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GROWTH MINDSET
AT LAUREL SCHOOL
A SERIES OF RESEARCH AND INFORMATIONAL PUBLICATIONS BY CRG
CRG | PUTTING THE WORLD’S BEST RESEARCH TO WORK FOR GIRLS
BRAIN BOWL QUESTIONS
CATEGORY ONE: VIEW FROM THE PAST
100 POINT QUESTION: Does the brain have more in common with the human skeletal system or the human
muscular system?
ANSWER: The human muscular system.
200 POINT QUESTION: True or false: The human brain is a highly complex system that is fully developed at birth.
ANSWER: False
300 POINT QUESTION: True or false: Brain cells are the only cells in the body that can’t be replaced.
ANSWER: False
400 POINT QUESTION: What technological developments helped scientists learn that brains DO develop new neurons and
neural connections?
ANSWER: Increasingly sophisticated x-ray technology.
500 POINT QUESTION: True or false: Adding new neurons and neural circuits disrupts the neurons and neural systems that
were already in place.
ANSWER: False
CATEGORY TWO: HUMAN FACTORS
100 POINT QUESTION: True or false: Only some people can increase the density and weight of their brains.
ANSWER: False
200 POINT QUESTION: True or false: Brains grow and new skills develop only when people challenge themselves mentally.
ANSWER: True
300 POINT QUESTION: True or false: As people build their brains, they make themselves smarter.
ANSWER: True
400 POINT QUESTION: True or false: Repeated practice improves the connections among existing neurons.
ANSWER: True
500 POINT QUESTION: True or false: People who are motivated to learn are more likely to develop new neural connections
and add new neurons to old neural pathways.
ANSWER: True.
CATEGORY THREE: BRAINS AND MUSCLES
100 POINT QUESTION: True or false: While building muscle can be challenging and uncomfortable,
developing existing neurons and adding new neurons is always fun to do.
ANSWER: False
200 POINT QUESTION: True or false: Muscles and brains only develop when faced with increasingly challenging tasks.
ANSWER: True
300 POINT QUESTION: True or false: Both brains and muscles have tiny structures that grow and multiply when challenged.
ANSWER: True
400 POINT QUESTION: True or false: The expression “Use it or lose it” applies only to muscles, not to brains.
ANSWER: False
500 POINT QUESTION: True or false: Unlike muscles, which take time to develop, new neurons are created and integrated
into old neural pathways almost instantly.
ANSWER: False
CATEGORY FOUR: NEUROANATOMY
100 POINT QUESTION: True or false: Neurons share information with each other.
ANSWER: True
200 POINT QUESTION: How many neurons can fit on the head of a pin (give or take 5,000)?
ANSWER: 30,0000
300 POINT QUESTION: What do we call the chemicals that neurons release in order to communicate with each other?
ANSWER: Neurotransmitters
400 POINT QUESTION: Fill in the blank: Neurons communicate with each other when a(n) ______________ impulse
causes one neuron to release chemicals to nearby neurons.
ANSWER: Electrical
500 POINT QUESTION: Fill in the blank: When people use their brains to do hard work, neurons develop additional branches,
known as _______________, in order to communicate with each other.
ANSWER: Dendrites
CATEGORY FIVE: NEUROPLASTICITY
100 POINT QUESTION: True or false: Mental effort has the potential to change the structure and density of the human brain.
ANSWER: True
200 POINT QUESTION: How much heavier were the brains of enriched rats than the brains of the rats that lived in plain
cages?
ANSWER: 10%
300 POINT QUESTION: Fill in the blank: The human brain constantly generates ________________ cells that can turn into
neurons if needed.
ANSWER: Progenitor or stem
400 POINT QUESTION: The brain constantly generates new cells that can be integrated into the brain if the brain is
working hard to learn new things. What is the average life span of these new cells if they are not put to use?
ANSWER: About 4 weeks.
500 POINT QUESTION: Name three of the four ways that brains and muscles are alike.
ANSWER:
1. Both have tiny structures that GROW AND MULTIPLY.
2. These structures only develop when CHALLENGED by difficult tasks.
3. Both muscles and brains require SUSTAINED EFFORT in order to develop.
4. ALL GIRLS can build their muscles AND their brains.
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