The brain needs many different kinds of raw materials from food and ecommended serving sizes are often smaller than the size actually served or the amounts people eat. In this lesson students are introduced to this concept by dissecting...

An extensive glossary list of topics related to studies of the brain and behavior.

The human brain is complex. Messages within the brain and the rest of the nervous system are conducted by cells called neurons. Drugs and other substances can interfere with or modify the transmission of messages between neurons. In this...

What makes you notice someone in a crowd? Why do some things stand out, while others melt into the background? In this experiment you can investigate the psychology of how things get noticed, by studying how our brains perform a visual...

Overview of studies underway that are attempting to ascertain the relationship of behavior and personality to brain function.

Extensive review and synopsis of a book that brings to light some information on the chemicals which have been thought for years to effect personality.

Students read two informational texts to understand the immediate and lasting effects that concussions and high impact sports have on the teenage brain.

This module focuses on the science that explains the effects that drugs have on the brain and, by extension, a person's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Specifically, it focuses on the adolescent brain. Adolescents may be more...

Learn about the intelligence of birds. There are many examples to illustrate communication, use of tools, and general resourcefulness that many birds show.

The traditional thought has been that the adolescent brain was similar to the adult brain. However, new studies show that the teen brain is fundamentally different than older brains. Learn the details behind the new findings .. how the...

The mind has fascinated and mystified humans for millennia. Delve into the science behind the brain with these works on philosophy, foundational psychology, and scientific studies. This collection includes 61 Grade-Leveled texts (6-12)...

Students research an age restricted privilege/right such as driving, drinking, and voting. Students conduct research to answer questions including: Why was the age limit for your privilege determined? When was it determined? Students use...

At the end of this tutorial, the learner will understand how the brain structure called the amygdala impacts people's behavior when they are in conflict. It is 2 of 3 in the series titled "The Amygdala and Fight/Flight Reaction."

A complete guide to the development of the teenage brain. Find out about typical teenage behaviors, and the science behind their brain development that makes them act in certain ways.

Peggy Andover explains how the brain can associate unrelated stimuli and responses, proved by Ivan Pavlov's famous 1890 experiments, and how reinforcement and punishment can result in changed behavior. [4:13]

Think it's a good idea to plug into iTunes, surf the Web, or watch TV while doing homework or trying to read? Many people do it and claim that jumping from one activity to another keeps their attention level up and even gives their brain...

The left brain is supposed to be better at language, and organizing sequential actions, the right brain is supposed to be better at visualizing orientations in space, making and listening to music, and deciphering the emotions of others....

Virtual learning course on human biology and brain function and how it affects our behaviors. Extensive collection of engaging materials, assignments, and activities for review.

Neurotransmitters can either stimulate the next neuron to send a signal or inhibit that neuron from sending a signal. Certain chemicals change the way signals are sent and received. For this lesson students will understand this concept...

The Stroop effect describes an experiment about the time it takes to name the color of printed words. When you try to name the color in which color words are printed, it takes longer when the color word differs from the ink color than...

What causes sound? How do our ears detect sound? How do our brains recognize sound? In this lesson students investigate hearing and discover that sensory receptors in the ears collect sound information and transmit it to the brain, and...

What are the basic tastes? Where is information about taste detected in the body? In this activity students taste four mystery substances and learn that the tongue is covered with taste buds, which contain taste receptors that...

Messages within the brain and the rest of the nervous system are sent very rapidly. These messages are conducted by cells called neurons. Neurons are specialized to receive and transmit message and neurons are connected in networks. In...

Why do teenagers seem so much more impulsive, so much less self-aware than grown-ups? Cognitive neuroscientist Sarah-Jayne Blakemore compares the prefrontal cortex in adolescents to that of adults, to show us how typically "teenage"...