Making Neuroscience Fun > Preparing to Use the Program

Preparing to Use the Program

PJ the Panda holding a pointer and pointing to a chalkboard with a picture of a brain with sunglasses on the chalkboard.

We have purposefully made this program as easy to use as possible  for the facilitators. The minimum preparation that should be done by the facilitator is viewing the story videos – either prior to presenting the materials or, if necessary, while presenting the stories. The SGI (Story General Information) page would also be useful to view prior presentation as they relate the SPEC stories to the learning objectives of the students.  

  • To prepare for presenting the program to students, it is encouraged for facilitators to watch each Story Video prior to showing it to children. The Story Guide Information (SGI) provides a brief overview of the story’s content and student objectives for the story. The Science Behind the Story (SBS) offers a more in-depth look at the neuroscience contained within the story, references and resources, and identifies national educational standards that align with the story.  
  • When selecting the activities, the Activities Summary is helpful. This document contains a brief description of each activity, approximate time for completion, and type of groupings (independent/partners/small or whole group). Each activity can also be modified, adjusted, or extended to meet the needs of the students. (Some activities provide suggestions.) 
  • Various forms of the summative assessment, Power Your Brain Challenge (PYBC) are included to analyze the students understanding of concepts presented. These could also be given as an informal pre-assessment to gauge growth throughout the program. 

Preparing to Use the Brain Health: It’s SPECtacular program:  

  1. Choose your grade level.  
  2. Determine timeframe (daily, weekly, monthly) for presenting the 6 SPEC Health stories for the grade level.  
  3. Determine how much time you can allot to each lesson.  
  4. Determine how you will present the Story Video (all at once or in segments).  
  5. Use the Activities Summary to choose your activities based on the time allotment and the student grouping of the lesson.  
  6. Use the Activity Materials and Instruction document to gather materials needed for activities and to see to how to present the activity.  
  7. Choose a method for assessment using the Power Your Brain Challenge (PYBC) provided.