Our Third Grade Brains

In the Primary Years Programme, a unit of study often starts with a visual or question that sparks students to think, wonder, and imagine, preparing them for further study. Our third graders recently had a much more provocative experience when they visited our science labs; they dissected a brain.

Our third graders began their unit of study on learning by examining and sketching the core parts of the brain. They noted the differences between each section and began to wonder if each section had a different or specialized function.

Over the unit of study, our third graders will begin to understand how we learn and how our brain changes and develops while learning. Understanding neuroplasticity and how our brain works will help our students to understand that there are things they can do to support their own brains and improve learning.

While our third graders are already smart, we are pretty sure they will become even smarter over the next few weeks.