Understanding the Nervous System

The year 9 Science classes have recently been studying the human nervous system. Last week they completed the dissection of a sheep’s brain which allowed them to see first hand the structure of the cerebral cortex, and the different lobes of the brain. They were also able to identify the corpus callosum, the structure that connects the two hemispheres of the brain.

Students then participated in an activity that highlights hemispheric specialisation of the brain. In this activity a callosotomy was simulated and students had to try and make a paper plane as well as tie a shoe lace without any visual stimuli, and only the left hemisphere having the ability to speak. As you can probably imagine, this was highly entertaining for the rest of the class, and it really allowed students an opportunity in a novel context to understand how each hemisphere performs specialised tasks.

Emma Toker
Teacher of Science