Human Body Unit - Week 18 - Memory

Week 18: We made a model of how our brain neurons send signals and create memory.

The neurons in our brains have finger like extensions which reach out to neighboring neurons and send signals. The more often the same signals are sent the quicker they travel. The signals are memories, and with repeated use memories are created. The Way We Work by David Macaulay explains the process much better than me.

We created model neurons using small bits of wool fiber. The fiber was pulled apart so that each neuron would be able to reach out and send signals to neighboring neurons.

 This mass of neurons is our representation of a young brain without memories.

 Next water was added and memories were created.

I asked each child to recall some of their personal memories and touch a neuron while they did it. Next I asked the kids to remember the memories of the other kids. Each time they remembered something another child said they had the chance to activate the correct neuron by wiggling it. Before long many of the neurons were stuck together and our brain was full of memories.

Next they could see how the memory that was activated initially could wiggle a neuron on the other side of the brain which contained a different memory we had discussed. Now that memory was activated. It could trigger another memory and there could be a chain of memories activated.

Our past activities are linked on our Science Page and we still have a few Human Body Science Activities coming up, so be sure to visit again next week.

This post is linked to:
Relentlessly Fun


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