Project Title2: Save Our Brains2
Mission:
How can we prevent traumatic brain injury from bicycle accidents?
Culminating / Take Action Project
Create a graphic design poster campaign to raise awareness about traumatic brain injury and help people take action to protect their brains.
What Kids Learn
In this project, kids will explore the life science and physical science of energy, speed, collisions and brain injury. They’ll begin by studying how our brain works and the structure of our brains, how our skull protects our brain and why that protection isn’t enough. Then students will learn about the physics of collisions and how speed and weight impact energy and energy transfer. Finally, students will learn how collisions damage our neurons and stop brain growth or function and how helmets can reduce risk of injury. Students also learn all about graphic design techniques from a professional designer to help them create strong graphic designs to raise awareness about brain safety while using their persuasive writing skills to persuade others to take action.
Overview
Life Habit Focus: How can we grow our own brains by acting as a learner?
Subject: Life science, Physical science, ELA
Grade: 3-5
Topic: Brains, energy transfer, collisions, graphic design, persuasive writing.
Project preview
Project Materials
Project Module
Student Notebook
Teacher’s Guide
Materials List
Project Materials
Project Module
Student Notebook
Teacher’s Guide
Materials List
Virtual Field Trips
One of our goals is to help kids connect what they are learning in our projects to the real world beyond the classroom. To do that, we’ve partnered with experts to help students learn from and virtually visit with experts from around the world. The Save Our Brains project features:
Dr. Nahdia Jones
Students meet neuroscientist Dr. Nahdia Jones from Columbia University in New York City. She teaches students what it’s like to be a neuroscientist and about key information about the brain.
Designer Maurice Cherry
Students meet designer Maurice Cherry from Atlanta Georgia. He teaches students tips and strategies to create professional graphic design posters that inspire people to take action.
Aligned Standards
Common Core Reading (CCSS):
- Informational/NonFiction Standards R.I 1-10 for grades 3-5.
- Writing Standards W1,2,4,5,6,7,9 for grades 3-5.
- Listening and Speaking Standards SL1-SL6.
NGSS Standards:
- 4-LS1-1: Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
- 4-LS1-2:Â Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process the information in their brain, and respond to the information in different ways.
- 4-PS3-1:Â Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object.
- 4-PS3-3:Â Ask questions and predict outcomes about the changes in energy that occur when objects collide.
- 4-PS3-4:Â Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.
