Event(s) Summary
Number of Events Organized During Brain Awareness Week:
1
Year:
2016
Type of Events Held:
- School Program
Target Audiences:
- Elementary school students(1-5)
- Middle school students(6-8)
Approximate Number of People Reached:
120
Details of Major Brain Awareness Week Events/Activities:
As part of a community service learning project, my undergraduate students in Biology 102 (Human Biology) completed three BAW-related activities. Working in groups, students selected a topic within the field of neuroscience and designed an activity that would promote a better understanding of the selected topic for elementary students. First, undergraduates used iMovie to make a 3-5 minute movie that served as a introduction or a preview to the lesson plan that students would execute on week later. Second, after much preparation and practice, the undergraduates visited Nelson Place Elementary School in Worcester, MA and executed their lesson plan/activities. Students worked in groups and each group ran a distinct learning station for elementary students. We had four stations per day. We visited the school on two separate days. Thirdly, undergraduates made and shared iMovies with the elementary students a second time, after their on-site visit and lessons. This second movie served as s summary/reminder of the activities that the elementary students did the previous week. I think it went very well!
Event Planning & Publicity
Publicity Methods Used:
- Emails
Resources
Of the Dana Foundation publications/resources distributed at your event(s), if any, please indicate the three most popular. Please choose up to three. If "other," please indicate below:
- BAW Pencils and Erasers
What other downloadable materials would you like the Foundation to provide?
- Activities/Experiments
- New Puzzles/Games
- New Coloring Sheets
Feedback & Keys to Success
How do you feel BAW participation benefited your organization and the local community?
I feel that this community outreach activity helped my undergraduates more fully understand the content of the topic that was covered in their self-made lesson plan/activity. Sometimes, teaching is the best way to learn and I feel this was the case here. My students were all non-science majors and I think this community outreach project helped to make a general education requirement (such as my class) more memorable and exciting. In addition, the elementary students also found this memorable!
Please share any suggestions or lessons learned that may help others plan future events:
It was important to have good communication between my home institution and the local elementary school.
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