The Brain
Mrs. Wilson thought that 4th graders could handle a little bit more information about the brain than we have been able to handle in the past. The first thing we talked about was how we respond when we get upset. Whether we are angry, sad, stressed, overwhelmed, scared, or just "yucky," Mrs. Wilson says our body tends to respond mostly in one of three ways: Physical, Invisible, or External. She says it is important to know which is our primary response type so that we can respond appropriately and in a way that will actually be helpful to us.
old information on the brain...what we already know:
New information on the brain...more details about the limbic system!
We are simply building on what we already know:
The Prefrontal Cortex is a more specific part of the frontal lobe. It is kind of like the "president" of our body - it thinks things through and makes the decisions.
The Amygdala is part of the limbic system - it is the emotion center of the brain. It's job is kind of like the "secret service" or a "security guard." When it perceives strong emotions, it realizes it is faced with a possible threat. It needs to decide how to respond. If there is true danger, the brain stem will take over and fight or flight will occur. However, oftentimes, the amygdala is over-sensitive and starts to respond before it has the full story. You need to stop and breathe to make sure you are responding appropriately to your emotions and to the external situation.
The Hippocampus is also part of the limbic system - it is the memory center of the brain. It is kind of like a "reporter" or "documentarian." It's job is to remember external events so you can respond more quickly and appropriately to them in the future.
The Prefrontal Cortex is a more specific part of the frontal lobe. It is kind of like the "president" of our body - it thinks things through and makes the decisions.
The Amygdala is part of the limbic system - it is the emotion center of the brain. It's job is kind of like the "secret service" or a "security guard." When it perceives strong emotions, it realizes it is faced with a possible threat. It needs to decide how to respond. If there is true danger, the brain stem will take over and fight or flight will occur. However, oftentimes, the amygdala is over-sensitive and starts to respond before it has the full story. You need to stop and breathe to make sure you are responding appropriately to your emotions and to the external situation.
The Hippocampus is also part of the limbic system - it is the memory center of the brain. It is kind of like a "reporter" or "documentarian." It's job is to remember external events so you can respond more quickly and appropriately to them in the future.
Here is a great video that talks about the importance of breathing (and techniques to control your breathing) to keep your prefrontal cortex in charge and keep our amygdala from overreacting. |
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