Edinburgh Neuroscience produces this workshop for Primary 7 schoolchildren during Brain Awareness Week, which takes place in March each year. 'How we see the brain and what the brain sees' aimes to introduce children to the basic structure of the brain and ways of imaging the brain in the clinic and in basic research. We then explore how the brain can sometimes be fooled by the visual information it receives. The workshop consists of:
- Talks in a Lecture Theatre by Dr David Wyllie (Neuroscience Research), Dr Tom Gillingwater (Integrative Physiology) and Dr Steve Lawrie (Clinical Brain Sciences) about the structure of the brain and imaging techniques
- Looking at real human brains
- Completing 3D brain model jigsaws to explore the structure of the brain
- Creating plasticine brain pictures, which included basic brain structures
- Optical illusion worksheets
- Building optical illusions
- A talk from Dr Emma Wood (Cognitive and Neural Systems) about how some of the optical illusions occur
This workshop has run for four years now and has been very successful. The pupils have a brilliant time (as do the University staff and student helpers) and they get to take part in lots of hands-on activities, in addition to some short talks. We also run a 'What is in my head' competition where the children can draw what they think is in their heads before arriving at the workshop - the winners get small prizes plus their pictures go on our webs pages!
The Brain Awareness Week workshop is suitable for: Primary 7 pupils. Booking is essential (email Edinburgh Neuroscience).
click these links for Brain Awareness Week photographs and competition winners from
2007 2008 2009 2010
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