Mr. Egghead Egg Drops

For the past few weeks, we have done a unit on the brain. In one of our lessons, we discussed the importance of the skull and the cerebrospinal fluid and how those two things help to protect our brain. I did a class demonstration and then put the students into groups for them to design their own protective gear for Mr. Egghead. Their 'skull' and 'fluid' had to allow their 'brain' to survive a fall from the ceiling to the floor. Below you will find each group's handy work. They did a really great job with this assignment!

This group used a plastic container and bubble wrap.

This group used a plastic container, marshmallows, toothpaste, and foam.

This group used a plastic container, bubble wrap, a foam egg carton, and packing peanuts.

This group used a plastic container, duct tape, cotton balls, and oil. My hands we SO yucky after handling that darned egg! :)

This group used a plastic container, macaroni salad, and applesauce. So sorry about the blurry 'after' picture of this one!

This group used a plastic container, marshmallows, pudding, and jello.

This group used a wodden baby doll that opens, cotton balls, and bubble wrap. This is DEFINITELY the most original container all day! :)

This group used a rubbermaid container, ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, tooth paste, glue, jello, pudding, chocolate syrup, regular syrup, honey, water, fudge, and caramel. Yuck-O!

This group used a milk carton, liquid starch, foam, glue,food coloring, and saran wrap.

This group used a plastic container, play dough, germ-x, and glue.

This group used a rubbermaid container, play dough, wonder dough, germ-x, liquid soap, and canola oil.

Cell Cakes

Here are some pictures of our cell cakes. These were done while I was out on maternity leave, but I wanted to post the pictures, because I think they turned out GREAT!!

Pipe Cleaner Neuron

We made these neat neuron models from pipe cleaners. The white is the axon, the blue is the myelin sheath, the yellow on the right tip is the axon (synaptic) terminal, the green is the cell body, and the red ones are dendrites.

Potato Head Recipe

We made a 'Potato Head' in class which replicated the weight and consistency of an actual brain. Many of you asked for the recipe, so here it is....

1.5 cups (360 ml) instant potato flakes
2.5 cup (600 ml) hot water
2 cups (480 ml) clean sand
1 gallon ziplock bag

Add all of the ingredients into the ziplock bag, and mix it up well! Ewwwww....it even feels warm like a real brain!

The Nerdy Neuron!

So here I am in all my glory, dressed as a neuron! Everything white is a dendrite, everything black is the cell body, the pink is my axon (with the knee socks as the myelin sheath) and the blue shoes are my axon (synaptic) terminal! Who knew neurons could be so much fun?!?!

Welcome to our new class blog!

Hi everyone! Many students have expressed interest in instructions and/or recipes for experiments and activities that we do in the classroom. I thought this would be a great way to share information!