"Emo-Circuit Safari: Journey Through the Brain!"

10th, 11th, 12th Grades Lesson 90 minutes

"Emo-Circuit Safari: Journey Through the Brain!"

Rennie G

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Purpose

Students will explore the intricate neural pathways involved in emotional events, linking neuroscience with the psychobiology of emotion. Through hands-on exploration and collaboration, they will map out and present an emotional circuit, demonstrating their understanding of the brain's role in emotional processing. This project not only deepens their grasp of core content but also fosters critical thinking and communication skills as they share their findings with peers and the broader school community.

Learning goals

Students will explore and map the neural pathways involved in emotional events, focusing on the psychobiology of emotions. They will develop a comprehensive understanding of how different brain regions and neurotransmitters interact in emotional circuits. Through a collaborative project, students will create and present a detailed model of an emotional circuit, demonstrating their grasp of the interconnectedness of brain pathways.

Products

Students will create a dynamic presentation that maps out an emotional circuit, detailing the neural pathways involved in a specific emotional event. This presentation will include visual diagrams, a narrative explanation of the psychobiology of emotions, and an analysis of the interconnected brain regions and neurotransmitters. Students will present their work to the greater school community during an exhibition, allowing for peer feedback and teacher critique, with opportunities for revision based on this input.

Launch

Begin with an interactive demonstration using a virtual reality app or simulation that visualizes brain activity during emotional responses. Students will explore how different emotions activate specific neural pathways. Follow this with a class discussion where students share their initial observations and questions, setting the stage for their deeper exploration into the psychobiology of emotions.

Exhibition

Students will present their emotional circuit projects in a school-wide neuroscience fair, inviting peers, teachers, and community members to explore their work. Each group will create an interactive display that visually maps the neural pathways involved in a selected emotional event, using models, diagrams, and digital media. Presentations will include a brief explanation of the psychobiology of emotions and a Q&A session to engage the audience in deeper discussions.

Rubric

Competency Progression Rubric Competency-first rubric

Category	Learning Goal	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 4
Content Knowledge	Neural Pathways Identification - Students should accurately identify and map out neural pathways involved in a specific emotional event, demonstrating an understanding of the psychobiology of emotions.	I can identify and map the key neural pathways involved in a specific emotional event, explaining how different brain regions and neurotransmitters interact to create emotional responses	I can identify and describe the main neural pathways involved in a specific emotional event, using visual diagrams and a basic narrative explanation that connects brain regions and neurotransmitters, showing some understanding of the psychobiology of emotions	I can accurately identify and describe the key neural pathways involved in a specific emotional event, using visual diagrams and narrative explanations to demonstrate my understanding of how different brain regions and neurotransmitters interact in these emotional circuits	I can accurately identify and map the neural pathways involved in a specific emotional event, demonstrating my understanding by clearly explaining the roles of different brain regions and neurotransmitters in emotional processing through detailed visual diagrams and narrative descriptions
Communication Skills	Visual and Narrative Communication - Students will create a dynamic presentation including visual diagrams and a narrative explanation, effectively communicating the interconnected brain regions and neurotransmitters involved in emotional circuits.	I can confidently create a clear and engaging presentation that includes visual diagrams and a narrative explanation, effectively showing how brain regions and neurotransmitters interact in emotional circuits I can use digital media and models to enhance my audience's understanding and can respond to questions during the Q&A session, promoting deeper discussions about the psychobiology of emotions	I can create a presentation that includes clear visual diagrams and a basic narrative explanation, showing some understanding of how certain brain regions and neurotransmitters are involved in emotional circuits	I can create a presentation that effectively uses clear visual diagrams and a detailed narrative to explain how different brain regions and neurotransmitters interact in an emotional circuit, ensuring my audience understands the connections in the psychobiology of emotions	I can effectively communicate the complex relationships between brain regions and neurotransmitters involved in emotional circuits by creating clear, detailed visual diagrams and a well-organized narrative that explains the psychobiology of emotions, engages my audience, and answers their questions confidently during the exhibition
Critical Thinking	Critical Analysis and Interpretation - Students should critically analyze and interpret the roles of different brain regions and neurotransmitters in emotional processing, presenting a coherent analysis in their work.	I can identify and describe the roles of different brain regions and neurotransmitters involved in emotional processing, using clear examples in my presentation to demonstrate how these components interact in a specific emotional event	I can identify and describe the main brain regions and neurotransmitters involved in an emotional event, showing a basic understanding of their roles and connections in my presentation	I can accurately identify and explain the roles of specific brain regions and neurotransmitters involved in an emotional event, providing a clear and logical analysis that connects these elements to the overall emotional process	I can accurately identify and explain the roles of specific brain regions and neurotransmitters in emotional processing, using detailed visual diagrams and narrative explanations to clearly communicate my understanding during my presentation
Collaboration	Collaborative Project Execution - Students will collaboratively design and present an interactive display, demonstrating effective teamwork and project management skills throughout the development process.	I can work effectively with my group to design and present an interactive display, contributing ideas, listening to others, and helping manage our project tasks to ensure we meet our deadlines	I can work with my group to create an interactive display that accurately maps out the neural pathways involved in an emotional event, contributing ideas and participating in discussions to improve our project	I can effectively collaborate with my team to design and present an interactive display, ensuring each member contributes to the development process and our final presentation clearly illustrates the neural pathways involved in an emotional event	I can effectively collaborate with my team to design a detailed and engaging interactive display that accurately represents the neural pathways involved in an emotional event, ensuring each member contributes meaningfully to the project development and presentation
Feedback and Iteration	Engagement and Feedback Integration - Students will engage with the audience during the exhibition, incorporating peer and teacher feedback to refine their presentations.	I can actively engage with my audience during the exhibition by listening to their questions and feedback, and I can use this input to thoughtfully revise and improve my presentation, demonstrating my ability to incorporate different perspectives and enhance my understanding of emotional circuits	I can actively engage with my audience during the exhibition by answering questions and explaining my project, and I can use the feedback I receive from peers and teachers to make specific improvements to my presentation	I can actively engage my audience during the exhibition by clearly explaining my emotional circuit project and responding thoughtfully to questions, and I can incorporate the feedback I receive from peers and teachers to enhance my presentation, ensuring it clearly communicates the psychobiology of emotions	I can effectively engage with my audience during the exhibition by actively listening to their questions and feedback, demonstrating my understanding by providing clear explanations, and integrating constructive criticism to enhance my presentation for greater clarity and impact

Learning Journey

Empathize

Students will engage in activities to explore and reflect on their own emotional experiences and observe others to gain a deeper understanding of the neural pathways involved in emotional events, setting the foundation for defining specific circuits of emotion in the next phase.