Brains at school - knowledge is power! Reference number: 2015-1-PL01-KA219-016735
NEWSLETTER No. 1
PART 1 ROMANIA Human Brain Teachers: Chiurtu Georgeta Iagăru Florentina Liceul ”Matei Basarab” Craiova BRAIN OR ENCEPHALITIS represents the central nervous system located within the skull. It controls many bodily functions like heartbeat, walking and running, generating thoughts and emotions. The brain is protected by the skull, it is padded with a membrane called the meninges. In the human brain there are between 85 and 100 billion neurons, each having about 10,000 connections. Encephalitis or brain is made of: 1. Brainstem 2. The cerebellum (cerebellum) 3. Cerebrum = cerebral hemispheres
1. BRAINSTEM: • It has the shape of a truncated cone; • It continues the spinal cord, being located under the two cerebral hemispheres; • It has three components - medulla oblongata, Varolio`s bridge and midbrain; • It has two substances - white and gray; • 12 pairs of cranial nerves originate there.
2. THE CEREBELLUM: • It consists of two cerebellar hemispheres covered with parallel grooves and folds; • In section it presents the gray and white substances; • The white substance is on the inside, • The gray substance is on the outside and form the cerebellar cortex, as well as in the interior in the form of nuclei.
3. CEREBRUM=CEREBRAL HEMISPHERES: • It is composed of two hemispheres, separated by a trench and connected to one another by a bridge of white matter underlying the trench. • The area is crossed by deep ditches hemisphere that divide the hemispheres into lobes - frontal, parietal, occipital and temporal.
CRANIAL NERVES: • There are 12 pairs of nerves; • They are 3 types : 1. Sensitive - bring information from sense organs to the brain; 2. Motor - take commands from the brain to the organs (muscles, glands); 3. Mixed - have sensory fibers and motor fibers. CORTICAL PROCESSES: MEMORY is the basic mental function which enables fixation, preservation, recognition and reproduction of information and experiences previously accumulated. MEMORY is involved in cognition, learning, understanding and problem solving, intelligence and creativity. It is an absolutely necessary mental capacity without which individual`s life would be practically impossible. It is a psychic process of imprint, store and update information. Hippocampus (area of the temporal lobe) has a key role in memory. ABOUT MEMORY : • The memory is of many kinds: 1. Short-term memory - the information is kept 8-10 min. 2. Long-term memory - is unlimited in time, it is reached by repetition and understanding; 3. Mechanical memory - the material storedis not understood; 4. Logical memory - stored material is understood; 5. Voluntary memory – preserves and updates information; 6. Involuntary memory – no purpose in preserving information. • Between 10 and 30 years storage capacity is very good, before and after this age it has a smaller share;
Logical memorized material, with meaning, is kept longer in memory than the material stored mechanically; • Motivation is the one that contributes to memory performance; • Performance increases with the number of repetitions, each person must know his own qualities memories. •
LEARNING is the mental activity which acquires and settles new knowledge and behaviors that form and develop the human individual personality system. In this process other processes and mental functions are integrated (memory, perception, attention, motivation, affection thinking) that interact for greater efficiency. Learning is possible because the cerebral cortex processes different information received so that when meeting the same stimulus, the reaction is consistent with other similar previous reactions. Morphologic substrate of learning and memory processes consists of changes in the synapses, by forming connections as a result of increasing dendrites number and diameter of neurons which were stimulated repeatedly. TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE LEARNING: • The ambiance should be favorable, tidy, airy, bright, clean. • Be rest, relax, calm. • Have a goal – what you memorize and what is the use of the information, use logical and voluntary memory. • Set memorizing landmarks - sketchy, structure the material. • Pay more attention to the middle material which is more difficult to memorize, the beginning and end are usually easier. • Not only view the material, but repeat aloud, ask yourself questions. • Do repetitions to reach optimum storage capacity. Immediately after learning 50% of what we learn is forgotten and to prevent it do repetitions. • Voluminous material requires more repetitions. • Train your memory all the time, memory exercises lead to intellectual performance. • Do not be indifferent when memorizing, get involved, assume a serious attitude, use your own potential.
Part 2 ITALY Student: Tommaso 3^A Palmariggi
The Brain The brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. Only a few invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, adult sea squirts and starfish do not have a brain; diffuse or localized nerve nets are present instead. The brain is located in the head, usually close to the primary sensory organs for such senses as vision, hearing, balance, taste, and smell. The brain is the most complex organ in a vertebrate's body. In a typical human, the cerebral cortex (the largest part) is estimated to contain 15–33 billion neurons, each connected by synapses to several thousand other neurons. Physiologically, the function of the brain is to exert centralized control over the other organs of the body. The brain acts on the rest of the body both by generating patterns of muscle activity and by driving the secretion of chemicals called hormones. This centralized control allows rapid and coordinated responses to changes in the environment. Some basic types of responsiveness such as reflexes can be mediated by the spinal cord or peripheral ganglia, but sophisticated purposeful control of behavior based on complex sensory input requires the information integrating capabilities of a centralized brain.
Students: Ludovica and Marco 3^ A Palmariggi
What is the Central Nervous System? The central nervous system (CNS) controls most functions of the body and mind. It consists of two parts: the brain and the spinal cord. The brain is the center of our thoughts, the interpreter of our external environment, and the origin of control over body movement. Like a central computer, it interprets information from our eyes (sight), ears (sound), nose (smell), tongue (taste), and skin (touch), as well as from internal organs such as the stomach. The spinal cord is the highway for communication between the body and the brain. When the spinal cord is injured, the exchange of information between the brain and other parts of the body is disrupted.
How Is the Central Nervous System Different from Other Systems of the Body? Most systems and organs of the body control just one function, but the central nervous system does many jobs at the same time. It controls all voluntary movement, such as speech and walking, and involuntary movements, such as blinking and breathing. It is also the core of our thoughts, perceptions, and emotions. The central nervous system consists of the brain and spinal cord  The brain plays a central role in the control of most bodily functions, including awareness, movements, sensations, thoughts, speech, and memory. Some reflex movements can occur via spinal cord pathways without the participation of brain structures.  The spinal cord is connected to a section of the brain called the brainstem and runs through the spinal canal. Cranial nerves exit the brainstem. Nerve roots exit the spinal cord to both sides of the body. The spinal cord carries signals (messages) back and forth between the brain and the peripheral nerves. Cerebrospinal fluid surrounds the brain and the spinal cord and also circulates within the cavities (called ventricles) of the central nervous system. The leptomeninges surround the brain and the
spinal cord. The cerebrospinal fluid circulates between 2 meningeal layers called the pia matter and the arachnoid (or pia-arachnoid membranes). The outer, thicker layer serves the role of a protective shield and is called the dura matter. The basic unit of the central nervous system is the neuron (nerve cell). Billions of neurons allow the different parts of the body to communicate with each other via the brain and the spinal cord. A fatty material called myelin coats nerve cells to insulate them and to allow nerves to communicate quickly.
PART 3 POLAND MAKING NOTES - HOW TO SWIM AND NOT TO DROWN Good notes help us to concentrate, ensure creativity and make it very easy to focus on a task. But how to make them properly?
Have you evere wondered if your notes from lessons and notes made on the basis of a textbook look identical? Do you use colours? What page size you like most? A5, A4 or maybe A6? Is your handwriting legible? How many information should be written on one page? These are only few questions from the topic which is as wide as the ocean of information. So how not to drown?
Types of notes It must be said at the beginnig that we are presenting only couple types of notes, which – we believe – are possible to make during lessons.
LINEAR NOTE It is a traditional type, written line after line, just like an essay. In this case you should underline the most important information, make helpful drawings and give the text a title. How to do it? Leave some space between different parts of the notes (2-3 lines) and then at home think about proper titles.
TWO-COLUMN (TWO-PAGES) NOTE In your notebook you can use two neighbouring pages. If you have one sheet of paper you can divide it for two halves but it's not necessary (as in the example). On the left page (side) write main ideas, terms, phrases, key words, and on the second page (side) – details such as explanations or descriptions. To combine those parts use arrows or lines.
MIND MAPS You need a blank sheet of paper (size A4). In the centre you write the main topic of your note and then you add some branches with subtopics (single words). Then you add another branches with more specific information and key words. Those subtopics can be written in colours. It's also a good idea to use symbols and drawings. It is said that one drawing is worth one thousand words! Tony Buzan – the master of mind maps: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlabrWv25qQ#t=11
CORNELL NOTES The secret is in the specific location of particular parts of the note. This is the scheme:
a title of your note the text of your note (for example made on a lesson) key words, icons, main terms, which you can find in part 2 place for your summary and the most important information
As you can see it's not that difficult and you can use it during the lesson. You need only a pencil and a ruler to make this scheme. You can also prepare some pages at home. We really recommend this method!
NOTE ARRANGEMENT It is important to put a note about one topic on one page (of course if it's possible). If you are listing some information, write them one under another, not after commas. They will be easier to read and learn. Spend some time on schemes, try to create a table or a mind map. The more effort you make, the better results you get. Be creative because your brain is more likely to remember your own piece of work. Your notes should be clear and legible, so leave some space between the lines and write smartly.
THE COLOUR Human eye likes blue the most so you should use this colour of your pen. Orange (but not too bright) is perfect for highlightning . The most important key words or information you shoud write using capital or simply bigger letters. A frame is also a good idea.
THE FORMAT We usually make notes in our notebooks so they have one size. However, if you want to give your nites some more personal character, it's good to remember that:
your brain likes A5 paper size (a notebook size) or even A6 (when you fold A5 into two parts) because it's easier to see all the information written on a page, big sheets of paper (size A4, A3) are useful when you need to see the clear or logical structure in a huge amount of knowledge (e.g. human skeleton), try to use the same size of your notes as your brain doesn't like the mess.
HOW TO MAKE NOTES FROM A TEXTBOOK Rewriting parts of the text from your textbook doesn't make sense. You'll get better results if you:
read the text twice, to understand everything better and plan your note during the second reading you can list the most important information create your own phrases and expresions list the key words
CURIOSITIES
the best form of a note is that one which you like most so try different methods
really good note is made by yourself and handwritten because writing helps to remember
if it's possible try to connect different facts, words which sound similar and then write them on a margin
use abbreviations to write faster, but remember that you must understand them
good note should be clear so if you need to write only 10 words on one page – that's fine, the rain forests won't die because of that fact
don't be afraid of tables, schemes and drawings – they really help to remember
always leave quite spacious margin for some extra notes, associations and so on
sometimes it's a good idea to rewrite your note two or three times – it supports remembering and makes that your note includes only the most important things
write phrases, not whole sentences
use arrows, spots, stars, exclamations, frames
every note needs a heading (see: Cornell's method)