Teach 2

Design & Teach

Challenge Statements for Action and Resting Potential
October 10, 2016
From Ben:
We'll be learning about action and resting potential in the animal nervous system.
build a lesson that helps people to understand:

Nervous messages are conducted as an electro-chemical pulse along a neuron.

In an un-stimulated neuron, cytoplasm is negatively charged relative to the extra-cellular fluid.
Stimulation initiates an abrupt change in the reversal of polarity. (The action potential.)
The action potential is self-propagating along the neuron.
Signals cross the gaps between neurons (synapses) via chemical signals (neurotransmitters) that
stimulate receptors on another neuron.

Students should be able to describe this process, represent it, and reason through how changing factors
in a neuron might affect neuron signaling (e.g. ion deficiencies or re-uptake inhibitors). I'll spend a few
days on this topic so don't feel like you need to take kids to complete mastery of all of it.

ESSENCE
Nervous messages are conducted as an electrochemical pulse along a neuron. Action potential is the
change in electrical potential associated with the passage of an impulse along a cell membrane within a
neuron.
Signals cross the gaps between neurons (synapses) via chemical signals (neurotransmitters) stimulate
receptors on another neuron.
LEARNING GOALS
1) Students will understand how electro-chemical pulses move along neurons to send messages
throughout the human body.
2) Students will understand the different parts of a neuron and their associated functions.
3) Students will be introduced to synapses, the method in which electro-chemical pulses are
translated into chemical messages which move from neuron to neuron.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
1) Students will be able to label the parts of a neuron.
2) Students will be able to explain how action potential moves down the length of the axon.
3) Students will be able to explain how electrochemical signals move from one neuron to another
LESSON PLAN (10:10 - 11:25)
Do Now
1. Complete on own

(10 mins - until 10:20)

(5 mins - until ~10:15)

2. Pair-share answers

(5 mins - until ~10:20)

Challenge
(50 mins - until 11:10)
1. Preparation videos and Challenge
a. Six Million Dollar Man (1:30)
(5 mins - until ~10:25)
i.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGO57y4td-c
ii.
TV Trailer: Sets the context for the challenge and generates excitement
b. Present the Challenge and Constraints (5 mins - until 10:30)
c. Cyber Motion by Wired (3:30)
(5 mins - until 10:35)
i.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJ_Zki8e8Kw
ii.
Machine Touch: more background for the challenge
2. Design in groups of 2
(20 mins - until 10:55)
3. Present and Observe
(10 mins - until 11:05)
a. Each group 1 minute (timer)
4. Put it all Together
a. Neural Transmission Video
(5 mins - until ~11:10)
i.
Introduce the video. Focus students on the overall concepts
ii.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHRC8SlLcH0
b. Review Put it all Together slide
(5 mins - until 11:15)
And the Winner is.
1. Ben identifies the group who wins the contract
2. Surprise award - check with Ben.
Exit Ticket

(5 mins - until 11:20)

Design Session Prompts And Hints

What are the considerations of your design?
What are the challenges you need to solve?
What are some of the functions the nervous system performs?
How might the nervous system perform them given what you know about how the body works?
What are some of the processes in the body which could be similar?
If a sensory message is not just an electric signal, what other process could be involved? Why?
What if there were no electrical charges in the body?
How can sensory messages be communicated to motor messages?
Resources:
Ben Ben Ben Ben -

Computer projector
Large sheets of paper
Colored markers
Surprise Award?