Fifth grade students at Kelly School weren’t sure what a neuroscience activity day would look like, but most would agree that they didn’t anticipate holding a real brain in their hands.
“I’m nervous!” exclaimed one student, sliding her chair away from the tray that held a display of real, preserved animal brains. However, moments later, she eagerly held out her gloved hands for a turn holding the brain of a rat. After reflection, she was glad to have taken the opportunity.
“It’s weird, but it’s cool.”
Examining the brain was just one component of the pop-up neuroscience laboratory that took place at Kelly School in early May. The program was led by Dr. Marta Sabariego, assistant professor of neuroscience and behavior at Mount Holyoke College. She was supported by a cohort of neuroscience majors—and a professional dancer.
For the first half of the program, Roshay, a local hip hop artist and dancer, led students in a dance activity set to different genres of Latin music. Students followed along as he broke down choreography into steps and then moved in synchronicity. This part of the day served two purposes: To make students consider how they learn movement and what that might have to do with the brain and to “get some energy out” before they dove into science workshops, Rochay explained.
Following the dance activity, all three fifth grade classes moved to the Kelly library, where Dr. Sabariego and her Mount Holyoke neuroscience students—donned in white lab coats and gloves—set up a rotation of science, art, and movement activities to introduce a variety of neuroscience concepts.
In addition to the brain-handling station, which allowed students to understand the texture and scale of the brain as an organ, Kelly students used a microscopic camera to view brain imagery on a computer screen. This activity helped illustrate the connections between different areas of the brain. Nearby, students used colored pencils to highlight sections of the brain on printed diagrams they were given and to draw neurons and other brain components to reinforce their learning.
On the other side of the library, the Mount Holyoke students introduced the concept of neuroplasticity, which was illustrated through two familiar games: Twister and a bean-bag toss. Students were challenged to consider how their brain processed information into movement when they were in an unusual position, such as upside down on the Twister board, or how tossing a bean bag with distorted vision impaired their motor skills.
“This is an outstanding program,” said English language teacher Briget Reilley. “You can tell that all of the kids are paying attention and having fun while learning. These activities are making a big topic more engaging and approachable.”
According to Dr. Sabariego, that’s what it’s all about.
“Our ultimate goal is to cultivate a space where science is inclusive and engaging for everyone, empowering children from diverse backgrounds to see themselves as potential contributors to the scientific community,” she said.