Christopher Newport University

We did a neuron pipe cleaner activity and brain hat activity with dual-language second graders from an elementary school in the Newport News community. We connected with their teacher to put together this activity. Unfortunately, we could not meet with them in person to do so, but instead we filmed ourselves and put a how-to video on YouTube for them to watch and follow along. We also provided materials and supplies to conduct this activity in an individual zip-lock bag for each student. The materials included small and large pipe cleaners, beads, and brain hat sheets. In our YouTube video, we named each part of the neuron, its function, and gave a kid-friendly example to allow the students to fully understand the function. For the “make a neuron” activity, a small pipe cleaner was twisted about an inch below the end of a large pipe cleaner, and this represented the axon terminal. On the other end of the pipe cleaner, the students began putting beads, to represent the myelin sheath of the neuron. Another large pipe cleaner was made into the shape of a spiral and attached to the end of the main pipe cleaner, this was the cell body and the center was the nucleus. Smaller pipe cleaners were twisted onto the spiral to represent the dendrites. Thus, the children had their own pipe cleaner neurons! As for the brain hat, the students colored in the different sections of the brain, cut them out, and glued the two hemispheres together to make the brain hat. In our YouTube video, we described how to color code, cut, and glue the sections together. We also named each part of the brain and its function. Judging by young student reactions, we seem to have achieved our goal for this virtual workshop.

Participation in the event benefited the young children at the local elementary school as well as our institution by strengthening connections between the local community and out University.