UNIT ONE - THE NERVOUS SYSTEM - Unit One: The Nervous System UNC-CH Brain Explorers

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Damian

Lesson materials for Unit One: The Nervous System, guiding students through hands-on activities to build a class model of the nervous system. Learners create full-body tracings, use cardboard brain and spinal cord representations, and apply two yarn colors to map sensory and motor pathways. Additional activities (clay brain and magic wand) support understanding of brain regions and localization of function, including hemispheres and cortical roles. A structured lesson flow covers engage, explore, explain, expand, and evaluate using discussion, labeling, and sentence-completion tasks.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages35

Reading Time1 h 28 min

AccessFree to download

SUMMARY

KEY POINTS

UNIFYING CONCEPTS

FULL BODY TRACING

CLAY BRAINS

MAGIC WAND

LESSON OVERVIEW

Engage

Explore

Explain

Expand

Evaluate

UNIT ONE THE NERVOUS SYSTEM Unit One: The Nervous System UNC-CH Brain Explorers May be reproduced for non-profit educational use only. Please credit source. 3 UNIT ONE THE NERVOUS SYSTEM Unit One: The Nervous System UNC-CH Brain Explorers May be reproduced for non-profit educational use only. Please credit source. THE NERVOUS SYSTEM SUMMARY KEY POINTS UNIFYING CONCEPTS FULL BODY TRACING • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • In the Full Body Tracing students work together as a class to create a model of the nervous system. The outline of a student’s body is traced on a large piece of paper. A cardboard cut out of the brain and spinal cord are placed in the outline to represent the central nervous system. Two colors of yarn, representing the motor and sensory nerves, are used to create motor and sensory pathways of the peripheral nervous system. • All our thooughts, movements, sensations and emotions are controlled by the nervous system. • We have a Central Nervous System (brain and spinal cord) and Peripheral Nervous System (nerves extending from the spinal cord to limbs, trunk, face, organs and throughout.) • Sensory nerves communicate information from the body to the brain and motor nerves, from the brain to the body. • Models help us understand and explain the world. * • Systems are made of parts which connect to create the whole. * • The brain receives informational signals from all parts of the body. The brain sends signals to all parts of the body to influence what they do. * • Humans have systems for digestion, circulation, movement and coordination. These systems interact with one another. * • Describe the basic structure and function of human body system. * CLAY BRAINS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • In the Clay Brain lesson students • The brain is divided into the • Models help us understand work individually to create a scale left and right hemispheres which complex structures. Such model of the human brain and control opposite sides of the body. representations can never be exact learn about the functions of each • Other major brain parts in every detail. * part.. include the corpus callosum, the • Children can begin to view the cerebellum and the brain stem. body as a system, in which parts Each has a special function: influence one another. Parts do keeping the body alive, keeping things for other parts and for the the body balanced and allowing organism as a whole. * body systems to communicate. • Describe the basic structure and function of human body system. ** MAGIC WAND • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Scientific inquiry includes the The Magic Wand lesson teaches • The left hemisphere controls the process of following specific steps localization of function of the right side of the body; the right to verify findings. Students practice cortex. Students reenact the hemisphere controls the left side. skills of observation, collecting and experiments of Dr. Wilder Pen- • Sensory and motor function are recording data, analyzing results field. They observe the move- controlled by specific regions of and forming conclusions. * ments and sensory responses of a the cerebral cortex. • Humans have distinct body human subject being stimulated structures. Our brain structures and observe what parts of the correspond to different body ancorrtionsespondand mo dvemiferentsnt funDceionscribe. *the basic structure and function of human body system. ** * Source: National Science Standards ** Source: National Health Standards Unit One: The Nervous System UNC-CH Brain Explorers May be reproduced for non-profit educational use only. Please credit source. | | | | | | | | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | L E S S O N 1 | Lesson Overview
Engage (5 minutes)
• Pairs of s

FAQs

How does the full-body tracing activity help students understand the nervous system?

Students trace a partner’s body outline and use yarn colors to represent motor and sensory pathways, building a visual model of how signals relate to touch, movement, and perception.

What is the difference between the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system?

The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord, while the peripheral nervous system includes nerves extending from the spinal cord to the rest of the body.

What do students do during the Evaluate portion of the lesson?

Students draw and label the nervous system on a handout, labeling three major parts, and complete sentences using the words motor nerves and sensory nerves.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by Damian