The Emotion Center
If you were walking through the woods and suddenly saw a bear, which part of your brain would jump into action to make you feel scared?
What is The Amygdala
Scenario Question: It’s a very hot summer day, and you’ve been playing outside. You start to sweat. Which part of your brain told your body to start sweating to cool you down?
What is The Hypothalamus?
Fill in the Blank: If you want to remember the answer to a test or the way to your best friend’s house, you can thank your _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
What is the Hippocampus?
Multiple Choice: What is the main job of the spinal cord?
a) To help you balance.
b) To connect the brain to the rest of the body.
c) To make you feel emotions like happiness and sadness.
b) To connect the brain to the rest of the body.
Scenario Question: You are playing soccer. You decide to try and score a goal (planning), feel the grass under your feet (touch), hear the crowd cheering (sound), and see the goal ahead (sight). Which four lobes are you using?
(*Hint*: Name all four lobes of the brain)
Frontal Lobe = planning/decisions; Parietal Lobe = touch/body position; Occipital Lobe = sight; Temporal Lobe = hearing/memory.
True or False: The amygdala is ONLY responsible for feeling fear and does nothing else.
False. It also helps with excitement, aggression, and recognizing emotions in others.
True or False: The hypothalamus is about the size of a grapefruit.
False. It is about the size of an almond or a pea.
Scenario Question: Your family moves to a new town. At first, you don’t know your way around, but after a few weeks, you know the route to school by heart. Which part of your brain helped you learn and remember this new route?
What is the Hippocampus?
Fill in the Blank: The spinal cord is a thick bundle of __________ that runs down your back inside your backbone (spine).
nerves (or neurons)
Fill in the Blank: The lobe at the very front of your brain, right behind your forehead, is called the __________ lobe. It helps you make good choices and stops you from saying something that might hurt a friend’s feelings.
What is the Frontal Lobe?
Fill in the Blank: The amygdala is often called the brain’s __________ and __________ center, helping us react to things that might be dangerous or exciting.
fear and emotion
Name one job of the hypothalamus?
Making sure your body stays at the right temperature (98.6°F/37°C).
Telling you that you are hungry or thirsty.
Multiple Choice: Your hippocampus is like a:
a) Mail carrier, sending messages to your muscles.
b) Librarian, filing away new memories and helping you find them later.
c) Security guard, protecting you from danger.
b) A librarian, filing away new memories and helping you find them later.
True or False: If you touch a hot stove, your spinal cord helps send a message from your hand to your brain and then a message back to your hand to pull away, all in a split second.
True
Name one job of the temporal lobe?
Helps you hear, understand language, and remember music.