Neural Networks An APS Workshop & Classroom Unit

This unit updated June 2002 Marsha Lakes Matyas, Ph.D. APS Education Office, [email protected]

Adapted from a unit developed by the Columbus, Ohio Frontiers in Physiology Local Outreach Team, 1997, Bethesda, MD: American Physiological Society.

Purpose: The purpose of this learning cycle unit is to engage students in an exploration of and reactions through inquiry-based activities.

Objectives Students will: • Make active observations about various reflexes and reactions and what the difference is between the two; • Connect their own experiences with reflexes and reactions to the observations they make; • Express their current understanding of reflexes and reactions to allow identification and correction of possible misconceptions; and • Develop skills in experimental design, methods, and data collections and analysis.

Major concepts • Reflexes are involuntary responses to stimulation from the environment. • Reflexes require sensory neurons, , and motor neurons to the effector system in which the behavior is seen. • Reflex behavior has three main properties: o Speed of response o Purposefulness o Stereotyped nature • Reactions are voluntary responses to stimulation from the environment. • Reactions require neural networks in the brain that are involved with conscious behavior. • Reactions require more time than reflexes do. • Reaction times may be decreased slightly by practice.

Neural Networks Workshop Outline

Start Total Segment Overview Procedure time time 8:15 15 Jurassic This “engage” activity is 1. Make sure students have am min Park clips designed to get students pen and paper to write down thinking about reflexes observations. Ask students to and reactions. write down every reflex or reaction they see in the film clip. 2. Begin the movie from Chapter 11 and continue until the bathroom scene without sound (muted). 3. Run it a second time with sound. 8:30 15 Brainstorm This segment generates 1. Divide an overhead am min list a list of observations transparency into two and hypotheses about columns: “reflex” and reflexes and reactions “reaction.” that will be addressed 2. Ask students to share their throughout the unit. observations from the clip Make sure you do not and indicate whether they react to the think it’s a reflex or reaction. classifications, just write DO NOT define these terms or them as they are given. indicate whether they are correct or incorrect. 8:45 20 Concept Student groups generate 1. Review concept am min map a concept map of what map/graphic organizer development they “know” about principles. Concepts should reflexes and reactions. be written on sticky notes Use large Post-It paper (they should use one color), and have groups share and write relationships on their concept maps by lines (use one color of pen or posting them around the pencil). room. 2. Use transparency to provide a list of key words that should be included in the concept map. 3. Set Teach Timer for students to view.

9:05 55 Open This segment engages 1. Show procedure on overhead am min inquiry students in an open projector and review. Allow 20 inquiry about one of minutes for hypothesis and two reflexes in humans experimental design (pupillary or knee jerk). development and approval. Use Teach Timer. Allow 35 minutes for data collection, analysis, and poster development. Use Teach Timer. 2. IMPORTANT: Groups MUST have approval from an instructor before carrying out their procedure! 3. Each group should create a poster summarizing their procedure and their findings. It should include hypothesis, methods, results table, and conclusions. When completed groups should display posters to be reviewed by other groups as they finish and during break. 10:00 10 Break Groups should post their am min posters on the wall and review the other groups’