getBRAINY Workshops for Schools

getBRAINY stands for get Busy Running Activities Inspiring Neuroscience in the Young and this is exactly what these workshops do! Created by Edinburgh Neuroscience for taking into schools and fitting in with the school timetable. These workshops-in-a-box are organised and run by Edinburgh Neuroscience and cover different neuroscience-related topics aimed at different age groups. Our current available workshops are:

For Primary Schools

This one-hour and 10min workshop launched our getBRAINY series in October2008. It is aimed at Primary 7 school children and focusses on nerve connections in the brain. It takes you from chemical communication between brain nerve cells to the pruning back of connections that takes place as you mature from a child into an adult. This workshop is a must for every child that is about to go through adolescence - 'just why is he behaving like that now he is 13?' This workshop aims to tell you! This workshop involves some preparatory homework for the children in the form of a create-a-neurone competition (which is judged at the workshop and prizes awarded).  Suitable for: Primary 7 pupils

This new workshop focuses on the structure and function of the brain and why it is important that you protect your brain from damage. It looks at head protection in the context of cycling and sport, and is particularly suitable for delivering when the school is doing Bikeability training (though will be delivered to all pupils, not just those on the Bikeability course).  Suitable for: Primary 6 or 7 pupils

For High Schools

Aimed at all High School students studying 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', this 90 min workshop supports the curriculum for excellence approach to learning by using the protrayal of different types of love in the film to illustrate current research into the neurobiology of love.  Suitable for: all High School pupils

Aimed at High School students, this 90 - 120 min workshop covers the mechanisms by which the brain stores and retrieves information. How can this go wrong and are computers advancing to the point where artificial intelligence software can replace your brain? Scary stuff!  Suitable for: older High School pupils

If you would like to book a getBRAINY workshop for your school, simply email Edinburgh Neuroscience