To Help Your Student Practice their Oral Presentation

Nervous System Study Guide

Please practice with your child as they present their model to you.

Cerebrum-

Actions that take place in the cerebrum:

• 85 % of the weight of the brain
• 9/10 the size of the brain
• The outer layer of the cerebrum is the cerebral cortex.
• Voluntary muscles. (voluntary muscles are those that we can control- for skiing, walking, jumping, writing, etc)
• Thinking
• Learning
• Personality
• 5 senses
• Emotions
• Intelligence
• Memory- long term and short term
• Left side of the cerebrum controls the right side of the body. Right side controls the left side of the body.
• There is a thick bundle of nerves that connects the hemispheres so that they can “talk” to each other.
• Left hemisphere of the cerebrum:      
• Math
• Science
• Logical reasoning
• Right hemisphere of the cerebrum:
• Art
• Music
• Creativity

Cerebellum-

• Balance and Coordination

Brain stem (also called the Medulla)-

• “central computer”
• “Post office”- sorts messages received from the body and sends them to the brain. Receives messages from the brain and sends them to the body.
• Involuntary muscles (involuntary muscles work on their own such as breathing, heart beating and digestion)
• Reflexes

Spinal cord-

• Carries messages from the body to the brain
• Carries messages from the brain to the body