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Brain and Nervous System—
Your Information Superhighway
Teacher’s Guide
33117
A DIVISION OF
FILMS MEDIA GROUP
INTRODUCTION
This Teacher’s Guide provides information to help you get the most out of Brain and Nervous System: Your
Information Superhighway. The contents in this guide will allow you to prepare your students before using the
program and present follow-up activities to reinforce the program’s key learning points.
This video defines and explains the nervous system of the body, with an emphasis on how it enables us to
perform everyday activities. Each section combines illustrations, animation, interviews, and real world analogies
to reveal the amazing workings of your brain, nervous system, and five senses.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
After viewing the program, students will be able to:
● Name and describe the roles of the brain, spinal cord, and other components of the nervous system.
● Identify the two hemispheres of the brain and their corresponding responsibilities.
● Differentiate between the three types of neurons.
● Name the four parts of the brain and identify their underlying function.
● Explain the function of the five senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell, and how each sense transmits
information to the brain.
● Compare how the brain and nervous system are like the information superhighway in its ability to transmit
and receive information.
● Understand how the nervous system sends and receives signals to and from the brain.
EDUCATIONAL STANDARDS
National Standards
This program correlates with the National Science Education Standards from the National Academy of Sciences,
Project 2061 Benchmarks for Science Literacy by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and
the National Health Education Standards: Achieving Health Literacy by the Joint Committee on National Health
Education Standards. The content has been aligned with the following educational standards and benchmarks
from these organizations.
● Understand personal and community health.
● Understand form and function.
● Understand systems, order, and organization.
● Understand matter, energy, and organization in living systems.
● Understand behavior of organisms.
● Understand how things work and that designing solutions to problems of almost any kind can be facilitated by
systems analysis. In defining a system, it is important to specify its boundaries and subsystems, indicate its
relation to other systems, and identify what its input and its output are expected to be.
● Understand that the nervous system works by electrochemical signals in the nerves and from one nerve to the
next. The hormonal system exerts its influences by chemicals that circulate in the blood. These two systems
also affect each other in coordinating body systems.
● Understand that communication between cells is required to coordinate their diverse activities. Some cells
secrete substances that spread only to nearby cells. Others secrete hormones, molecules that are carried in
the bloodstream to widely distributed cells that have special receptor sites to which they attach. Along nerve
cells, electrical impulses carry information much more rapidly than is possible by diffusion or blood flow.
Some drugs mimic or block the molecules involved in transmitting nerve or hormone signals and therefore
disturb normal operations of the brain and body.
Reprinted with permission from National Science Education Standards © 1999 by the National Academy of Sciences, courtesy of the National
Academies Press, Washington, D.C.
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From BENCHMARKS FOR SCIENCE LITERACY by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, copyright 1993 by the American
Association for the Advancement of Science. Used by permission of Oxford University Press, Inc. Please note: judgments about the alignment
of content presented here with the learning goals in BENCHMARKS FOR SCIENCE LITERACY are those of the author and do not represent the
opinion or endorsement of the AAAS or Oxford University Press, Inc.
This represents the work of the Joint Committee on National Health Education Standards. Copies of National Health Education Standards:
Achieving Health Literacy can be obtained through the American School Health Association, Association for the Advancement of Health
Education or the American Cancer Society. Reprinted with permission.
English Language Arts Standards
The activities in this Teacher’s Guide were created in compliance with the following National Standards for the
English Language Arts from the National Council of Teachers of English.
● Use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment,
persuasion, and the exchange of information).
● Adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate
effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
● Use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video)
to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.
● Conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They
gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people)
to communicate their discoveries.
● Employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to
communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
Standards for the English Language Arts, by the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English, copyright
1996 by the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English. Reprinted with permission.
Technology Standards
The activities in this Teacher’s Guide were created in compliance with the following National Education
Technology Standards from the National Education Technology Standards Project.
● Demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems.
● Practice responsible use of technology systems, information, and software.
● Use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions.
● Use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources.
● Use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity.
The National Education Technology Standards, reprinted with permission from the International Society of Technology Education.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
This video explains how the nervous system acts as our body’s Internet, sending and receiving massive amounts
of information, with the spinal cord acting as a critical relay station between the brain and the rest of the body.
MAIN TOPICS
Topic 1: What is the Nervous System?
This section describes the components of the nervous system and its basic purpose. The central nervous system
and peripheral nervous system are mentioned, along with both the somatic and autonomic nervous systems.
The role of nerves and neurons in conveying information is included.
Topic 2: The Brain
An in-depth description of the brain, including its anatomy and responsibilities, is provided. Specific information
is given about the right and left hemispheres and the four parts of the brain: the cerebrum, cerebellum, diencephalon, and brain stem. Each description includes information on its function, components, and location.
Topic 3: The Spinal Cord
This section provides an overview of how the nervous system is interconnected; and, how the brain is dependent upon the spinal cord. The four types of brain waves are described, along with how brain waves are
measured.
Topic 4: The Five Senses
The final section discusses each of the five senses, their purpose in conveying information, and the organs
responsible for carrying out these jobs.
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FAST FACTS
● The nervous system acts like the Internet, sending and receiving massive amounts of information and ideas.
● The spinal cord acts as the critical relay station between the brain and the rest of the body in transmitting
information.
● Every decision you make, every emotion you have, and everything you do is a product of your brain.
● The more mental activity you undertake, the more oxygen your brain consumes, which is then transmitted
through the bloodstream.
● The brain uses over 20% of the body’s blood supply, even though it only weighs 2% of the body’s total weight.
● There are two components to the nervous system: the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous
system.
● The left side of the brain influences spoken and written language, and scientific and mathematical ability.
● The right side of the brain influences musical and artistic awareness and imagination.
● Attention Deficit Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are two conditions that may be affected by
incorrect functioning of the cerebellum’s ability to regulate smoothness of thinking and mood.
● Touch is the most basic of the five senses.
● The skin receptors are referred to as the cutaneous sense organs, which sense pressure, temperature, touch,
pain, and even vibration.
● There are more than 10,000 taste buds on the human tongue. They are divided into different regions which are
more sensitive to different tastes. The regions are sweet, salty, bitter, and sour.
● The inner ear is the center of the body’s sense of equilibrium.
● The spinal cord is 17 inches long, and is an extension of the brain stem.
● The five senses make use of the entire nervous system and integrate all its components.
● Every response you have is from stimuli that are the product of electrical conduction. These electrical impulses
are brain waves, and, like fingerprints, are unique to every individual.
VOCABULARY TERMS
alpha waves: Brain waves that register when a person is awake and in a state of rest.
autonomic nervous system (ANS): The part of the PNS which involves involuntary movement, meaning it
manages functions we cannot consciously control such as digestion, respiration, the contraction of the irises in
the eyes, and regulation of heart rate, blood pressure, and metabolism.
beta waves: Brain waves that appear when a person is stimulated during mental activity.
brain stem: Connects the rest of the brain to the spinal cord; controls many automatic functions of the body,
e.g., breathing and heart rate.
brain waves: Electrical impulses that can be detected and measured by electrodes.
central nervous system (CNS): The part of the nervous system that includes the brain and spinal cord.
cerebellum: The second largest portion of the brain. It controls precise coordination of movements, posture,
and balance; also helps coordinate exact timing of skeletal muscle movement. It is also believed to regulate
smoothness of thinking, and mood.
cerebrospinal fluid: A watery fluid which helps cushion the brain and spinal column from injuries.
cerebrum: One of the brain’s most critical components. Divided into sensory area, motor area, and association
areas. The largest part of the brain, which serves to control voluntary movements and coordinate mental actions.
cornea: The clear portion of the eye, located in the middle of the sclera, through which light passes.
cutaneous sense organs: Touch receptors in the skin that sense pressure, temperature, touch, pain, and
vibration.
delta waves: Brain waves that occur during deep sleep and in awake individuals with brain damage.
diencephalon: Portion of the brain associated with intense feelings, located on the top of the brain stem. It is
encased by the cerebrum and includes the thalamus, hypothalamus, metathalamus, and epithalamus.
dynamic equilibrium: The angular or circular motions of the head; allows you to keep your balance when your
head is moving.
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electrical conduction: These electrical impulses are brain waves, and are unique to every individual; a product
of response to stimuli.
electroencephalogram (EEG): A record of your brain waves. It measures four kinds of brain waves (alpha,
beta, theta, delta) and is used to diagnose certain abnormalities like epilepsy, tumors, infectious diseases, and
trauma.
iris: The colored circle of muscle that expands and contracts to allow a precise amount of light to pass through
the pupil.
neuron: A nerve cell; provides structure and functions of nerve tissue. Neurons serve to relay impulses from
receptors and outlying parts to the CNS, and then return signals from the CNS to the muscles and glands.
peripheral nervous system (PNS): The part of the nervous system that exists outside the CNS consisting
mainly of nerves, which carry impulses to and from the brain and spinal cord.
pupil: The expanding and contracting opening in the iris of the eye through which light passes to the retina.
sclera: The white of the eye; acts as a protective coating to the rest of the eyeball.
somatic nervous system (SNS): The part of the PNS that involves voluntary movement because it allows
conscious control of body movements.
static equilibrium: The position of the head in respect to the pull of gravity while it rests.
synapse: The region of contact between the axon of one neuron and the cell body of another neuron across
which nerve impulses are transmitted in one direction only.
theta waves: Brain waves that appear when a person is experiencing emotional distress.
tympanic membrane: Commonly known as the eardrum.
PRE-PROGRAM DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. How does the brain control what we do?
2. In what way is the brain like a computer?
3. How do we use our five senses to gain information about the world around us?
4. Which parts of your brain are active when you sleep?
5. What role do you think the spinal cord plays in communicating information throughout your body?
POST-PROGRAM DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Explain how the brain interacts with each of these body systems: skeletal, circulatory, respiratory, and
digestive.
2. How do spinal cord injuries impact the body’s ability to send and receive messages to and from the brain?
3. Explain how the brain and nervous system cannot work independently of each other.
4. What does it mean to be “brain dead”? How do you feel about people remaining on life support? What would
you do if a family member were considered “brain dead”? Would you want to be taken off of life support if
you were “brain dead”?
5. Which of your five senses do you think it would be easiest to live without? Which would be hardest to live
without? Explain your answer.
GROUP ACTIVITIES
Treating Attention Deficit Disorder
Have a debate between two teams about the pros and cons of using medication to treat attention deficit disorder. One team should be in favor of the use of medicine; the other team should be against the use of medicine.
Topics to be discussed may include: side effects of medication, success rate of using medication versus traditional treatments, overuse of medication among children, and long-term effects of medication. Specific information
can be provided regarding how the medication directly impacts the brain and nervous system.
Create a Learning Center
Create a learning center for K-3 students to explore their five senses. Include hands-on items for the children to
experiment with that reinforce the concept of the five senses. For touch, you might include different textures for
the children to feel. For taste, include foods that are bitter, salty, sweet, and sour. For smell, include objects for
them to smell and identify. You might record different sounds for the children to listen to and identify. The sight
section could explore colors and optical illusions.
INDIVIDUAL STUDENT PROJECTS
Three Dimensional Model
Create a model of a neuron using common household items such as clay, play dough, Styrofoam, recyclables,
food, etc. Use pictures from books to give you an idea of where the parts of a neuron should go and what shape
they should be. Use different colors to represent different structures.
Destination: The Brain
Create a travel brochure for your brain explaining what a person can see and do when they visit there. Include
what is found there, what each part does, what people can do at each location, and any exciting special features.
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Find Out More
Choose an organization that supports brain research or an advocacy group devoted to neurological or mental
illness. Write a letter to this group explaining your concerns and opinions. You may even ask them to send you
additional information on that topic to share with your class. For street or e-mail addresses of different organizations, see the Brain Connections Directory at www.dana.org.
INTERNET ACTIVITIES
Spinal Cord Injuries
Investigate the latest findings on spinal cord injuries and the new treatments that are being researched to help
individuals with these injuries. Present your findings to the group in a three- to five-minute presentation. Visit
www.spinalcord.uab.edu for information.
Mnemonic Devices
There are a variety of techniques for improving memory. Some of these techniques include rhymes, acronyms,
acrostics, repetition, linking, story creation, or creation of unusual mental pictures. Using the Internet, research
a particular mnemonic system. How does this system affect the brain? Find some material to remember, and
create a mnemonic device to help you remember the information. Sources may include the following Web sites:
www.bucks.edu/~specpop/mnemonics.htm
www.memoryelixir.com/mnemonics.html
ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS
Q: Describe the two components of the nervous system.
A: The central nervous system (CNS) includes the brain and the spinal cord. It issues commands based on past
experience and current information. The peripheral nervous system (PNS) exists outside the CNS and consists
mainly of nerves, which carry impulses to and from the brain and spinal cord to the limbs.
Feedback: The PNS is composed of nerves or neurons that convey impulses or information from sensory receptors located throughout the body. Information is transmitted from skin, skeletal muscles, joints, and internal
organs via the PNS. It serves to keep the brain informed about conditions inside and outside the body.
Q: ________________ are the foundation for the entire nervous system.
A: Neurons
Feedback: Neurons are similar to wires, conducting signals from the spinal cord to the surface of the body and
limbs. Neurons also conduct sensory impulses from the skin to the spinal cord. They serve to relay impulses
from receptors and outlying parts to the CNS, and then return the signals from the CNS to the muscles and
glands.
Q: Name the three types of neurons.
A: Sensory, motor, and association
Feedback: The following is an example of how neurons work: a stimulus, for example, heat from the stove,
causes a signal to travel through the sensory neurons. It is transmitted across association neurons in the spinal
cord via links called synapses. A response is carried, via motor neurons, to an affector organ (often a muscle)
which then performs a movement. In the example of heat from the stove, the movement would be the hand
pulling away from the stove.
Q: How do the two hemispheres of the brain differ?
A: The left and right sides of the brain have different responsibilities. The left side exerts more influence over the
right side of the body and vice versa. The left side influences spoken and written language and scientific and
mathematical ability. The right side of the brain influences musical and artistic awareness, and imagination.
Feedback: Humans are the only evolved species that have the cerebral bias of right-handedness. Nine out of
ten people are right-handed. The cerebrum is the part of the brain that is divided into these two hemispheres.
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Q: The ________________ is the largest part of the brain, and contains the sensory, motor, and association areas.
(a) diencephalon
(b) brain stem
(c) cerebellum
(d) cerebrum
A: (d)
Feedback: Not only is the cerebrum divided into two hemispheres, it is also divided into the frontal, parietal,
occipital, and temporal lobes. The frontal lobes control skilled motor behavior, including speech, mood, thought,
and planning for the future. The parietal lobes interpret sensory input from the rest of the body and control body
movement. The occipital lobes interpret vision. The temporal lobes generate memory and emotions.
Q: What is the job of the cerebellum?
A: The cerebellum coordinates the body’s movements. It controls precise coordination of movements, posture,
and balance. It also helps coordinate exact timing of skeletal muscle movements.
Feedback: The cerebellum makes up about 20% of the brain’s mass. It regulates coordination and balance by
gauging sensory messages from the body and comparing the physical actions of the body with what the brain
intended. It also is believed to regulate smoothness of thinking and mood.
Q: The _______________ is the part of the brain that controls intense feelings.
A: diencephalon
Feedback: The diencephalon sits on top of the brain stem. It is encased by the cerebrum and includes the thalamus, hypothalamus, metathalamus, and epithalamus.
Q: Which part of the brain controls automatic functions of the body such as breathing and heart rate?
A: The brain stem
Feedback: The brain stem has three main parts: pons, medulla oblongata, and midbrain. The pons directly connects the brain with the spinal cord. It influences breathing. The midbrain controls several body functions, for
example, some eye movements, facial sensation, and chewing. The medulla oblongata merges directly into the
spinal cord and helps regulate breathing with the pons. It also regulates heartbeat, blood pressure, swallowing,
and the vomit reflex.
Q: What does an EEG measure?
A: An EEG, or electroencephalogram, measures four kinds of brain waves: alpha waves, beta waves, theta
waves, and delta waves.
Feedback: EEGs are used to diagnose certain abnormalities like epilepsy, tumors, infectious diseases, and
trauma.
Q: What role does the spinal cord play in the nervous system?
A: The spinal cord carries messages back and forth between the body and the brain.
Feedback: The brain communicates with much of the body through nerves that run up and down the spinal
cord. Every response you have from stimuli is a product of electrical conduction. The electrical impulses are
brain waves. The spinal cord transmits these electrical impulses through motor nerves and sensory nerves.
Q: ____________ is the most basic of the five senses.
A: Touch
Feedback: Touch receptors are all over the body, both inside and out. They vary in concentration. The higher
the concentration, the more sensitive the area. In the skin, the receptors are referred to as the cutaneous sense
organs which sense pressure, temperature, touch, pain, and even vibration.
Q: What happens to light as it enters the eye?
A: Light enters the eye through the cornea, travels to the pupil, is refracted by the lens, and appears on the
retina where it stimulates the photoreceptors. The impulses travel to the optic nerve and lead to the brain.
Feedback: The retina contains the nerves that sense light and the blood supply that nourishes them. The retina
changes the image, sent to it by hundreds of nerve endings, into electrical impulses, which are carried by the
optic nerve to the brain. The optic nerve connects the retina to the brain. The nerve fibers separate and come
back together in the back part of the brain, where vision is sensed and interpreted.
Q: What is the purpose of the ear?
A: The ear has two jobs. The first job is to allow sounds from the environment to enter the nervous system and
be transmitted to the brain in the form of nerve impulses which your brain interprets and acts on. The inner
ear is also the center of the body’s sense of equilibrium.
Feedback: The ear is make up of the outer, middle, and inner ear.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Human Anatomy Online
www.innerbody.com
Explore the Brain and Spinal Cord
http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/introb.html
The Franklin Institute: The Human Brain
www.fi.edu/brain/index.htm
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The Yuckiest Site on the Internet: Science Entertainment
http://yucky.discovery.com
Quia—Nervous System
www.quia.com/jg/408086.html
OTHER PRODUCTS
The Nervous System and the Senses (DVD/VHS)
his program discusses the development, organization, and functions of the nervous system and the input organs
that stimulate it. Beginning with an introductory overview of neural anatomy, the video outlines the organization
of the central and peripheral nervous systems and the processes of sensation, transduction, and perception. In
addition, the senses of vision, hearing, taste, smell, and equilibrium are analyzed, as well as sensitivities to temperature, pressure, and pain; bodily movement via the somatic neurons is illustrated; and the neural mechanics
of sleep and wakefulness are considered. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. A Films for
the Humanities & Sciences Production. A part of the series The Human Body: How It Works. (20 minutes) © 2009
Order #: 39513, www.films.com, 1-800-257-5126
Brain Story: New Frontiers in Brain Research (DVD/VHS)
For some scientists, the brain has become the last frontier to conquer. Enhanced by outstanding 3-D graphics
and intimate case studies, this eye-opening six-part series explores the grand themes emerging from the latest
brain research—research that with the aid of modern technology is producing a whole new model of brain function. In each program, renowned neuroscientist Susan Greenfield, biologists, psychologists, linguists, and other
experts investigate the physiological basis of why people think, feel, and act as they do. A BBC Production.
(6-part series, 50 minutes each) © 2000
Order #: 11455, www.films.com, 1-800-257-5126
The Autonomic Nervous System (DVD/VHS)
This program looks at the mechanisms that control, regulate, and coordinate the functions of glands and organs:
the heart and blood vessels, the lungs and respiration, digestion, the regulation of body temperature, and a host
of other unconscious but vital body structures and functions. The program shows in detail how the system works
and how the individual can affect its working by means of meditation, autosuggestion, and hypnosis. A part of
the series The Human Body. (28 minutes) © 1993
Order #: 4175, www.films.com, 1-800-257-5126
Integumentary, Nervous, and Musculoskeletal Systems (CD-ROM, Windows/Mac)
This multimedia CD-ROM highlights the inner workings of the body’s integumentary, nervous, and musculoskeletal systems. Engaging graphics and interactive exercises help students master the parts and functions
of each system. The program also illustrates how all of these systems are linked with each other. Correlates to
National Science Education Standards and National Health Education Standards. A viewable/printable instructor’s guide is available online. A Cambridge Educational Production. © 2004
Order #: 32695, www.cambridgeeducational.com, 1-800-468-4227
Systems of the Body Poster Set
Simply indispensable in the classroom, this series of ten posters vividly depicts and describes the human body’s
major systems. Each poster features inset illustrations providing highly detailed looks at key organs and system
components, along with “neat-to-know” supplementary facts. Set includes: Circulatory System, Respiratory
System, Digestive System, Urinary System, Endocrine System, Reproductive System, Lymphatic System,
Integumentary System, Nervous System, Musculoskeletal System. Correlates to National Science Education
Standards and National Health Education Standards. A Cambridge Educational Product. Ten 18" x 28" posters.
© 2004
Order #: 37009, www.cambridgeeducational.com, 1-800-468-4227
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