Teach Nervous System in Middle School Science Classes – A Guide covering Sense Organs

Middle school biology presents an exciting challenge to creatively present intricate topics such as the nervous system. Planning a lesson plan or a schedule to teach nervous system and sense organs that includes a fusion of hands-on activities with rigorous academic content around them, requires a lot of work and preparation by an educator. As an experienced middle school teacher of 15 years, I humbly share some of my insights through this blog about teaching nervous system and sense organs in middle school grades, with an aim to help as many educators as possible.

What is the human nervous system?

The nervous system is a sophisticated network of nerves and cells, known as neurons, that transmit signals between different parts of human body. It’s like the body’s control center and communication highway, guiding everything from movement and sensation to thought and emotion.

The Brain as Our Command Center

Beginning the discussion with the analogy of a computer CPU, I like to expand our discussion on nervous system to the brain, it’s subdivisions and brain function in the nervous system of human body. I cover with my students, important brain parts like:

• cerebrum (responsible for voluntary actions and intelligence)
• cerebellum (balance and coordination)
• brainstem (involuntary actions like breathing).

Reading notes on nervous system may include insights into the structures of the system and their roles in relaying information and regulating bodily functions. Apt and colorful diagrams / visuals in my stations on nervous system give detailed clarity of the location of all the basic parts of the brain.

The Nervous Network: Central Nervous System and the Peripheral Nervous System

You can try the tactile string activity explaining the differences between the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and peripheral nervous systems and their functions. Delving into the spinal cord’s importance, we explore its role in transmitting messages between the brain and the rest of the body. I generally like to follow this activity with a worksheet to check their understanding of the sub-units of the nervous systems already covered. Here are the basics of central nervous system and peripheral nervous system:

Central Nervous System:

The Brain

• The command center of the entire body, overseeing both voluntary actions (like walking) and involuntary actions (like breathing).
  
  Divided into several parts, including :
• Cerebrum: Responsible for thought, memory, senses, and movement.
• Cerebellum: Regulates balance and coordination.
• Brainstem: Controls basic life-sustaining functions like breathing and heartbeat.

The Spinal Cord

• A long, thin structure that extends from the base of the brain down the back. It carries messages between the brain and the rest of the body. A long, thin structure that extends from the base of the brain down the back. It carries messages between the brain and the rest of the body.

• A long, thin structure that extends from the base of the brain down the back. It carries messages between the brain and the rest of the body.

Peripheral Nervous System:

This is divided into:

Somatic Nervous System:

Controls voluntary movements and transmits sensory information to the CNS.

Autonomic Nervous System:

Regulates involuntary actions, like heartbeat and digestion, and is further split into the sympathetic (prepares the body for stress or action) and parasympathetic (relaxes and calms the body) systems.

The Science Behind Reflexes

Role-playing reflex actions is a simple and fun activity to understand the concept of reflexes and their relation with our nervous system. I like to introduce nervous system task cards with fun diagrams and questions asked to revise and apply the knowledge of this unit better. In-depth discussion about the neural pathway of reflex actions – how sensory neurons receive stimuli, relay to interneurons in the spinal cord, and activate motor neurons for responses, etc. are important part of this sub unit and a class of teaching nervous system.

 Neurons: The Building Blocks

A neuron crafting activity is a great entry point to help understand its complexities. Reading notes / power point slides are generally used in my classroom to explain in depth the cell body’s role, the axon’s function in transmitting signals, dendrites as receptors, and synapses as communication junctions. The significance of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin may also be discussed.

Sense Organs

The sense organs are discussed towards the end of this unit for better understanding of the connections of the sensations of taste, smell, hearing, touch and sight with the nervous system. The transmission of nerve impulses that help us sense everything around us via the sense organs can be understood clearly at this point because the understanding of the role of neurons, brain and the spinal cord is in place for the students. Again, sharing visuals / diagrams of sense organs will help in better understanding of this subunit.  

Nervous System Infographic – Brain, Neurons, Sense Organs

The Nervous System: Doodle and Color by Number Activities

After the completion of the academic information on nervous system and sense organs, I really like to emphasize on revision and repetitions for better grasping of these important biology topics. I love using nervous system doodles / graphic organizers for sense organs. They help the students explore the details given on the doodle sheets, see the missing boxes to be filled, apply their knowledge and understanding of the unit and fill the graphic organizers and even color them. This gives me a clear idea of where do they stand in terms of understanding the concepts of nervous system and sense organs. Additionally, I love using color by number activity for nervous system. This is a fun way to revise and reinforce the concepts as they answer the questions while they enjoy coloring,

Nervous System in the Real-World:

I enjoy sharing some news about human body system developments going on at the time in the world and in general share some extra information. I feel this helps the students understand the importance of learning such important topics. They understand how they could use the knowledge of their bodies in the future to stay healthy, fight diseases and help family and friends with some insights if they need them. For example, insights on blood-brain barrier’s protective mechanism, the importance of neuroplasticity, and the consequences of nervous system malfunctions like multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease are a few topics that may be discussed at this point.

The File Folder Project on Nervous System:

This simple but fun file folder project could be a good way to end the unit of nervous system. It is a simple cut and paste kind of activity with great visuals and emphasizing on the functions of the different parts of the nervous system and brain. This activity can be very engaging for students – can be done in groups or individually – and can be an important part of student interactive notebooks.

Hands-On Activities for the Nervous System in the Classroom:

Beside the activities discussed above, I would like to share some other easy but fun activities that can be incorporated at different times during the course of teaching nervous system.

Touch and Tell: Students close their eyes and identify objects using only touch, highlighting tactile receptors.

Taste Test: Using different flavored candies, students map out the taste regions on their tongues.

Balance Beam: A simple beam tests balance, emphasizing the role of the cerebellum and inner ear.

Flashlight Pupil Test: Demonstrating the dilation and constriction of pupils in response to light.

Two-Point Discrimination Test: Using paper clips to test skin’s sensitivity in various areas, showcasing nerve densities.

Homemade Neuron Model: Craft supplies like pipe cleaners and beads simulate neuron structures.

Brain Hat: Using templates, students craft a wearable brain, labeling each lobe.

Reaction Time Tester: Dropping a ruler and measuring the catch time illustrates neural processing speed and reflexes.

Musical Stimuli: Observing reactions to different types of music, exploring auditory processing and emotional responses.

Hope you will have fun using them in your classroom!

Concluding the Nervous System and Sense Organ Units in Middle School Science Grades

Through an academically enhanced approach and engaging activities done in my classroom, middle school students navigate the nervous system’s complexities, transitioning from the neuron’s microscopic marvels to the holistic orchestration of the brain in a fun way while retaining the content for a long time. Specifically for the nervous systems, The Science Arena has a great bundle of teaching resources for teachers – https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Nervous-System-Activities-Graphic-Organizer-Color-by-Number-Diagrams-BUNDLE-9297602 – this can be used across multiple classes of teaching the human nervous system.