are now, and how to get into the Growth Zone, through

smart strategies. Explain that they won’t be graded on their answers, so don’t worry

about trying to “look good.”

Allow students to complete the Mindset Scan and rate their own mindset. This should

be kept in a notebook.

Students will score their mindset on page 2, and use the feedback to set goals for

improving their mindset on page 3.



Content & Process This lesson contains content intended for On-Level

and Advanced Learners. The task is self-reflective

and asks students to set growth minded goals.

Some students will benefit from scaffolding in this

lesson. The teacher can show a model of a finished,

thoughtful reflection. Model how to use what is

learned in the program in the goal-setting handout.

The teacher can reflect with the class or in 1:1 mini-

conferences to review why and how a growth

mindset results in greater learning.



Unit 3 Activity 3 “Practice It”: Mindset Assessment: Review Your Mindset—Option B

Description: Brainology Program Unit 3 Mindset Scan


mindset and targeting an area in which to improve. There are two options provided. Please

choose the one most appropriate for your learners.



Explain to the class that today they will be reflecting on an event in their lives when

they were met with a challenge and struggled. The reflection should be about

something they wanted to do well.

Model for them what that event might be using something from your life.

Ask students to briefly write about the event in the box provided.

After they have written, model the boxes below from your experience. Did you (the

teacher) respond in the growth mindset, or the fixed mindset for each of those

categories?

Ask students to do the same for their own experience individually.

Finally, ask students to write to the reflective question on the second page. Here again,

a model from the teacher will greatly increase the quality of responses you receive. In

your model, explain how a growth minded response would have enhanced your

learning and contributed to your development. Do not focus on a desire to have avoided

failure, but rather model the ability to learn constructively from failure.


Content & Process This lesson contains content intended for Below-

Level Learners. The task is self-reflective and asks

students to think about how they could be more

growth-minded.


lesson. The teacher can show a model of a finished,

thoughtful reflection


conferences to review why and how a growth

mindset results in greater learning.



Unit 3 Activity 4, “Apply It”: Scientific Research Briefs - Option A

Description: Brainology Program Unit 3 Application of Learning

Objective: Students will read a research brief on the topic of brain research. Students will

use their brief to answer the essential question. Students will engage in a class discussion

of the material.



First introduce the lesson objectives to the class.

Next, put students in groups of 4 and give each group copies of ONE of the research

briefs. The research briefs range in lexile score and this is an opportunity to

differentiate for your class.

Ask students to read their brief once as a first read (a ‘gist’ read).

Present the essential question: What does this brain research reveal about human

potential? Then pass out the graphic organizer.

Ask students to read the research brief for a second read. This time, they should

underline or highlight possible facts and/or speculations that would inform the essential

question.

Students share their details with their small group and work together to fill in their

graphic organizer.

The last 10 minutes of class is for a class discussion:

o Ask each group to select one

member to share for their

group. That student stands

up.

o Each group has their

representative share their

graphic organizer with the

class.

**Lesson extension: Students make a

poster for sharing/presenting.

Differentiating Instruction Option A

Content & Process

The process in this lesson is intended for On-Level

and Advanced Learners. Research briefs are written

at multiple lexile levels. Teachers can differentiate

by assigning different readings to individual

students or groups/partners. Teachers can model

and deliver some briefs whole-class before

releasing students to work in partners or alone.

Lexile Levels: Babies Brains: 870; Learning

Languages: 890; Clever Cabbies: 1010;

Remarkable Rats: 1070; New Neurons: 1110;

Musical Mastery: 1190



Unit 3 Activity 4, “Apply It”: Scientific Research Briefs - Option B

Description: Brainology Program Unit 3 Application of Learning

Objective: Students will listen to and then read a research brief on the topic of brain

research. Students will use their brief to answer the essential question. Students will

engage in a class discussion of the material.


Instructions for the teacher: Use the research brief, Musical Mastery to model this task for

your class.

Tell the class: A research brief is a short summary of research so that the public can

know important new scientific findings. Today you will read one together, and show

them how to record evidence and how to analyze the evidence.

Do a read-aloud of the text of Musical Mastery

Show the class the model graphic organizer. Explain that the graphic organizer is

designed to help them answer the essential question: What does this research brief

reveal to us about human potential? The essential question will help us to analyze

the evidence presented in the research brief.

Read the Essential Question aloud. Review any vocabulary the students may need help

with (essential, potential, reveal)

Using the provided model graphic organizer, review the first piece of evidence. Ask:

Does this tell us something about human potential? What?

Review the model analysis: Does this analysis explain what the evidence shows us

about human potential? How?

Repeat for the second piece of

evidence and analysis.

Differentiating Instruction Option B

Content & Process

The process in this lesson is intended for Below-

Level Learners. The content of the research briefs

is written at multiple lexile levels. Teachers can

differentiate by assigning different readings to

individual students or groups/partners. Modeling

and explicit directions for scaffolding are included

in this option.

Lexile Levels: Babies Brains: 870; Learning

Languages: 890; Clever Cabbies: 1010;

Remarkable Rats: 1070; New Neurons: 1110;

Musical Mastery: 1190



Unit 3 Activity 4, “Apply It”: Scientific Research Briefs - Option B, cont.

Put students into partners and give each partnership copies of one research brief and a

blank graphic organizer. They are responsible for only one brief. Look at the lexile

levels of the briefs to guide you in differentiating for your class.

Give students 2 minutes to read silently (gist read); then ask them to have one person

read aloud to their partner.

Direct the class back to the Essential Question: What does this brain research reveal

about human potential? Direct them to work in partners to find 2 pieces of evidence

and explain/analyze how that evidence shows us something about human potential. Fill

in their graphic organizer.

When they are complete, ask several students to stand and share their graph organizers

at the white board or document camera.

As a final step, students reflect in the last box of the graphic organizer: Which research

study made the biggest impression on them?

**Lesson extension: Students make a poster for sharing/presenting.



Brainology® Unit 3 Activity 4, “Apply It”: Scientific Research Brief Handout

Name: Teacher Model :

Directions: In the graphic organizer below, explain what your research brief tells us about human potential. Then write two

pieces of evidence that support your claim and explain why. Finally, after hearing from your classmates, write a final response

to the last question.

Essential Question: What does this brain research reveal about human potential?

The research brief, Musical Mastery, reveals that…Anyone could get better at playing an instrument if

they practice. When we learn something, it changes our brains.

Evidence 1:

When people practiced their instruments,

the area of the brain that moves fingers

grew larger.

Explanation 1:

So, if we want to learn to move our fingers

well (accurately and fast), then we can all

learn to do that by practicing.

Evidence 2:

Musicians who listen to a song that they

can play respond by moving their own

fingers.

Explanation 2:

Movement and sound are connected in our

brains and so it is likely that other senses

are also connected (like smell). We can use

those connections to get better at things.

Which research study made the biggest impression on you? Why?

After hearing everyone’s share-out, the one about languages made the biggest impression

on me. I want to learn a few languages but it is hard. I guess that it’s just “fuzzy” right

now and if I keep at it I can improve and learn by growing that part of my brain.




What Leads to Success?

Objective: Students will use existing knowledge to review the growth of neurons, and

explain how our emotions and attitudes can affect our learning.


Explain that the class will be using the information they learned in Unit 3 to respond to

the questioning and sentence frames in this activity.

Briefly introduce the information about Dweck’s research on successful people, as

follows: Dr. Carol Dweck is a psychologist who is fascinated with why some people

are successful and why some people fail. Here is what she discovered after decades of

research:

o When people believe they failed because they are not smart, they stop trying to

learn—and continue to fail.

o When people believe the failed because of not working hard enough, they work

harder and learn—and eventually become successful.

Ask students if they have found this to be true in their own lives. Do they try harder

and practice more if they think that effort and practice will make them successful?

Ask students to complete the sentence frames. Share out as a class.

Differentiating Instruction

Process & Product

For Advanced and On-Level Learners,

teachers can differentiate by not using the

handout and holding a class discussion

instead. Students could then individually

write an informational paragraph to the

teacher explaining with evidence how/in what

way this is true in their own experience.



Unit 3:




Brainology® Unit 3 Activity 1, “Connect It”: The Two Mindsets Part 1



Brainology® Unit 3 Activity 1, “Connect It”: The Two Mindsets Part 1 Reflection

Name: ________________________________________ Class: _________________________

1. Write about a challenge you have. It may be a relationship with a friend or family member, a class or

subject, or a sport or art form. What is one area where you are not feeling successful, but you would like

to be successful?

2. Now explain what steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. Have those steps worked? Why? If

they haven’t worked, why do you think they haven’t?



T F

T F

T F

T F


Check It!

5) You grow new neurons when you are learning a lot of new things.

6) Babies have more connections in their brains than grownups.

7) If you learn too much, you will use up all of your neurons.

8) A good way to make brain connections strong is to practice.

1) What happens to the brain when you learn

something new?

2) The study of summer camp rats and

couch potato rats showed that:

3) When they studied the brains of

cab drivers in London they found

that:

4) When they studied adults practicing the sounds of

new language they found that:

True or False?



Brainology® Unit 3 Activity 3, “Practice It”: Mindset Scan: Scan Your Mindset – Option A

Scan Your Mindset

You can use this scan to learn about how you dealt with challenges over the past week, day, or on a single project

and get tips on ways to improve your learning through changing your mindset. For each question below, circle the

number next to your answer.

1. Challenge Seeking: Did you take on any challenging goals?

1) I did not try to do anything hard.

2) I tried to do hard things because I had to or someone made me.

3) I chose to try something really hard when I didn’t have to.

Please give an example:

2. Effort and Practice: How much effort did you put into this?

1) I did not work hard or practice.

2) I worked only as hard as I needed to.

3) I worked hard and did extra practice.


3. Persistence: What did you do when you failed or struggled with something?

1) I gave up on it right away.

2) I kept trying but not as much as before.

3) I tried harder than before.


4. Learning from mistakes and feedback: What did you do when you made a mistake or got

criticized?

1) I tried to forget about it or made an excuse for it.

2) I tried to keep from making the mistake again.

3) I thought about what I could have done differently and tried to improve.


5. Thoughts and feelings: When you had a challenge or setback, how did you feel?

1) I was so upset, worried, or angry that I wanted to give up.

2) I was a little embarrassed or bummed out and felt less motivated.

3) I felt okay because I knew that I could do better next time.





Score Your Mindset

Add up all the numbers that you circled (1, 2, or 3) and look at the feedback chart below.

If your total

points were: You were in the: This means:


You were in the Fixed Mindset Zone this time, and this may have held

you back from doing your best. It’s great that you were able to reflect

honestly and recognize this. You can learn from it and work on using a

growth mindset the next time you have a challenge. Look at the feedback

below to see how you can move into the Growth Zone.


You were in the Mixed Mindset Zone this time—you may have used

some growth mindset thinking, but in other ways you may have held

yourself back. It’s great that you were able to reflect honestly and

recognize this. You can learn from it and work on using a growth mindset

the next time you have a challenge. Look at the feedback below to see

how you can move into the Growth Zone.


You were in the Growth Mindset Zone this time—you used strategies

that will help you grow your brain and get smarter. Look at the feedback

below to see how you showed a Growth Mindset approach and ways that

you can continue to build your Growth Mindset strategies.


Take a look at your answers to each of the questions. Where did you

circle a 3? Those were your Growth Mindset areas! Where did you circle

a 1 or a 2? Those are the places to work on. Look at the categories below

to see how moving yourself into the Growth Zone can help.

Challenges When you take on challenges and stretch outside your comfort zone, you learn more and your brain

gets stronger and smarter. Whether or not you succeeded, you will grow as a result! Take on a goal

that’s a little hard for you next time.

Effort & Practice Practice gives your brain the exercise it needs to be at its best. When you put in a lot of effort and

practice something, it’s like a workout for your brain—it makes you stronger mentally. Like exercise,

it also takes time to build your brain.

Persistence When things get hard, don’t quit—keep at it! That’s the way to grow—when you stick with something

difficult, it builds up the connections in your brain over time. Remember, it doesn’t happen

overnight—but it will happen.

Mistakes Making mistakes happens to everyone. In a Growth Mindset, you see them as an opportunity to grow

and stretch your “brain muscles”—you actually use the mistake to learn and get better. This will help

you have a better result over time.

Thoughts &

Feelings

Thoughts & feelings are an important clue to our mindset—when we feel like we don’t have control or

we are failing, negative feelings can interfere with new learning unless we understand them and deal

with them. Remember that you are in charge of your own learning, and if you want to grow, you will.

When you feel stressed or mad, talk to a friend, use strategies like square breathing and positive self-

talk, and make a plan for success.






o Challenge-seeking

o Effort and practice

o Persistence

o Learning from mistakes

o Growth Mindset thoughts and feelings


What I will do:

When will I do it?

Who will help me?




Brainology® Unit 3 Activity 3, “Practice It”: Mindset Scan: Review Your Mindset - Option B

Name: ___________________________________ Class: _________________

For this activity, think about a time when you failed at something that was important to you. Maybe it was

a “try-out” for a team, a big test, a sports game, a performance, or a project.

Briefly describe the event:

For each of the categories below, check the appropriate box. In the above situation, how did you

respond? Then finish the statement on the right.

In the situation above I used a … Fixed Mindset: Growth Mindset:

I know this because…

Avoided challenges

□

Took on challenges

□

Gave up easily

□

Kept trying

□

Did not want to put in

effort

□

Felt that effort was a

good thing

□

Did not listen to

feedback

□

Learned from criticism

□

Felt threatened by the

success of others □

Found inspiration in

another’s success □



Brainology® Unit 3 Activity 3, “Practice It”: Mindset Scan: Review Your Mindset - Option B

Reflection Question:

In the situation you described on the previous page, what could you have done differently to get a better

outcome? Think about the growth mindset choice




Here are some different research studies that all showed how learning changes the brain.

Babies Brains: Newborn babies have plenty of neurons (over 100 billion), but the cells

have very few connections between them. Because they are learning so much in their first

few years, babies develop many new connections between their brain cells. This

development of connections (or synapses) is called “plasticity.” Brain plasticity is the

process that allows people to continue learning into adulthood and throughout their lives.

By the time you become an adult you will have a trillion or more of these connections! As

babies, our brains develop connected pathways needed to respond to new experiences.

One instance of this is learning to speak. No baby is born knowing how to speak a

language. Our brains, however, are "wired" to respond to the sound of speech. When

babies hear people speaking, their neurons receive stimulation. As babies hear more and

more speech, their synapses become stronger. If they do not hear a lot of speech, the

pathways for speech can be weak. This is sometimes referred to as the concept of "use it or

lose it." It is through exposure and practice that babies develop strong language and

speaking abilities.

Clever Cabbies: In New York, the streets are a user-friendly grid of streets that are often

named by a number (5th avenue comes before 6th avenue, for example). In London, the

streets look like a tangle of Christmas lights that someone forgot to wrap up after the

holidays. What’s more, the streets have names like Piccadilly and Shaftesbury Avenues.

London cabbies have to memorize the locations of many different places, and calculate the

fastest route from one place to another. Researchers measured the hippocampus--the area

of the brain that remembers information about places--in London cabdrivers and compared

them to other people. The London cabbies’ were bigger, and the longer they were on the

job, the bigger this area of the brain became! This shows that learning and practicing this

skill made that area of their brain grow. Final Thought: Researchers also found that animals

that hide their food (like squirrels) have a similarly strong hippocampus. Why do you think

that is?

Musical Mastery: When people play an instrument, they use a special area of the brain to

coordinate the movement of their fingers. Researchers found that when people practiced

playing an instrument (especially string and keyboard players), the area of the brain that

controls the fingers (the motor cortex) grew larger! At the same time, these neurons are

more efficient, meaning that the messages are faster and more accurate. Even more

remarkably, researchers found that when a musician listens to a song that s/he can play,

the musician’s motor cortex responds. So the fingers move to respond to the sounds the

brain hears! This shows that when you learn and practice a new skill, you can build up that

area of the brain in a way that connects various systems in our body (like hearing and

movement). Final Thought: If hearing and movement can be connected, what else could be

connected in our bodies and senses?




Learning Languages: Most people think that learning a second language once you are

an adult is very hard. But researchers had adults use special exercises to practice hearing

different sounds. Using a PET scan to measure the activity in the brain, the researchers

found that when people did the special exercises, areas of their brain that they had never

used before became active. In the early stages of learning (like learning a second

language), neurons fire incompletely, and weakly. It is like looking at a very blurry photo.

With more practice, and effort, the picture becomes clearer over time. When we repeatedly

practice and don’t give up, less effort is needed to activate the neurons. Over time, it

becomes automatic, and the learner feels fluent. This explains why learning a new

language takes a lot of time. Babies take 5 or more years to learn their language, and they

are practicing constantly! This shows that you can retrain your brain and develop new

abilities all through your life.

New Neurons: Scientists used to think that we had a fixed amount of brain cells and that

we could never grow new ones. But in the past decade research has shown that the brain

grows new cells every day! The cells are grown in the hippocampus, an area important in

memory, and they travel to other areas of the brain. They also found that the brain grows

even more new cells when you are learning new information and skills. What’s more, deep

practice over time helps both new and existing neurons become stronger. These stronger,

thicker neural connections are what make people more easily able to access information, be

more accurate, and sometimes faster at thinking or at a skill. At any age you can – and

should – continue to build your brain and expand your mind. So, by learning and practicing,

you actually add brain cells as well as new connections. A healthy, strong neuron can be

directly linked to tens of thousands of other neurons, creating more than a hundred trillion

connections!

Remarkable Rats: Twin rats were raised in two different environments: either in a bare

cage with food and water, or in a cage with lots of toys and exercise equipment to explore.

In the bare cages, the “cage potato rats” just ate and drank and lay around, while in the

enriched environment, the “summer camp rats” were busy exploring and learning,

exercising their brains. In fact, the summer camp rats also got lots of exercise for their

bodies while the cage potato rats did not. It turned out that the summer camp rats

became much smarter than the cage potato rats—they were better at learning new things.

And their brains were heavier too: they had more connections between the neurons in

their brains. This research shows that active mental exercise builds up the brain and

makes it smarter. It even suggests that physical exercise can have a positive effect on

brain growth. Even old rats were able to develop their brains in the enriched environment,

proving that you’re never too old to grow your brain!




Name: _____________________________________________

Directions: In the graphic organizer below, explain what your research brief tells us about human

potential. Then write two pieces of evidence that support your claim and explain why. Finally,

after hearing from your classmates, write a final response to the last question.

Essential Question: What does this brain research reveal about human potential?

The research brief, ________________ reveals that…

Evidence 1 Explanation 1

Evidence 2 Explanation 2

Which research study made the biggest impression on you? Why?



Brainology® Unit 3 Additional Activity: What Leads to Success?

Name: _____________________________________

Dr. Carol Dweck is a psychologist who is fascinated with why some people are successful and why some

fail. Here is what she discovered after decades of research:

When people believe they failed because they are not smart, they stop trying to learn.

When people believe that they failed because of not working hard enough, they work harder and

learn.

How does a person’s attitude affect his/her success?

Fill in the sentences below to show how our new learning about neurons supports Dr. Dweck’s

research findings about successful people!

When I am learning something, my practice and my studying grow _______________________

_________________________________. Dendrites stretch, lengthen, and grow until

_______________________________________. The more I grow dendrites, the more

__________________________________________________________________________.

It can be very hard to learn when _________________________________________________, because

____________________________________________________________________.

If I work hard, _______________________________________________________________.

I think that a person’s attitude…

153

UNIT 4: BRAIN BOOSTERS


FOR TEACHERS



www.brainology.us



Unit 4: Brain Boosters





Table of Contents:


A. Unit 4: An Overview ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

B. Online Lesson Summary ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

C. Building, Reinforcing and Maintaining the Growth Mindset .. . . . . . . . . . 158

II. Lesson Plans

A. Activity 1: The Two Mindsets Part 2 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

B. Activity 2: Online Lesson and Formative Assessment .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161-162

C. Activity 3: Choose one -

a. Option A: BRAIN Study Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163

b. Option B: Learning Strategies Brain Scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164

D. Activity 4: Class Motto .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165-166


a. Student Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

b. Memory Sort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167-168

c. How Do I Study? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

d. End-of-Course Presentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170


A. Activity 1: The Two Mindsets Part 2 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172-173

B. Activity 2: Online Lesson and Formative Assessment .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

C. Activity 3: Choose one -

a. Option A: BRAIN Study Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175-181

b. Option B: Learning Strategies Brain Scan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182-184

D. Activity 4: Class Motto .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185


a. Student Challenges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186-190

b. Memory Sort .................................................................................................................. 191

c. End-of-Course Presentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192-195



UNIT 4: BRAIN BOOSTERS

Unit Goal Extend the concept of the malleable brain to understanding the processes

of memory. Introduce a variety of study strategies to capitalize on the way

the brain works, learns, and remembers in order to deepen and reinforce

the students’ understanding of the growth mindset, and guide the student

to the study skills resources within the program.

Activities

Activity


4-1 “Connect It” – The Two Mindsets: Part 2

p. 160 pp. 172-

173

4-2


Online Brainology Unit 4


pp. 161-

162 p. 174

4-3

“Practice It” – Choose One:

o Option A: Brain Study Plan or

o Option B: Learning Strategies Brain Scan

p. 163

p. 164

175-181

182-184

4-4 “Apply It” – Class Motto pp. 165-

166 p. 185

Key Concepts Memory processes include sensory (immediate) memory, working

memory, and long-term memory. To encode information in long-term

memory, new connections must be built through repeated practice over

time. To expand working memory capacity, students can use strategies

like chunking and mnemonic. Students may experience difficulty

remembering information unless they use appropriate strategies to build

long-term memory, such as repetition, making connections to other

information, and deliberate practice.



What are the most important study skills for a student to know?

By encouraging your students to focus on effort, strategy, and learning, you are laying

the foundations for a constructive approach to learning and supporting a growth

mindset. To help them turn that positive motivation into practical achievement gains,

remind them of the importance of using the right strategies. Many students fail to

understand their role in controlling their own learning. There are a few key skills and

principles that underlie the majority of study strategies, yet are unknown to many

students. Focusing one’s attention, taking an active role in learning, repetition,

deliberate practice, and monitoring one’s own knowledge are among these strategies.


Memory is stored in the new connections that your brain makes between neurons

when you have a new experience.

There are different stages in memory, each lasting different amount of time: sensory

memory, working memory, and long-term memory.

Memory is a process, and if you skip one stage, the memory will not last.

All information enters through sensory memory, which lasts less than a second.

Things you pay attention to go on to working memory, which lasts from seconds to

minutes. This memory can only hold 4-7 separate pieces of information at once.

Information moves from working memory to long-term memory through a process

called encoding. In order for encoding to happen, you must pay attention, attach new

information to existing information that supports it, and repeat the information.

An example of connecting information together to help expand memory is chunking,

where you remember several bits of information together in a pattern. Other

mnemonics (memory strategies) that connect information together in multiple ways

include visual images and acronyms.

Most good study strategies are those that reinforce this memory process, helping your

brain to make many strong connections between neurons and build a strong

communication network of knowledge.

Some examples of good study strategies can be remembered through the acronym

BRAIN:

o Break down information into basic elements

o Repeat, review, practice skills and information to strengthen memory

o Actively practice new information

o Information-seeking through expert sources

o Never give up—stay with the task long enough to let learning and memory take

hold!





By encouraging students to emphasize their learning strategies, you will help them remember that

they can control how much they learn. When we associate the things we want to remember with

the things we already know and find to be important, the move from working to long-term

memory can be more easily made! Suggestions for feedback include:

Remember, nothing gets in unless you shine your “attention spotlight” on it!

Take charge of this, get active!

Think about what you need to do: what strategies can you use?

Question yourself: What do I already know about this subject? What do I need to know?

Am I using the right strategy?

If you don’t understand something, ask!

See if you can explain it to someone else. That’s the best way to learn.


Like a network of neurons, a class lesson is a series of ideas connected together to make

mastering a new skill or concept possible. The following strategies are examples of ways to make

connections between new and old knowledge, and will help to move the new knowledge into

long-term memory:

PEMDAS (Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally) is a mnemonic that helps you remember the

order of mathematical operations you must follow in solving a problem. Have students

create their own mnemonic devices and post them around the classroom for inspiration.

In class, learning the most basic way to complete a task (e.g., to solve a problem, compose

an essay) leads us to figure out how to manage similar problems with more complexity and

more steps. Have students create a graphic organizer to map out tasks, showing the series of

steps needed to complete that task.

Write a problem on a sheet of paper that is solved in several lines. Cut the paper into strips

so that each step is on a separate strip. Have students put the pieces together in small

groups.

Consider things students have strong emotional attachments to and make school connect

with those topics, for example keeping a diagram of the Final Four, or tracking the rate at

which a tropical storm is approaching the city. Making connections with things students are

interested in will help them remember concepts. Link a new concept with a popular song.



Unit 4:

Lesson Plans



Unit 4 Activity 1, “Connect It”: The Two Mindsets Part 2

Description: This anticipatory activity for Unit 4 is a deeper exploration of the Two

Mindsets based on the Nigel Holmes Graphic from Unit 3.

Objective: Students will reflect on different scenarios and discover if they hold fixed or

growth mindsets that are situation dependent.

Timeline: Near the beginning of Unit 4 – Approximately 25 minutes


Explain to the class that today you will reflect more on the two mindsets and how we

can hold both mindsets at the same time. We are not necessarily completely “fixed” or

“growth” in mindset. We make choices constantly – some that are influenced by a

fixed mindset and some that are influenced by a growth mindset.

It boils down to our beliefs about our ability in that area.

Ask students to read each of the scenarios below and respond honestly. There are NO

correct or incorrect answers, only honest responses. Ask them to answer only 1-4.

If you choose to apply points for this activity, make it clear that the score will be based

only on their completeness in answering the questions.

Ask them to put their pencils down when they finish and not to go on.

When class is finished, revisit the Nigel Holmes graphic on the two mindsets. Briefly

review the fixed vs. growth mindsets.

Ask students to take a look at the last question on the back of the paper and to review

their responses to each of the scenarios, thinking about which mindset they see in their

answers. Was there an emphasis on one Mindset? Did it depend on the question? How

could they take a scenario where they answered with a fixed mindset, and turn their

answer it into a growth mindset one?


Process & Product Some students will benefit from scaffolding

in this lesson. The teacher can model an

answer to one of the scenarios (showing a

complete and thoughtful answer) as well as

model the reflection on the back.

The teacher can provide language response

frames for some or all students: “One way I

would react is… I would do that

because…Other people would probably …

because…”






Timeline: Complete with Brainology Unit 4 Online Lesson - 30 minutes











Unit 4 Activity 2, “Check It”: Formative Assessment ANSWER KEY

Brainology® Unit 4 Check It – Brain Boosters

1) There are 3 types of memory. How long does each kind of memory last?

Working memory: a few seconds to a few minutes. Anything that you pay attention to will go

into working memory.

Long-Term memory: days, weeks, months, or years. These are created when new connections

are built between nerve cells.

Sensory memory: Less than 1 second--just as long as the nerve signal takes to fade away.

2) What has to happen before something can get into working memory?

You have to pay attention to something for it to make it into working memory. Before new information

gets into your working memory, it has to go through sensory memory.

3) What has to happen before something can get into long-term memory?

Before something gets into your long-term memory, it has to go to working memory. Things that you

repeat and practice will go into long-term memory. Things that you feel strong emotion about will also go

into long-term memory.

4) Name 5 things you could do to improve your memory and get smarter in school: (NOTE: Variations

and/or combinations on the following answers are possible)

Pay attention - Dr. Cerebrus says, “…turn on the spotlight—attention” or “active learning”

Organize the information - Attach the new information to a network of other information that can

support it (as you did when you practiced chunking). Figure out how it fits with other things you already

know, and think about all of them together.

Repetition – When you repeat something, you help to move it from short-term to long-term memory—

that’s when you can say that you really learned something new.

Make it more interesting – Connect new information to something you’re interested in. (Chris tries to

relate his math problems to basketball stats.)

Find a good strategy – practice aloud, talk through your problems with your friends, rewrite notes or

main ideas in your own words, etc.

Break it down – large problems can often be broken into smaller, easier ones

Information search – look for a person who knows more than you do, or for a website, a magazine, or a

book on the topic.

Create a mnemonic – a memorable phrase, song, rhyme, etc. that can help you connect to the newly-

learned information.



Unit 4 Activity 3, “Practice It”: Option A – BRAIN Study Plan

Description: Brainology Program Unit 4 Study Plan. There are two options provided.

Please choose the assessment that is most appropriate for your learners.

Objective: Students will use the B.R.A.I.N. suggestions in the handout on pp. 176-180 or

come up with their own ideas to create a study plan for an upcoming test or project.



Explain to the class that this activity will help them create a study plan for more

effective learning on an upcoming test or project.

Remind students of the BRAIN mnemonic they learned in the online lesson.

Break it down

Repeat and review

Active learning

Information search

Never give up!

Model how to choose strategies for a task by using the BRAIN mnemonic and the

strategies handout.

Ask students to track their strategy use and write reflections on how well they worked

on the Study Plan Journal page

(27), and check back to

monitor the students’

progress toward their goal.


Content & Process This lesson contains content intended for On-

Level and Advanced Learners. The task is self-

reflective and asks students to create a plan based

on the Brainology BRAIN acronym.


lesson. The teacher can show a model of a finished

Study Plan Journal that shows a student trying

some strategies that work well and a few that

don’t. Model how to say something that didn’t

work and why as well as something that did work

and why.

The teacher can reflect with the class or in 1:1

mini-conferences to review why repeated practice

over time, and utilizing many different senses

results in greater learning.



Unit 4 Activity 3, “Practice It”: Option B – Learning Strategies Brain Scan

Description: Brainology Program Unit 4 Self-Assessments. There are two options

provided. Please choose the assessment that is most appropriate for your learners.


learning strategies. They will use the Brain Scan to target an area in which to improve

throughout the unit.



Explain to the class that this activity will help them give themselves a kind of ‘check-

up’ on strategies, challenges, and mindset for learning. They’ll be able to score

themselves to see where they are now, and how to get into the Growth Zone, through

smart strategies. Explain that they won’t be graded on their answers, so don’t worry

about trying to “look good”.

Allow students to complete the Learning Strategies Brain Scan and rate their own

learning strategies and mindset. This should be kept in a notebook.

Students will score their strategies on page 2 of the student handout, and use the

feedback to set goals for improving their learning on page 3.



Content This lesson contains content intended for Below-

Level Learners.


lesson. The teacher can show a model of a finished

Brain Scan reflection. The teacher can fill one out for

him/herself or for a make-believe teenager to show

what a thoughtful response would look like.

The feedback can be reviewed as a read-aloud and

have students highlight the paragraph in which of the

three learning strategies they want to grow.


conferences to review why repeated practice over

time, and utilizing many different senses results in

greater learning.



Unit 4 Activity 4, “Apply It”: Class Motto

Description: Brainology Program Unit 4 Application of new knowledge

Objective: Students will deepen their understanding of the concepts learned throughout the

Brainology Program by applying this knowledge to the creation of a Class Motto.

Collaboratively creating a Class Motto will help students commit to growth-minded

choices and reinforce their belonging in the learning community.



Explain to students that part of growing our intelligence is to make commitments

(promises to ourselves) to practice good choices and stick to those commitments.

Ask students to think about if they have ever made a promise to themselves.

Have them think silently. Let them know they will be sharing with others. Then

provide them with this sentence frame:

o Once I promised myself that ___________. I did this because _________.

Ask students to share with an elbow partner. Use random response cards or wooden

craft sticks (i.e. Popsicle sticks) to elicit examples from the class.

Explain that “Today, we will write some statements that we will commit to as a class.

Today’s commitments, though, will be to take actions that help us grow, bounce back

from mistakes (be resilient), and take on challenges.”

Ask students to recall previous lessons on the Growth Mindset. Have a discussion to

elicit ways in which students identified themselves as either growth or fixed minded.

(For example: seeking challenges, receiving feedback, responding to corrections, etc.)

Connect that prior experience to today’s objective. Tell the class:

o Today, we will write a motto committing to growth minded choices in the

classroom when we are learning. We can write this motto to say how we will

respond when things get tough. This way we will learn to respond in a growth

mindset more often.

Pass out the Class Motto handout. Student will complete with a partner or small group.



Unit 4 Activity 4, “Apply It”: Class Motto, cont.

Post statements on the wall, board, or bulletin board. Each student can “vote” for a

class statement by putting his/her initials on the statement. Decide how many each

person can vote for. (We recommend no more than 6 statements.)

The teacher can post the most popular statements on the wall (or make a typed

document for the overhead projector/doc camera) and that will help the class make

more growth minded choices all year.

All students can sign the final Class Motto to take ownership and reinforce their

membership in a learning community.

Sample Class Motto from David Reese ES, Elk Grove USD, CA:

I. When we learn something challenging, “We say Yea!”

II. Keep trying, even when it gets hard.

III. If someone is trying to help or correct us, we will listen carefully.

IV. We cheer for each other when we work hard!

V. Remember that everyone has to practice if they want to learn.




Student Challenges


applying new knowledge to a unique situation.


Five different student challenges are provided: Lucy, Ana, Matt, Byron and Tamiya. Each

challenge is followed by an organizer including the BRAIN mnemonic.

Individually or in groups, students will create a plan for the student challenge using

BRAIN strategies learned

throughout the program.

Students may share their

plans with the class.

Memory Sort

Objective: Students will

complete a manipulative sort to

practice the three levels of

memory.


Explain that today students will be practicing the information they learned about the three

levels of memory. Today’s practice will utilize a manipulative (sort).

Place students in partners. Ask students to clear their desks so that they have a work

space.

Give each partnership ONE set of cards to share. (Tip: Be sure the cards are shuffled!)

Direct students to lay out the slips of paper into the three categories on the desk: (1)

Sensory Memory (2) Working Memory (3) Long Term Memory

Give class 3-5 minutes to sort in partners, while teacher monitors the progress, giving

feedback and asking students to make corrections.

Show a completed copy of the sort, or use random response for students to check their

work. Point out the cards that go across all three categories aid in the long-term

memorization of the information. Help students to understand that this is a learning

strategy that they can practice on their own.

Students can continue to practice this sort at a later time for repeated practice.

An Answer Key follows.


Process Some students will benefit from scaffolding in this

lesson. The teacher can model an answer to one of the

scenarios (showing a complete and thoughtful

answer) as well as model the reflection on the back.

The teacher can provide some or all students with

language response frames such as:

One way ___ can ‘break it down’ is ___ because ___.

___ should ‘repeat and review’ by ___ because ___.

So ____ doesn’t give up, s/he should ___ because ___.



Memory Sort ANSWER KEY

Sensory Memory Working Memory Long-Term Memory

It is an echo of what you see,

taste, touch, hear, and smell. This is like a scratch pad in

your brain.

This is like a computer file or

a CD.

This type of memory lasts less

than one second. This type of memory lasts a

few seconds to a few minutes

at most.

This type of memory lasts

days, weeks, months, or years.

Every experience you have

goes into this type of memory. Anything that you pay

attention to goes here. Things you repeat and practice

will go here.

You can move things from

here to the next stage of

memory by paying attention to

them.

You can only hold a few

things in this area at a time. Things that you feel strong

emotion about will go here.



memory by repeating them.

This happens when you grow

new connections between your

brain’s neurons.



How Do I Study?

Objective: Students will make connections between their own experiences with studying

and the content of Brainology Level 4: Brain Boosters.


Explain to students that the focus today will be on how we study and build our skills. In

Brainology Level 4, they learn about how memory works, and about study strategies

that they can use to make it work better.

To study effectively you need to “study smart”--find the right strategy and use time

well. Here are two ways of studying. Each takes 45 minutes.

i. Method 1: Sit and stare at your math book, but don’t open it up. Stare at

it REALLY HARD for 12 minutes. Then open it up and read one

problem. Get frustrated when you don’t understand it in 3 minutes, and

close the book. Turn on the TV for 10 minutes. Spend 20 minutes

looking for your math homework sheet. Give up when you can’t find it.

ii. Method 2: Write down math rules and problems on index cards (15

minutes). Read them a few times (15 minutes). Then find a friend to quiz

you on the problems (5 minutes). Pick the ones you had trouble with and

read them over again (10 minutes).

Students will write an essay to compare and contrast the two methods described.

Provide the following questions to guide them:

o What would be the result of using method 1?

o What would be the result of using method 2?

o Can you think of a time when method 1 would be more effective?

o Can you think of an active learning technique that you could use instead

of method 2?

o Which one sounds more like your own study time?

o How will you avoid using method 1 in the future?



End-of-Course Activity: Brainology® Presentations

Description: Brainology® Program End-of-Course Presentations

Objective: Students showcase what they have learned from the program, teaching the information

to others. (Students will need access to materials depending on the media they choose to use for

delivery of their presentation.)

Timeline: 60 minutes total for lesson – additional 2-3 minutes, per student, for presenting. Project

can be broken into 4 sessions of 25-30 minutes each. Students will also need to spend some

homework time on preparing their visual aid.


o Tell the class that they are going to have the opportunity to showcase what they have

learned from the Brainology program. The students can present to each other, parents,

school staff, other classes, or younger students from another school.

o Each of them will deliver a 2-3 minute presentation on a part of the Brainology program

that was the most significant to them.

o They will have many options for their presentation, using a media that they feel best

communicates what they have learned. Some suggestions are:

A Power Point presentation

A Prezi: www.prezi.com

A Glog: www.glogster.com

A paper poster or overhead film

A song

A letter to someone

A Wordle: www.wordle.net

A Blabber: www.blabberize.com

A Tagxedo: www.tagxedo.com

A video

A play

Note: all of the Web 2.0 suggestions above have free/complimentary student and educator

accounts.

o Ask students to reflect on the Brainology program and use the handout to help them

determine which part of the program they

would like to share/teach to others.

o Use the handouts to customize your

presentation expectations to your class.

o Take some time to assess which of the

above media options you have available

to you and your students. Consider

making a model to show students using

of the media options (one model

provided).


Product Students are encouraged to choose their

topic based on an experience from the

curriculum that impacted them. This

openness of task allows students to

personalize this presentation. The teacher

should encourage students to select the

multi-media option that is most exciting for

them to communicate what they learned.

http://www.glogster.com/

http://www.wordle.net/

http://www.blabberize.com/

http://www.tagxedo.com/



Unit 4:




Brainology® Unit 4 Activity 1, “Connect It”: The Two Mindsets Part 2

Name:__________________________ Class: _____________________

Directions: Pretend that you are in each of the four scenarios below. Explain what you would do, feel,

and/or say.

1. An adult (such as a parent or teacher) gives you feedback about how you performed and how you can

improve (for example, on a test, in a game, at a family event, etc.). What is your reaction?

2. You have a friend who is more skilled at sports than you. You are both on the same team, s/he gets more

playing time, and you feel s/he gets more attention from the coach. How do you react?

3. You made a big mistake on the English essay and wrote to the wrong topic. Your paper came back with

an Incomplete and a zero at the top. What do you do?

4. You are selecting classes to begin High School. You may choose Honors/advanced English, or regular

English. Both qualify you for college. Which do you choose? Why?



Brainology® Unit 4 Activity 1, “Connect It”: The Two Mindsets Part 2 cont.

5. Review your answers to the four (4) questions on the previous page. Which Mindset (growth or fixed) did

you use in those situations? Did it depend on the question? If so, what do you think makes you hold a

fixed mindset in one area and a growth mindset in another?

6. Pick one scenario where you used Fixed Mindset thinking, and explain how you could respond differently

using a Growth Mindset.




Check It!

1) There are 3 types of memory. How long does each kind of memory last?

Sensory Working Long Term

2) What has to happen before something

can get into working memory?

3) What has to happen before something

can get into long-term memory?

4) Explain or draw a visual representation of 5 different things you can do to improve your

memory and get smarter in school:



Unit 4 Activity 3, “Practice It” Option A: Brain Study Plan

BRAIN STUDY PLAN

Name: ________________________________________________

Assignment or Test: ____________________________________Due Date: ___________________

My Goal for this Assignment/Test:__________________________________________________

Instructions: Use the BRAIN suggestions on the following 6 pages or come up with your own ideas to

complete your study plan. Then track your strategies using the Study Plan Journal page.

Active Learning:

Repeat and Review:

Information Search:

Never Give Up:

Break It Down:



HOW CAN I...

BREAK IT DOWN

Highlight the action words (verbs) in a set of directions. Use these words as a guide

to break down the directions into steps.

While reading, use different colors to highlight different types of important

information (for example, highlight important people and places in yellow,

highlight important dates and times in blue, highlight important concepts or ideas

in green, etc.)

Create a checklist of tasks that you need to accomplish. Check off each one as you

complete the task.

Break long term assignments into smaller, more manageable chunks. Plan on

doing a certain piece of the assignment each day.

Plan ahead: Make a schedule of your non-school responsibilities during the week

so you can manage your school responsibilities (homework, study time, etc.).

Create an outline of key points and facts as you read (SQ3R).

Use mnemonics to help you memorize lists and/ or series’ of information.

Chunk related bits of information together to help you remember them.

When studying with index cards, separate cards into chunks of 5-7. Study each

chunk until you memorize them before continuing with the next chunk.

Find a pattern.

Create acronyms, such as BRAIN, to remember information.

Use mnemonic devices, such as PEMDAS, to remember information.



HOW CAN I...

REPEAT AND REVIEW

Rewrite or type your notes.

Turn the facts in your notes into questions and create your own test.

Create your own study guide and complete it.

Make flash card of important information. Quiz yourself or have a partner quiz you.

Sort into piles the information you “know” and the information you “need to

know.” Review the pile of information that you still “need to know.” Repeat until

all of the cards are in the “know” pile.

Rewrite important facts, and say them out loud to yourself or to another person

Sort information into similar chunks (i.e., events, places, names). Study each chunk

separately. Repeat with another chunk of information.

Complete additional questions or problems provided in your textbook or online.

Study a little each day. This way you will be repeating and reviewing information

often enough that it will move into long term memory.

Use different channels to review information.



HOW CAN I...

ACTIVELY LEARN

Use post-its or bookmarks to jot down questions or connections that you make as

you are reading.

Create a cartoon strip or a story to help remember information.

Draw a picture to represent a word or concept.

Arrange information into a mind map or visual web.

Make personal connections to the text.

Create your own problems or questions.

TEACH SOMEONE ELSE THE INFORMATION!

Put the information into your own words.

Discuss the information with someone else.

Role-play the information.

Use the information to create lyrics to a tune you know well.

Create or find visual images.

Make a video about the topic.

Put the main ideas into a song using a tune you know.

Move around while studying (bounce a basketball to a beat while studying facts).

Use a highlighter to help you focus on important facts.

Use index cards to record and sort information.



HOW CAN I...

CONDUCT AN INFORMATION SEARCH

Ask the teacher to explain something in a different way if you do not understand

the first time.

Raise your hand and ask for clarification as SOON AS you don’t understand

something.

Attend extra help sessions.

Ask a classmate to explain a concept.

Know the contact information of at least 3 classmates so you can contact them

with questions about schoolwork.

Ask a parent or older sibling.

Use the internet (there are many tutorials for all subjects online).

Use the reference sections in the textbook (index, glossary).

Look for examples in your textbook to help remember steps to a problem.

Look back in your notes.

Mark or star anything you do not understand so that you can be prepared to ask

specific questions.



HOW CAN I…

NEVER GIVE UP!

Write down negative thoughts and turn them into positive statements.

When taking a test or completing a project, give it all you can at the end. Just

when you think you want to give up, give yourself another push!

Focus on your goal.

Self talk: Tell yourself you CAN! Keep a positive attitude.

Focus on what you will do to handle a challenge instead of worrying what could go

wrong.

Picture your neurons growing new connections as you put forth effort.

When you are having difficulty, try a different strategy. This is the time to

INCREASE your effort!

Use square breathing when you are feeling anxious.

Get at least 8-9 hours of sleep so your brain can be at its best.

Take care of your body by eating brain foods and exercising.

Know yourself. Everyone learns differently. You should never compare your

learning to someone else.

Schedule time to take breaks if you need to.

Use a time management planner to help you get everything you need to get

accomplished.



BRAINOLOGY STUDY PLAN JOURNAL

Date Strategy Used How did it work?

Reflection:

Which of the strategies you tried worked the best for you? Why do you think they worked? Is there anything that you will do differently next time?



Brainology® Unit 4 Activity 3, “Practice It” Option B: Learning Strategies Brain Scan

Scan Your Learning Strategies: Brain Building

To learn, grow, and perform well, you need to use strategies that help the brain develop new connections and get

smarter. You can use this scan to get feedback on your learning strategies and how you can improve them. Check

the steps you took as you were preparing to learn something new.

1. Setting the stage and focusing the spotlight

When you had an assignment, test or project, how did you begin?

o I set a clear and challenging goal for myself.

o I made a plan for how I would do my work.

o I got all the information I needed and focused my mind on the work.

o I got started early and used my time well.

o I made sure I didn’t have any distractions.


2. Reaching out to grow new brain connections

When trying to learn something new, what did you do?

o I broke it down into smaller parts or steps.

o I connected the new information to things I already knew.

o I used different pathways or senses to learn (drew pictures, diagrams or charts, made songs or raps,

or acted something out).

o I repeated new words and facts over to myself to learn them.

o I reviewed my assignment, text, and notes before I started working.


3. What did you do to keep your mood and motivation positive?

o I reminded myself to think positive instead of negative thoughts.

o I pictured growing my brain cells and getting smarter.

o I reminded myself that I can learn from mistakes.

o I chose to be with positive people.

o I practiced calming strategies like square breathing, remembering a happy time, or thinking of a

beautiful place.





Score Your Mindset

Count up all your checks and look at the feedback chart below.

If you

checked: You were in the: This means:


You didn’t use many brain-wise learning strategies this time, and

this may have held you back from doing your best. It’s great that

you were able to reflect honestly and recognize this. Now you can

learn from it—choose a couple of areas to build your growth

mindset learning muscles and plan some strategies. Look at the

feedback below to see areas where you can improve and ideas for

how you can move your learning into the Growth Zone!


You used some good strategies but skipped some others, and this

may have held you back from doing your best. Take a look to see

which steps you may have missed, and choose a couple of areas to

build your growth mindset learning muscles and plan some

strategies. Look at the feedback below to see areas where you can

improve and ideas for how you can move your learning into the

Growth Zone!


Overall, your use of learning strategies was in the growth Zone this

time—you used lots of good strategies that will help you grow your

brain and get smarter. Look at the feedback below to see where you

used growth learning strategies and see ways that you can continue

to build on them to continue getting smarter and better.


Take a look at your answers in the 3 categories. Where did you

check lots of strategies? Those were your Growth Mindset areas!

Where did you check very few? Those are the places to work on.

Look at the categories below to see how moving yourself into the

Growth Zone can help.

Setting the

stage and

focusing the

spotlight

These strategies help you to have a clear focus and plan and be ready to learn. If you skip

them, you may end up being unclear about what you need to do, lack some materials you

need, be distracted, or not have enough time to complete your work. If you skipped any of the

steps, you can add them next time.

Reaching out to

grow new brain

connections

These strategies help you to start growing new brain connections by finding many ways to

connect and “wire in” the new material. If you skip these strategies, you may find it harder to

learn and remember new material, especially after a little time goes by. Next time, use these

strategies to break down and preview the new information, connect it to what you already

know, and engage all your “pathways” (5 senses). If you do those things, you’ll start growing

new connections faster.

Keeping your

mood and

motivation

positive

Negative emotions can harm your learning. These strategies keep your brain in a positive

state and ready for growth. As a result, you feel calmer and more motivated, even when

things are difficult. Use these strategies to focus your mind on “can do” thoughts, seek out

positive people, and calm your mind and body.






o Setting the stage and focusing attention

o Growing new brain connections

o Keeping positive mood and motivation


What I will do:

When will I do it?

Who will help me?




Brainology® Unit 4 Activity 4, “Apply It”: Class Motto

Today, we will write a motto committing to growth-minded choices in the classroom when we are

learning. We can write this motto to say how we will respond when things get tough. This way we learn

to respond in a growth mindset more often. Use the following sentence frames:

o When we feel challenged, we will ____________________ because .

o If something gets in our way, we will __________________ because .

o When it’s time to practice, we will ____________________ because .

o If someone corrects us, we will _____________________ because .

o When others are successful, we will ____________________ because .

o If learning becomes frustrating, we will _________________ because .

o When it is time to learn something new, we will

because .

Step One: Choose two frames (or use your own language if you like) and complete the statements using

growth minded ideas, strategies, and language.

Step Two: Share with your elbow partner. Work with your elbow partner to check your work and theirs

for coherence (does it make sense?). You will be sharing your statements with the class. Make sure that

your partner’s motto statement is something that everyone in the class would understand. Feel free to

change the response frame if you need to.

Use the following sentence frames when discussing with your partner:

o When you say ____ what do you mean?

o When my statement says ___ do you think that works?

o What would it look like if someone ____?

o Can we use a different word for ___?

o Can you explain how that would be growth minded?

Step Three: Edit or revise your statements based on your conversation with your elbow partner. Decide

which and how many statements you want to share with the class to propose as part of a class motto.

Step Four: Present your statements to the class. (Ideally this would be done on a document camera or

overhead projector. Another option is to have students write them on the board or chart paper.)

If others have similar statements, do not say, “They took ours.” Instead use a sentence frame below to

show how statements are similar, build on others, or contradict one another.

o Our motto statement is similar to ___’s in that___.

o Our motto statement is very different from ___’s because.

o What makes our statement a little/very different is ___.

o One way our statement is like ____’s is that ___.

o Our statement is almost exactly like ___’s; we said: ___.

o We said something like ____’s but ours also says ___/but ours leaves out ___.



Brainology® Unit 4 Additional Activity: Student Challenges - Lucy

Active Learning:

Repeat and Review:

Information Search:

Never Give Up:

Break It Down:

Lucy has to learn and memorize the main information in Chapter 15 of her

textbook.



Brainology® Unit 4 Additional Activity: Student Challenges - Ana

Active Learning:

Repeat and Review:

Information Search:

Never Give Up:

Break It Down:

Ana has a History test in 3 days. For the test, she has to remember all of the

major events of the Revolutionary War in order.

A- Erin looked in the glossary of her text book. She found 15 terms,

but 5 of the terms she needs to define are not in the glossary.

B- Erin has 3 days to learn and memorize the terms before the test.



Brainology® Unit 4 Additional Activity: Student Challenges – Matt

Active Learning:

Repeat and Review:

Information Search:

Never Give Up:

Break It Down:

Matt has to learn and remember the parts and functions of the digestive

system of the human body.



Brainology® Unit 4 Additional Activity: Student Challenges - Byron

Active Learning:

Repeat and Review:

Information Search:

Never Give Up:

Break It Down:

Byron is having difficulty understanding how to solve the new word

problems he is learning in math class.



Brainology® Unit 4 Additional Activity: Student Challenges - Tamiya

Brainology Unit 4 Brain Builders: End-of-Course Presentation

Active Learning:

Repeat and Review:

Information Search:

Never Give Up:

Break It Down:

Tamiya’s science teacher assigned her class 20 science terms to define.

They were told there will be a test on these 20 terms on Friday.

C- Erin looked in the glossary of her text book. She found 15 terms,

but 5 of the terms she needs to define are not in the glossary.

D- Erin has 3 days to learn and memorize the terms before the test.



Brainology® Unit 4 Additional Activity: Memory Sort

Directions: Cut out the cards and sort them into three piles on your desk under the headings:

Sensory Memory, Working Memory, and Long-Term Memory

Sensory

Memory

Working

Memory

Long-Term

Memory

It is an echo of what you

see, taste, touch, hear, and

smell.


days, weeks, months, or

years.



memory by repeating them.

Things that you feel strong

emotion about will go here.

This type of memory lasts a

few seconds to a few

minutes at most.

Anything that you pay

attention to goes here.

Every experience you have

goes into this type of

memory.

Write your own!


less than one second.

You can only hold a few

things in this area at a time.

This is like a computer file

or a CD.



memory by paying attention

to them.

Things you repeat and

practice will go here.

This is like a scratch pad in

your brain.

This happens when you grow

new connections between

your brain’s neurons



Your Audience:

Presentation Time:

Requirements:

Assignment:

You will present something that you learned from the Brainology program

that made a difference to you.

You may choose your topic based on any ONE of these reasons:

You would like to share this knowledge, from Brainology, with others.

You think everyone should know this.

The topic from Brainology is something that surprised you.

It is the most important thing you learned from Brainology.

Reciprocal Teaching

Brainology Unit 4 Brain Builders: Practice It”



Presentation Planning Document

What is your main idea

to communicate to

your audience?

What will be your

multimedia

component? (podcast,

PowerPoint, poster, song,

etc.)

What are the most

salient points you

must communicate?

What will “hook” your

audience the most so

that they learn your

information?

Presentation Outline

Opener/Beginning

Body

Closure



Presentation Scoring Guide

Information: Presentation

information is relevant and

shows evidence of learning by

emphasizing important points

in a focused, clear way.

1 2 3 4 5

Score ________

Multimedia Component: Presentation is engaging, helps

make information clear, and

the visual media is

appropriate.

1 2 3 4 5

Score ________

Poise: student presents in a

professional manner, making

eye contact, appropriately

dressed, and speaks clearly..

1 2 3 4 5

Score ________

Audience: presentation is

clearly appropriate for the

intended audience and context. 1 2 3 4 5

Score ________



Model: Glogster Multimedia Visual Aide

Created at www.glogster.com

Unit Assessments


UNIT ASSESSMENTS AND

RE-TEACHING GUIDE





Unit Assessments


Unit Assessments


Unit Assessments and Re-teaching Guide

Table of Contents:

I. Brainology Program Unit Assessments

A. About the Assessments ............................................................................................ 200

B. Scoring the Assessments ......................................................................................... 200

C. Grading the Assessments......................................................................................... 200

D. Feedback for Students ............................................................................................. 200

II. Introductory Unit

A. Assessment ....................................................................................................... 201-202

B. Answer Key ...................................................................................................... 203-204

C. Re-Teaching Guide .................................................................................................. 205

III. Unit 1: Brain Basics

A. Assessment ....................................................................................................... 206-207

B. Answer Key ............................................................................................................. 208


IV. Unit 2: Brain Behavior

A. Assessment ....................................................................................................... 210-211

B. Answer Key ...................................................................................................... 212-213


V. Unit 3: Brain Building

A. Assessment ....................................................................................................... 215-216

B. Answer Key ...................................................................................................... 217-218


VI. Unit 4: Brain Boosters

A. Assessment ....................................................................................................... 220-221

B. Answer Key ............................................................................................................. 222


Unit Assessments


Brainology® Program Unit Assessments

About the Assessments

The Brainology® Unit Assessments are provided for teachers to monitor their students’ learning and

progress with the concepts from the Brainology® program.

At times, items will assess whether or not students understand key concepts about brain growth and

effective learning habits. At other times, students will be asked to apply what they learned to their own

lives. There will also be questions that ask students to apply their knowledge to a new scenario.

The assessments are built to mimic the new SBAC and PARCC questions in order to provide the students

with more practice with these multi-faceted assessment tools. The Brainology® Unit Assessments,

however, are intended to be formative in nature, with students having an opportunity to engage in learning

through participation in the assessments.

Scoring the Assessments

When students provide incorrect answers on this assessment, teachers can learn with which concepts the

students need more help, and how much help is needed.

This is a formative tool, for which incorrect answers will help teachers identify student misconceptions

about the malleability of intelligence, strategies a student doesn’t understand, and the learning habits the

student still needs to develop.

Consider scoring these assessments as works-in-progress. Plan to provide re-teaching to students in the

topics that they still need to learn and understand. See the Re-Teaching Guide for ideas.

Grading the Assessments

Consider using a standards-based grading scale, such as:

M: Mastery of Concepts – 95-100%

P: Progressing in Concepts – 75-94%

NY: Not Yet Progressing in Concepts – 0-74%

If you find it necessary to grade the assessments for points and record the grade in your gradebook, let

your students know that they can improve their grades by learning more. Use the Re-Teaching

Suggestions at the back of each unit for addressing gaps in student learning individually, in small groups,

or whole class.

Feedback for Students

The goal in Brainology® is for students to learn how to meet their full potential by teaching them about

their brains and giving them strategies for being successful. When students make mistakes on the

assessments, it is the perfect opportunity for teachers to provide individualized corrective feedback to

clarify ideas. Review the Growth Mindset Feedback Tool for ideas.

http://www.mindsetworks.com/websitemedia/resources/growth-mindset-feedback-tool.pdf

Unit Assessments


Introductory Unit Assessment Name:_____________________________

1. What is the Brainology® program for? Choose all that apply.

□ Finding out what is going on inside your brain

□ Helping you to be a nicer person

□ Explaining how the brain is important and complex

□ Teaching you about brain orbs

□ Teaching you how the brain grows

2. Why should someone learn about the brain?

□ Because sometimes, it doesn’t seem to work very well

□ Because we should all become scientists

□ Because we might have brain damage

3. What are some common brain function issues that many people deal with? Choose all that

apply.

□ Physical brain pain

□ Concentration

□ How to learn/how to study

□ Brain damage

□ Needing more or less time to learn than school provides

□ Nervousness during testing

□ Learning is too easy

□ Forgetfulness

Unit Assessments


4. Highlight or underline at least three pieces of evidence from this passage that show how

you can make your brain stronger.

5. What is the “truth about smart and dumb” according to the article “You Can Grow Your

Intelligence”? Choose all that apply.

□ Some people can learn math and some people really cannot.

□ People who are very skilled at something probably have practiced it quite a bit.

□ Everyone starts out in life not knowing much, but our brains grow as we learn new

things.

□ When we practice and learn, our brain neurons grow and connect to each other.

□ If people aren’t good at something right away, then they should stop doing it.

How Do We Know That The Brain Can Grow Stronger?

Scientists started thinking the human brain could develop and change when they studied adult animals’ brains. They found that animals who lived in a challenging environment, with other animals and toys to play with, were different from animals who lived alone in bare cages. While the animals who lived alone just ate and slept all the time, the ones who lived with different toys and other animals were always active.

They spent a lot of time figuring out how to use the toys and how to get along with other animals. These animals had more connections between the nerve cells in their brains. The connections were bigger and stronger, too. In fact, their whole brains were about 10% heavier than the brains of the animals who lived alone without toys. The adult animals who were exercising their brains by playing with toys and each other were also “smarter” –they were better at solving problems and learning new things.

Unit Assessments


Introductory Unit Answer Key

1. What is the Brainology® program for? Choose all that apply.

□ Finding out what is going on inside your brain

□ Helping you to be a nicer person

□ Explaining how the brain is important and complex

□ Teaching you about brain orbs

□ Teaching you how the brain grows

2. Why should someone learn about the brain?

□ Because sometimes, it doesn’t seem to work very well

□ Because we should all become scientists

□ Because we might have brain damage

3. What are some common brain function issues that many people deal with? Choose all that apply.

□ Physical brain pain

□ Concentration

□ How to learn/how to study

□ Brain damage

□ Needing more or less time to learn than school provides

□ Nervousness during testing

□ Learning is too easy

□ Forgetfulness

4. Highlight or underline at least three pieces of evidence from this passage that show how you can make

your brain stronger.

How Do We Know That The Brain Can Grow Stronger? Scientists started thinking the human brain could develop and change when they

studied adult animals’ brains. They found that animals who lived in a challenging environment, with other animals and toys to play with, were different from animals who lived alone in bare cages. While the animals who lived alone just

ate and slept all the time, the ones who lived with different toys and other animals were always active. They spent a lot of time figuring out how to use the

toys and how to get along with other animals. These animals had more connections between the nerve cells in their brains. The

connections were bigger and stronger, too. In fact, their whole brains were about 10% heavier than the brains of the animals who lived alone without toys.

The adult animals who were exercising their brains by playing with toys and each other were also “smarter” –they were better at solving problems and

learning new things.

Unit Assessments


5. What is the “truth about smart and dumb” according to the article “You Can Grow Your Intelligence”?

Choose all that apply.

□ Some people can learn math and some people really cannot.

□ People who are very skilled at something probably have practiced it quite a bit.

□ Everyone starts out in life not knowing much, but our brains grow as we learn new things.

□ When we practice and learn, our brain neurons grow and connect to each other.

□ If people aren’t good at something right away, then they should stop doing it.

Unit Assessments


Introductory Unit Re-Teaching Guide

You may choose to re-teach the Brainology® curriculum in a variety of ways. Some options are:

Think-Pair-Share: Allow students to individually reflect and/or write a response to the prompts in

the “Re-Teaching Opportunities” column. Then give students time to discuss their ideas or thinking

with a partner or triad. Finally, open up the conversation to the whole class. Encourage students to

share something their partner said.

Small group-Whole group discussions: In small groups students can discuss the prompts and then

share their thinking with the class. Sharing could be short presentations, posters or slides, or a class

discussion.

Revisit the Brainology Program: Brainology has many on-ramps for re-teaching. The online

program contains the “labs” in each unit and the Brain Book, as well as the e-Journal for reviewing

and reinforcing the concepts (see below for specific locations). Additionally, there are

differentiated lesson options that can be delivered if the students need re-teaching. Choose a lesson

that you didn’t do the first time around. It may be that it resonates better with your students a second

time with the concept in a different format.

Questions Content Location Re-Teaching Opportunities

Questions 1-2 show if

students understand why the

class is learning Brainology®.

Brainology® Online Program,

Intro Unit, in conversations

between Chris and Dahlia.

How would you explain the

Brainology® class to another

student?

Why do you think we are learning

about the brain and how it works?

Question 3 shows if students

understand common, normal

struggles that most teens

experience.


Intro Unit, in the “e-Journal”

located in the left menu under

“My Challenges”.

Do you think young people have

always had struggles learning in

schools? Why or why not?

Can you think of an example of

someone you know, or perhaps a

celebrity or athlete, who has

struggled with to show what they

know?

Questions 4-5 show how

much students understand

from the Intro lesson on “You

Can Grow Your

Intelligence.”

Go! - Intro Unit Guide, Activity 3:

“Practice It”—You Can Grow

Your Intelligence, Option A or B.

Why did we read about the science

of the brain?

Why would we spend this time

exploring how to grow our

intelligence?

Unit Assessments


Unit One Assessment Name:_____________________________

1. What might be some reasons your brain has trouble learning? Choose all that apply.

□ Not enough healthy food choices

□ Not enough sleep

□ Using too many “channels” to pay attention to too many things at once

□ Not using enough “channels” to learn one new thing

□ Worrying about something

□ You just can’t do it

2. Which of these strategies is most difficult for you? In the box, explain why. You may

choose more than one if you like.

□ Taking On Challenges (Difficult Tasks)

□ Learning From Mistakes

□ Accepting Feedback And Criticism

□ Practice And Applying Learning Strategies

□ Not Giving Up

□ Asking Questions and For Help

□ Taking Risks and Trying New Things

3. Which strategies from the previous question would help YOU to learn one thing better?

Explain why.

Unit Assessments


4. In the scenario below, highlight the things Serena should STOP doing.

Serena has a presentation tomorrow in her History class and she must speak on her topic

for 4 minutes. She has her outline of what she wants to talk about and is looking it over

in her room while she is texting Pre-Algebra homework help to her friend. She has music

playing on her laptop and her email account open in case her swim coach sends out

Saturday’s race times soon.

The presentation will be graded on public speaking skills as well as content. She feels

like she knows the material, but needs to memorize the order of her speech. Between texts

and email check-ins she re-reads the outline at least 6 times. When her friend calls to get

more help on Pre-Algebra, she answers the phone, puts the outline in her folder, and puts

the folder on her floor.

5. For the above scenario, make recommendations in the box below for what Serena should

do instead. How could she use more “channels” to make sure she has a great presentation

tomorrow?

Unit Assessments


Unit One Answer Key

1. What might be some reasons your brain has trouble learning? Choose all that apply.

□ Not enough healthy food choices

□ Not enough sleep

□ Using too many “channels” to pay attention to too many things at once

□ Not using enough “channels” to learn one new thing

□ Worrying about something

□ You just can’t do it

2. Which of these strategies is most difficult for you? In the box, explain why. You may choose more than one

if you like.

□ Taking On Challenges (Difficult Tasks)

□ Learning From Mistakes

□ Accepting Feedback And Criticism

□ Practice And Applying Learning Strategies

□ Not Giving Up

□ Asking Questions and For Help

□ Taking Risks and Trying New Things

3. Which strategies from the previous question would help YOU to learn one thing better? Explain why.

4. In the scenario below, highlight the things Serena should STOP doing.

Serena has a presentation tomorrow in her History class and she must speak on her topic for 4 minutes. She has her

outline of what she wants to talk about and is looking it over in her room while she is texting Pre-Algebra homework

help to her friend. She has music playing on her laptop and her email account open in case her swim coach sends out

Saturday’s race times soon.

The presentation will be graded on public speaking skills as well as content. She feels like she knows the material, but

needs to memorize the order of her speech. Between texts and email check-ins she re-reads the outline at least 6 times.

When her friend calls to get more help on Pre-Algebra, she answers the phone, puts the outline in her folder, and puts

the folder on her floor.

5. For the above scenario, make recommendations in the box below for what Serena should do instead. How

could she use more “channels” to make sure she has a great presentation tomorrow?

Answers will vary. Possible responses:

Turn off the phone and music. Turn off the email account. Practice speaking instead of only reading. Stand up and practice standing and talking. Use the mirror to practice public speaking skills. Put the folder in her back pack so she doesn’t forget it the next day.

Answers will vary.

Answers will vary.

Answers will vary.

Unit Assessments


Unit One Re-Teaching Guide


Think-Pair-Share

Small group-Whole group discussions

Revisit the Brainology Program


Question 1 shows to what

extent students recognize

habits that help them to be

successful.

Brainology® Online Program, Unit

1, conversations between Chris

and Dahlia.


Brain Book, “Brain Basics”.

Go! - Unit 1 Guide, Activity 1:

“Connect It” –Information Search

and Option A Brain Scan or

Option B Brain Inventory.


“Apply It”—John’s History Test.

What are some things you can do

to make sure your brain is ready to

learn?

Let’s talk about the food and sleep

choices you made in the past few

days. Are they conducive to

learning? Why or why not?


students can apply the

effective effort rubric to their

experience.


“Practice It”—Effective Effort

lesson Option A or B.

What are some ways you can “try

harder” and use good effort?

If you’re learning something that

is very challenging and you feel

like you just aren’t understanding

it, what are some things you could

try that would be different from

what you’ve tried before?

Questions 4-5 show to what

extent students can transfer

this information to new

contexts.


“Practice It”—Effective Effort

Rubric.

What advice would you give to a

student who had to study for an

upcoming test?

Describe your surroundings and

strategies the last time you studied

for a test. What worked? What can

you improve for next time?

Unit Assessments


Unit Two Assessment Name:_____________________________

Vocabulary

1. What grows on the ends of neurons, like branches, and connects to other neurons to grab

information and send it through the brain?

a. Cell Bodies

b. Dendrites

c. Axons

2. What is the space between neurons where messages are connected to the next neuron?

a. Axon

b. Synapse

c. Brain

3. What is the tube that carries the messages down the neuron?

a. Cell Body

b. Axon

c. Neuron

4. Which strategy would you be most likely to use to “get control” of your brain? Explain

why and how you will use this strategy.

a. Square-breathing

b. Planning a strategy

c. Positive self-talk

d. Chunking

Unit Assessments


5. Choose the re-framed statement that changes this negative thought into a positive one:

“I always have trouble in this class no matter what I do.”

a. I should never take this class again to spare myself the trouble.

b. It is probably time to ask for help because what I am doing is not working.

c. It’s OK, I don’t have to be good at everything.

d. There are just some things I won’t ever be able to do.

6. Hearing an old song on the radio can make you remember your family’s old car, your

favorite shoes from 1st grade, going to the zoo one summer, and getting stung by a bee.

Using language and information from Unit 2, explain how all these thoughts can happen

just from hearing a song on the radio.

7. When many people face a challenge, such as public speaking, taking tough tests, or having

arguments, they experience these physical symptoms: sweating, racing heart, forgetfulness,

blushing, dry mouth, stomach ache/butterflies. Why do people experience these physical

symptoms when they face a challenge?

a. It shows that they are too weak to handle the challenge.

b. The symptoms are normal because everyone feels fight or flight syndrome, which

comes from the brain’s reaction to threats.

c. It helps them see when they should quit and try something easier.

d. These symptoms don’t mean anything.

Unit Assessments


Unit Two Answer Key

Vocabulary

1. What grows on the ends of neurons, like branches, and connects to other neurons to grab information and

send it through the brain?

a. Cell Bodies

b. Dendrites

c. Axons

2. What is the space between neurons where messages are connected to the next neuron?

a. Axon

b. Synapse

c. Brain

3. What is the tube that carries the messages down the neuron?

a. Cell Body

b. Axon

c. Neuron

4. Which strategy would you be most likely to use to “get control” of your brain? Explain why and how you

will use this strategy.

a. Square-breathing

b. Planning a strategy

c. Positive self-talk

d. Chunking

5. Choose the re-framed statement that changes this negative thought into a positive one.

“I always have trouble in this class no matter what I do.”

a) I should never take this class again to spare myself the trouble.

b) It is probably time to ask for help because what I am doing is not working.

c) It’s OK, I don’t have to be good at everything.

d) There are just some things I won’t ever be able to do.

6. Hearing an old song on the radio can make you remember your family’s old car, your favorite shoes from

1st grade, going to the zoo one summer, and getting stung by a bee. Using language and information from

Unit 2, explain how all these thoughts can happen just from hearing a song on the radio.

Answers will vary. See main ideas below.

Your brain neurons are connected so that neurons that deal with different senses can all be connected somehow.

The old song makes you think about being that age, so you think of other things from that time because the neurons are connected

Answers will vary.

Unit Assessments


7. When many people face a challenge, such as public speaking, taking tough tests, or having arguments, they

experience these physical symptoms: sweating, racing heart, forgetfulness, blushing, dry mouth,

stomach ache/butterflies. Why do people experience these physical symptoms when they face a challenge?

□ It shows that they are too weak to handle the challenge.

□ The symptoms are normal because everyone feels fight or flight syndrome, which comes from the

brain’s reaction to threats.

□ It helps them see when they should quit and try something easier.

□ These symptoms don’t mean anything.

Unit Assessments


Unit Two Re-Teaching Guide


Think-Pair-Share




Questions 1-3 show whether

the student understands the

new vocabulary in the

lessons.


2, Level 2 Brain Lab,

Experiments 3 and 4.


Brain Book, “Brain Behavior:

Brain matter”.

Draw a neuron and label the

different parts. You can label the

parts with their scientific name, or

you can label the parts by saying

what they do.

Questions 4-5, and 7 show to

what extent students

understand the connections

between emotions and

learning.


2, conversations between Chris

and Dahlia.



Thinking and Emotions”.


“Practice It” —Emotions &

Learning Handout and Option A

Stress Scan or Option B Stress

Inventory.

If you were giving advice to

someone who had just failed in

something they really wanted to

do well in, what would you say?

What is one strategy for getting

control of your emotions when

you get stressed or worried?


understand how neurons,

learning, and senses are

connected.



News You Can Use”.


“Apply It”—Alicia’s Presentation.

Rayna will perform a new song on

the piano in 7 days at a school

concert. She knows the song, but

is so nervous that she is thinking

about dropping out of the

performance. What advice would

you give Rayna?

What are you passionate about

learning? What do you get excited

about learning? Why? How do

you think excitement helps you

learn something better?

Unit Assessments


Unit Three Assessment Name:_____________________________

1. Highlight or underline at least three of the words and phrases in the research brief below

which show that the London cabbies were learning something challenging.

Clever Cabbies: In New York, the streets are a user-friendly grid of streets that are

often named by a number (5th Avenue comes before 6th Avenue, for example). In

London, the streets look like a tangle of Christmas lights that someone forgot to wrap up

after the holidays. What’s more, the streets have names like Piccadilly and Shaftesbury

Avenues. London cabbies have to memorize the locations of many different places,

and calculate the fastest route from one place to another.

Researchers measured the hippocampus--the area of the brain that remembers

information about places--in London cabdrivers and compared them to other people.

The London cabbies’ hippocampuses were bigger, and the longer they were on the job,

the bigger this area of the brain became! This shows that learning and practicing this

skill made that area of their brain grow.

2. The brain gets _____ as we learn.

a. Heavier

b. Flatter like a newspaper

c. Larger

d. More gray

3. How can you keep new neural connections strong?

a. Practice the concept or skill repeatedly over time

b. Learn something new and different right away.

c. Don’t think about it for a few days to give yourself a break.

4. Why does it seem easier for some people to learn in school than others?

a. Some people are naturally smarter than others.

b. Some people have already had some practice and experience in that area.

c. Some people are not able to learn some school subjects.

5. Which of the following is a characteristic of a growth mindset?

Choose all that apply.

□ Avoiding challenges

□ Using effective effort

□ Being inspired by other people’s success

□ Listening to and using the feedback from others

□ Doing well on tests

Unit Assessments


6. What can you do if you are trying to learn something challenging? Choose all that

apply.

□ Find the easiest way to get it done quickly.

□ Find out what strategies other people use to get good at this challenge.

□ Be persistent, don’t give up, and keep practicing.

□ Use strategies to get control of your brain in a positive way.

□ Make sure you are making good lifestyle choices (sleep, nutrition, attitude).

7. Read the scenario below and help Chris make a decision.

Scenario: Chris is signing up for high school English class and is offered a choice

between an Honors English program and a Standard English program. He wants to be a

professional blogger who writes for a famous sports magazine or a writer who helps

Professional Athletes write their autobiographies. He does really well in Spanish and at

Science and is already taking Honors classes in those subjects. He has always had

trouble in English-Language Arts, but with hard work usually gets B’s on essays. He

knows that the Standard English class will be easier, and he will probably get A’s

without having to work too hard. What should Chris do?

a. Chris should take the Standard English class.

b. Chris should take the Honors English class.

8. Explain why you recommended that choice for Chris in the previous question.

Unit Assessments


Unit Three Answer Key

1. Highlight or underline at least three of the words and phrases in the research brief below which show that

the London cabbies were learning something challenging.

Clever Cabbies: In New York, the streets are a user-friendly grid of streets that are often named by a number

(5th Avenue comes before 6th Avenue, for example). In London, the streets look like a tangle of Christmas lights

that someone forgot to wrap up after the holidays. What’s more, the streets have names like Piccadilly and

Shaftesbury Avenues. London cabbies have to memorize the locations of many different places, and calculate

the fastest route from one place to another.

Researchers measured the hippocampus--the area of the brain that remembers information about places--in

London cabdrivers and compared them to other people. The London cabbies’ hippocampuses were bigger, and

the longer they were on the job, the bigger this area of the brain became! This shows that learning and

practicing this skill made that area of their brain grow.

2. The brain gets _____ as we learn.

a. Heavier

b. Flatter like a newspaper

c. Larger

d. More gray

3. How can you keep new neural connections strong?

a. Practice the concept or skill repeatedly over time

b. Learn something new and different right away.

c. Don’t think about it for a few days to give yourself a break.

4. Why does it seem easier for some people to learn in school than others?

a. Some people are naturally smarter than others.

b. Some people have already had some practice and experience in that area.

c. Some people are not able to learn some school subjects.

5. Which of these is a characteristic of a growth mindset? Choose all that apply.

□ Avoiding challenges

□ Using effective effort

□ Being inspired by other people’s success

□ Listening to and using the feedback from others

□ Doing well on tests

6. What can you do if you are trying to learn something challenging? Choose all that apply.

□ Find the easiest way to get it done quickly.

□ Find out what strategies other people use to get good at this challenge.

□ Be persistent, don’t give up, and keep practicing.

□ Use strategies to get control of your brain in a positive way.

□ Make sure you are making good lifestyle choices (sleep, nutrition, attitude).

7. Chris’s Scenario

a. Chris should take the Standard English class.

b. Chris should take the Honors English class.

Unit Assessments


8. Explain why you recommended that choice for Chris in the previous question.

Answers will vary.

Chris will learn more by taking the honors class. Learning is more important than a “good” grade. He has learned to perform like an Honors student in other courses; he can learn to do it in this situation as well.

Unit Assessments


Unit Three Re-Teaching Guide


Think-Pair-Share




Questions 1-4, and 6 show if

students understand how

challenges and practice grow

intelligence.


Brain Book, Unit 3.


Level 3 Brain Lab, Experiments

5 and 6.


“Apply It”—Scientific Research

Briefs.

Why do you think it’s important to

practice something that you’ve

just learned?

Imagine you watch other kids

riding bikes but you never try

yourself. Do you think you will

learn how to ride? Why or why

not? How is that related to

learning in school?


understand the components of

a growth mindset.

Go! - Unit 3 Guide, Additional

Activity: What Leads to Success?


“Connect It”—The Two Mindsets

Part 1.

How much does a person’s

outlook (attitude) affect their life?

Explain.

Why do you think some people

avoid challenges?


students can apply the growth

mindset to a new context.


“Practice It”—Mindset Scan,

Option A or B.

What is one thing you want to be

able to do well or learn how to do?

(E.g.: Play a sport, learn a

language, etc.) Make a plan using

the Two Mindsets graphic for how

you could approach this challenge.

Unit Assessments


Unit Four Assessment Name:_____________________________

1. When a person tries to memorize a lot of facts the morning of a test, where is that

information stored?

a. Sensory memory

b. Working Memory

c. Long-term memory

2. What is the purpose of the BRAIN acronym?

a. To help us remember the brain foods

b. To help us remember how to use our sensory memory

c. To help us remember how to learn to do something new and/or challenging

3. What are some ways to move information from working memory to long-term memory?

a. Cram for hours the night before a test, performance, or due date

b. Practice and review repetitively over a period of time

c. Make a detailed plan for studying the information

Read the scenario below. Then answer the questions provided.

Estefania decided to take an Early Engineers after-school class from 3:30-5:00. She

heard that learning about engineering can be a great way for young people to be prepared

for 21st century jobs. She had no idea what engineering is, but thought a class for kids

was a great way to find out.

When she walked in on the first day, she noticed that she was the only girl in the room,

but she knew several classmates. As class began, she started to see that engineering

includes a lot of math. She was having a lot of trouble in her math class (she never

seemed to get the right answer), but she decided to give the class a chance anyway.

The first day activity involved building bridges with materials the teacher provided. The

students worked in teams and at first Estefania couldn’t understand what to do. She

started asking questions of the other group members, such as, “Why did we decide that

the bar goes there and not over there?” She then got up and visited two other teams. One

of them had a great idea to ask the teacher for more materials to make their structure

more eye-catching. Another team had begun their supports the same way her team had,

but they were working faster and the whole bridge collapsed.

Estefania went back to her team to let them know what she learned. At the end of class,

her team had a stable bridge that could hold the small sack of flour. It looked nice and it

didn’t collapse. Estefania was really proud. She didn’t totally understand engineering yet,

and was sure she would make some mistakes along the way, but she was excited for the

next class.

Unit Assessments


4. Which of these is an example of Estefania embracing a challenge? Choose all that apply.

□ She had no idea what engineering is, but thought a class for kids was a great way to find

out.

□ The students worked in teams and at first Estefania couldn’t understand what to do.

□ She was having a lot of trouble in her math class (she never seemed to get the right

answer), but she decided to give the class a chance anyway.

5. Which of these is an example of Estefania going on an Information Search? Choose all

that apply.

□ Estefania went back to her team to let them know what she learned.

□ She started asking questions of the other group members, such as, “Why did we decide that

the bar goes there and not over there?”

□ She then got up and visited two other teams.

6. Which words in the passage show that Estefania behaved in a growth-minded way in this

scenario? Choose all that apply.

□ She didn’t totally understand engineering yet, and was sure she would make some mistakes

along the way, but she was excited for the next class.

□ She was having a lot of trouble in her math class (she never seemed to get the right

answer), but she decided to give the class a chance anyway.

□ As class began, she started to see that engineering includes a lot of math.

7. What was Estefania’s biggest obstacle? Explain.

Unit Assessments


Unit Four Answer Key

1. When a person tries to memorize a lot of facts the morning of a test, where is that information stored?

a. Sensory memory

b. Working Memory

c. Long-term memory

2. What is the purpose of the BRAIN acronym?

a. To help us remember the brain foods

b. To help us remember how to use our sensory memory

c. To help us remember how to learn to do something new and/or challenging

3. What are some ways to move information from working memory to long-term memory?

a. Cram for hours the night before a test, performance, or due date

b. Practice and review repetitively over a period of time

c. Make a detailed plan for studying the information

Read the scenario below. Then answer the questions provided.

4. Which of these is an example of Estefania embracing a challenge? Choose all that apply.

a. She had no idea what engineering is, but thought a class for kids was a great way to find out.

b. The students worked in teams and at first Estefania couldn’t understand what to do.

c. She was having a lot of trouble in her math class (she never seemed to get the right answer), but

she decided to give the class a chance anyway.

5. Which of these is an example of Estefania going on an Information Search? Choose all that apply.

a. Estefania went back to her team to let them know what she learned.

b. She started asking questions of the other group members, such as, “Why did we decide that the bar

goes there and not over there?”

c. She then got up and visited two other teams.

6. Which words in the passage show that Estefania behaved in a growth-minded way in this scenario? Choose

all that apply.

a. She didn’t totally understand engineering yet, and was sure she would make some mistakes along

the way, but she was excited for the next class.

b. She was having a lot of trouble in her math class (she never seemed to get the right answer), but

she decided to give the class a chance anyway.

c. As class began, she started to see that engineering includes a lot of math.

7. What was Estefania’s biggest obstacle? Explain.

Answers will vary.

Unit Assessments


Unit Four Re-Teaching Guide You may choose to re-teach the Brainology® curriculum in a variety of ways. Some options are:

Think-Pair-Share





students know which skills

and practices are good for

learning something new.


Brain Book, Unit 4.


“Practice It”—Brain Study Plan.


Activity: Memory Sort.

If you were excited about learning

a new subject or concept, how

could you make a successful plan

for true learning?

What are some ideas from

Brainology® to help you make

sure you really learn something

new?


students can identify the

behaviors that are growth

minded.


“Connect It”—The Two Mindsets,

Part 1.

What are some things you can try

if you don’t understand a new

topic?

Imagine you worked really hard to

prepare for an upcoming science

test, and then when you got your

score back you didn’t do as well as

you would have liked. What can

you do to learn from your

mistakes and be more prepared the

next time?

Question 7 shows what an

individual student’s point of

view is about obstacles.


Activity: Student Challenges.

Sabotage is something that people

do to destroy or ruin a plan. Have

you ever done things to sabotage

yourself? Explain.

Why do you think that overcoming

an obstacle can make you feel so

good about yourself?

If you feel like an obstacle is

insurmountable, what can you do

to get help with it?

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