Visit by Brigid the Neuron scientist 12/8/2019 room 5

Interesting information that we learnt:

• your eyes are at the bottom of your brain
• A cat’s brain is about 5cm in length
• We had to put a shirt on using only our left or right hand.
• It was a challenge
• Some people are ambidextrous which means that both their hands are equal in being used.
• The hand that you use more often, is stronger than the other one.
• If you are ambidextrous, your brain is 10% bigger than the ‘normal’ size.
• It was easier to button using our ‘writing’ hand
• We had to trace around a star shape by looking only in a mirror
• Because we had a mirror, it looked like we were tracing in the right direction but it wasn’t - it was the opposite way
• When we tried to trace the star, some of us learned a strategy that when we were tracing the star, we would move the pen in the opposite direction to what we thought we had to go.
• We asked Brigid interesting questions at the end
• There are two hemispheres in our brains
• If someone damages their head, or they get a disease in their brain or they suffer a stroke, they might find that part of their body is paralysed.
• The different brains came from: a monkey, a human, a cat and a mouse.
• Each of the brains had been injected with a liquid that then made the brain hard, except for the mouse’s brain that was in a liquid.
• We were allowed to hold each brain but we had to use both our hands and hold it over the table.
• We had to do this to show respect, to stop it being damaged.
• If it got damaged, the scientist would not be able to use it for research.
• Your brain sits in your skull but it is surrounded by fluid which protects it.
• It is about 2% of your body weight but it needs 20% of your blood from your heart.
• We can unlock only 10% of our brain.
• Sometimes people call your brain your ‘grey matter’.
• Your brain controls your body and messages are sent to and from your brain for your body to react.
• When the brain is not preserved, it is pinkish grey and it is squishy like tofu - spongy.
• Your brain keeps growing until you are 23 years old.
• When a baby is born, its brain has 100 billion neurons.
• As we grow, neurons slip away.
• As you grow older, your brain weakens, you may lose some brain cells through disease and possibly lose your memory.

On wednesday 8/8/2019,After lunch Brigid the neuron scientist came in  room 5 to teach as about neurons.Then we had to pray for a kid in the class to represent her country. When Brigid came into our class our tables were set like “u” so we  could have groups,which was a bit different than they were usually have it set.First our class got into our groups of 3.

Next we talked about our neuron and how it works.Then Brigid got out the activities and items and the activities which were ...look at a mirror and stracing a star,looked at the parts of real brains,put on a t-shirt with one hand and your other.My favourite part was seeing all the parts of the brain(It was distcating at the start.)After the activities we asked really good questions  (I mean really good questions.)Lastly the day had finished and I got a good sleep.

After lunch on Wednesday the 8th of August, Brigid a neuroscientist, came to Room 5 to teach us about brains.  When Brigid came into our class, our tables were set out like “u”, which was a bit different than they were usually set.  We did this so we could have three groups. 

We had to say a prayer before we started because a kid in the class represents  the Maori culture. Then Brigid got out the items for the activities which were: looking at a mirror and tracing around a star that was on a piece of paper, looking at the parts of real brains and trying to button up a shirt with only one hand at a time.

My favourite part was seeing all the parts of the brain.

“Facts “

The neuron is a cell that communicates with your brain,example 

If someone kicks a ball the neuron tell’s your foot to move your foot forward and your eyes to  look at the ball.

Neurons have something like a spine and other cells to protect the neuron.

Your neuron connects to your brain to your toes.

If you didn’t have neuron you would be dead.