Activities to Celebrate Brain Awareness Week

Pro-Vision Academy charter school puts students’ education first. Brain Awareness Week is a great time to focus on ways that kids can make their brains stronger, healthier and more efficient. Keep reading to learn more about Brain Awareness Week, brain activity and tips for making the brain stronger.

 About Brain Awareness Week

Brain Awareness Week is about celebrating the control center of our bodies. All around the country between March 16-22 organizations will be putting on special presentations, providing information on social media and encouraging people to learn more about what makes our brains tick.

The week was originated by The Dana Alliance for Brain Activities as a way to get more people interested in learning about the brain and supporting research. Partners all over the world come together to share information about how the brain works, including schools and educational facilities.

At Pro-Vision Academy we’re doing our part by including brain function studies in the science and health courses for our middle school andhigh school students.

 The Basics About Brain Activity

Everything you do, every thought you have and every emotion you experience is controlled by the brain. Our brain is what makes us who we are. It’s the most complex of all organs and scientists are learning new things about how it works every day. Here is what they have discovered about brain activity.

Our brains are divided into sections that are responsible for controlling certain functions and behaviors. The brain’s nerve cells communicate with each other within the section and  build connections with cells in other sections in order to “talk” to each other using brain signals.

There are many different types of nerve cells. Each one is built to carry out the function for their brain section, and the action of one nerve cell has a direct effect on many other cells. Scientists are now conducting research to try to learn more about each type of brain cell, how they connect and the part they play in overall brain activity.

The brain is the epicenter of a much larger system. The nervous system includes the brain, nerve cells, ganglia (clusters of nerve cells), nerves and spinal cord. Nerve cells called neurons transmit signals to and from the brain to deliver vital information that helps us function. The nervous system is broken down into two components:

Autonomic (Involuntary) Nervous System: This component controls all our basic, vital functions such as breathing and blood pressure. It’s all the stuff that happens without you even thinking about it.

Somatic (Voluntary) Nervous System: This component includes the nerves that connect to muscles and skin and tell the brain what is being felt and how to move.

The brain is always active. Even when you’re sleeping the brain is constantly working. If it took a break, your heart would stop beating and your lungs would stop breathing.

Tips for Making Your Brain Stronger

Now that you have a better idea of how the brain functions, it’s time to take steps to improve your brainpower. These simple, everyday activities can help keep your grey matter healthy and strong.

• Learn Something New Everyday – The more you exercise and challenge your brain the healthier it will be as you age. Train your brainwith fun games like crossword puzzles, Soduku, etc.
• Get Active – Exercise helps increase blood flow to the brain.
• Play Some Tunes – Listening to music or playing an instrument can boost cognitive brain function.
• Sleep More – Sleep helps your brain restore itself and reset after a long day of working. Power naps have also been shown to boost mental power.
• Consume Healthy Glucose – Our brains use glucose as fuel. Focus on eating things like fruits, blueberries and coconut oil for healthy sources of glucose.
• Eat Omega-3s – This healthy fat is good for your brain and your heart.
• Sit in the Sun – Sunlight helps our bodies product Vitamin D, which aids nerve growth in our brains.
• Get More Vitamin B12 – Recent studies have shown that people who lack Vitamin B12 lack cognitive skills and sometimes experience brain shrinkage.

 Visit the UT Health Science Center of Houston During Brain Awareness Week

The University of Texas Health Science Center of Houston will be holding a special event for kids during Brain Awareness Week. On March 19th from 6-8pm the school will host Brain Night for Kids at the Health Museum. It is a free event that will feature workshops about how the brain works and what causes reflexes. Kids can even hold a real brain!

Original source: http://www.provision-inc.org/events/activities-celebrate-brain-awareness-week/