Download PIPE CLEANER NEURON LESSON PLAN Part A

PIPE CLEANER NEURON LESSON PLAN
7th grade Science Class
Activator:
Teacher leads students through a review of the function of the parts of the neuron by using arm of their body.
Arm should bent at elbow with fingers pointing upwards.
Palm – Cell body/Neuron – Creates the message
Fingers – Dendrites – Receives the message
Elbow – Synaptic Terminal/Axon Terminal – Sends the message to the dendrites
Arm – Axon – Message travels to back up to the cell body
Other Hand Makes Wrapping Motion Around Axon – Myelin Sheath – protects the axon
Students will form a circle and “send” the message around the room. Each student will be a different part of the
neuron and do a different dance to represent the function of that part.
1s – cell body – thinking motion (thinking face—finger tapping lips?)
2s – dendrites – reach out hands, wiggle fingers, pull hands in as if catching something
3s – synaptic terminal – throwing a ball motion
4s – axon – whole body wiggle up and down motion (do the “shimmy”)
5s – myelin sheath – karate kid/karate chop motion (the “protector”)
** Playing “I Will Survive” works well with this activity to emphasis importance of neurons
Organizer/Comprehender:
Use Pipe Cleaner Neuron Powerpoint to lead students through construction of neuron. Be repetitive about
names and functions.
Summarizer:
With their pipe cleaner dendrite in their sight, students will write a paragraph describing the path of the
electrical impulse through the neuron.
**Replaying “I Will Survive” and cuing students to remember the dance helps prod the memory to write their
paragraphs
Other Visuals:




One pipe cleaner—flimsy (wave it around) – represents one neuron
Add pipe cleaners to the one (one by one)—each one added represents knowledge learned –
strengthening the neuron (bundle several together to show strength of using/adding knowledge)
Then start dropping pipe cleaners one by one as you walk around the room (each dropped pipe cleaner
represents lack of use of knowledge—symbolizes brain pruning unused info—USE IT OR LOSE IT!)
Make connection to Alzheimer’s and the loosening of the folds in the brain and how research is showing
more educated (or those who use their brain a lot) are less likely to get Alzheimer’s—doctors actually
recommend doing puzzles, etc.