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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Big heads

http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/sci_update.cfm?DocID=166

A lesson plan for grade 7 Science

Provider: American Association for the Advancement of Science


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In this Science Update, students explore whether intelligence is related to the size of one’s brain. Grant Hurlburt, a visiting professor of biology at California State University in Bakersfield, suggests that measuring the size of the head gives some indication of how big the brain is. However, Hurlburt says that people with bigger brains aren’t necessarily smarter than those with smaller ones. There is still no definite answer of how the brain correlates with IQ. Science NetLinks provides a link to the audio file, a written transcript, and questions to engage students in discussion about how brain size might be an indication of intelligence and other similar ideas. Students are challenged to create an experiment to test if nose size and smelling ability are related. This activity also contains links to “My Brain is Bigger than Your Brain,” “Atlas of Human Anatomy in Cross Section,” and “The Human Brain,” an online exhibit from Philadelphia’s Franklin Institute.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Science (2005)

Grade 7

  • Goal 1: The learner will design and conduct investigations to demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry.
    • Objective 1.01: Identify and create questions and hypotheses that can be answered through scientific investigations.
    • Objective 1.05: Analyze evidence to:
      • Explain observations.
      • Make inferences and predictions.
      • Develop the relationship between evidence and explanation.
    • Objective 1.08: Use oral and written language to:
      • Communicate findings.
      • Defend conclusions of scientific investigations.
    • Objective 1.09: Use technologies and information systems to:
      • Research.
      • Gather and analyze data.
      • Visualize data.
      • Disseminate findings to others.
    • Objective 1.10: Analyze and evaluate information from a scientifically literate viewpoint by reading, hearing, and/or viewing:
      • Scientific text.
      • Articles.
      • Events in the popular press.
  • Goal 4: The learner will conduct investigations, use models, simulations, and appropriate technologies and information systems to build an understanding of the complementary nature of the human body system.
    • Objective 4.01: Analyze how human body systems interact to provide for the needs of the human organism:
      • Musculoskeletal.
      • Cardiovascular.
      • Endocrine and Nervous.
      • Digestive and Circulatory.
      • Excretory.
      • Reproductive.
      • Respiratory.
      • Immune.
      • Nervous system.
    • Objective 4.02: Describe how systems within the human body are defined by the functions it performs.
    • Objective 4.03: Explain how the structure of an organ is adapted to perform specific functions within one or more systems.
      • Liver.
      • Heart.
      • Lung. Brain.
      • Stomach.
      • Kidney.