Lesson Plan | Active Learning | Human Body: Nervous System

Assumptions: This Active Lesson Plan assumes: a 100-minute class, prior student study with both the Book and the start of Project development, and that only one activity (among the three suggested) will be chosen to be conducted during the class, as each activity is designed to take up a significant portion of the available time.

Objectives

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

This stage of the lesson plan is crucial to establish a basic and solid understanding of the nervous system, which will serve as a foundation for practical activities and discussions in the classroom. By clearly defining the objectives, students will have a precise view of what is expected of them, allowing a focused and effective direction during interactive classes. This approach helps maximize class time for application and discussion, ensuring that students are well prepared and engaged.

Main Objectives:

1. Empower students to describe the nervous system and its components, including the brain, cerebellum, and medulla, and explain their specific functions.

2. Enable students to clearly differentiate the central nervous system from the peripheral nervous system, identifying their functions and interactions in the human body.

Introduction

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

The introduction serves to engage students and connect previously studied content with real situations and curiosities, increasing interest and understanding of the topic. Problem situations allow students to apply their prior knowledge to solve practical scenarios, while contextualization highlights the relevance of the nervous system in daily life and in scientific advances, preparing the groundwork for a deeper exploration in class.

Problem-Based Situations

1. Imagine you are watching a suspense movie and suddenly the main character starts having an anxiety attack, feeling their heart racing, sweaty hands, and even trembling legs. How does the nervous system react to stress situations and why does this happen?

2. Think of a day when you were very tired and yet needed to pay attention in an important class. What happens in your body so that you can maintain attention, and how does the nervous system contribute to this?

Contextualization

The nervous system is one of the most complex and fascinating systems in the human body, responsible for coordinating all activities and reactions of the organism. To better understand its importance, consider that when a person touches something hot, the nervous system reacts almost instantly to pull the hand away, avoiding a burn. Additionally, discoveries about the nervous system have practical applications in medicine, such as in the development of brain-controlled prosthetics, which can improve the quality of life for people with physical disabilities.

Development

Duration: (70 - 75 minutes)

The Development stage is designed to allow students to practically and interactively apply the prior knowledge acquired about the nervous system. Through playful and creative activities, students will have the opportunity to explore the nervous system in-depth, solidifying their understanding through material manipulation, group discussions, and presentations. This approach aims not only to deepen theoretical knowledge but also to develop teamwork, communication, and creativity skills.

Activity Suggestions

It is recommended to carry out only one of the suggested activities

Activity 1 - Journey Through the Nervous System

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Develop visual representation skills and understanding of the functions of the nervous system, promoting teamwork.

- Description: In this activity, students will create a detailed map of the nervous system, using various materials such as paper, colored markers, and even modeling clay. The objective is to creatively and accurately represent the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system, identifying the main components and their functions.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Distribute the necessary materials: paper, markers, modeling clay.

• Ask each group to draw a human figure on the paper, representing the nervous system.

• Instruct the students to identify and color the brain, cerebellum, medulla, and spinal cord.

• Each group must explain the functions of each part depicted.

• Students can use the modeling clay to create three-dimensional models of the nervous system components.

• At the end, each group presents their map and explains the functions represented.

Activity 2 - The Nervous Function Game

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Review and deepen knowledge about the nervous system in a playful manner, developing associative capacity and quick reasoning.

- Description: Students will participate in a board game that simulates the functions of the nervous system. The board will be created in class, and each space will represent a challenge or a specific function of the nervous system to be explained or demonstrated.

- Instructions:

• Organize the classroom into groups of up to 5 students.

• Provide materials such as poster board, markers, and dice for each group.

• Ask each group to create a game board, where the spaces represent components or functions of the nervous system.

• Students should write or draw challenges or questions related to the nervous system in the spaces.

• Each group plays the game created by another group, advancing through the spaces by answering the questions correctly.

• Discuss the answers and explanations after each round to reinforce learning.

Activity 3 - Dramatization of Nerve Impulses

> Duration: (60 - 70 minutes)

- Objective: Visualize and understand the process of nerve impulse transmission in a dynamic and creative manner, improving content retention.

- Description: Students will create and present short plays that represent the path of a nerve impulse from the perception of a stimulus to the response. Each group will be responsible for one stage of the journey, using props and dialogues to explain the process.

- Instructions:

• Divide the class into groups of up to 5 students.

• Explain to each group a stage of the nerve impulse journey: reception, transmission, and response.

• Allow students to create scenarios and dialogues that clearly represent their stage.

• Groups present in order, connecting their scenes to form the complete path of the nerve impulse.

• After the presentations, discuss with the class the different stages and reactions observed.

Feedback

Duration: (15 - 20 minutes)

This feedback stage is designed to consolidate the knowledge acquired by students through practical activities. By sharing their experiences and discussing in groups, students have the opportunity to verbalize and reinforce their understanding, as well as learn from each other. This not only helps in retaining content but also develops communication and collaboration skills. The discussion also allows the teacher to assess the level of understanding in the class and clarify any remaining doubts.

Group Discussion

To start the group discussion, the teacher should ask each group to share the findings and learnings obtained during the activities. Encourage students to discuss the difficulties encountered, the creative solutions applied, and what surprised them the most during the exploration of the nervous system. Use 5 minutes for each group to present their key points, and reserve another 10 minutes for discussions and questions among the groups and the class.

Key Questions

1. What are the main functions of the brain, cerebellum, and medulla, and how do they interconnect?

2. How do the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system work together to ensure communication and responses in the body?

3. Was there any part of the nervous system that you found most difficult to understand? How did you manage to overcome that difficulty?

Conclusion

Duration: (5 - 10 minutes)

The purpose of this conclusion stage is to ensure that students have a clear and consolidated view of the concepts studied, reinforcing the connection between theory and practice and highlighting the relevance of the nervous system in daily life. This moment also serves to evaluate the effectiveness of the activities conducted and the level of understanding of the students, preparing them to apply knowledge in future situations and subsequent studies.

Summary

To conclude, the teacher should summarize the main points addressed regarding the nervous system, highlighting the structure and function of the brain, cerebellum, medulla, and spinal cord, as well as the distinction between the central and peripheral nervous systems.

Theory Connection

During the lesson, students had the opportunity to connect theory with practice through interactive activities, such as creating maps and models, board games, and dramatizations, which helped visualize and understand the functioning of the nervous system in a dynamic and playful manner.

Closing

It is essential that students understand the importance of the nervous system in daily life, influencing everything from simple reflex actions to complex processes such as thought and emotions. This knowledge is crucial not only for continuing studies in sciences but also for understanding how our body reacts and interacts with the environment.