Download Course Syllabus

Level 3 Science Neuroscience of the Senses Spring 2014
!Course Overview Neuroscience of the Senses is a Quantum Campus Level 3 Science course that explores the biological mechanisms for how our nervous system senses, interprets, perceives, and responds to outside stimuli. !
The course begins with an overview of the nervous system: its divisions, how its connected, and how information is received and transmitted. Students learn the major regions of the brain responsible for interpreting inputs and controlling responses. Then students explore each of their senses — touch, taste, olfaction, hearing, and vision — and discover how their sense organs are specialized to receive information. !
In the classroom students will experience activity-­‐based exploration of how their senses work. They will use their observations and experiences to deduce the structure and function of the sense organs. Students will also learn about the anatomy of the brain and eye through dissections. Each lesson will be accompanied by at-­‐home extension work to review concepts and explore more in-­‐depth the topics from class. For a Iinal project, students will conduct their own experiment using the steps of the scientiIic method to explore a question about the nervous system and/or their senses. They will present their results to the class on the last day. !
Prerequisites This course is appropriate for middle school students who have some familiarly with cells and previous hands-­‐on lab experience. It is also recommended that students have taken our Waves L3 Science course or have obtained this knowledge elsewhere. !
Schedule Week
Topic
Week
Topic
1
The Nervous System and Neurons
6
Light waves and refraction
2
Neuron Communication; Parts of the Brain
7
Vision
3
Touch
8
Perception and Illusions
4
Taste and Olfaction
9
Proprioception and Balance
5
Hearing
10
Presentations