Life Science Lesson Plan: Understanding the Nervous System

Author: Ilia Willison

Subject/grade level: 4th
Materials:
Rulers (1 for each pair)
Data collection/quick write sheet (1 for each student)
3 size balls such as a tennis ball, basketball, and large bouncy ball
Pencils
Whiteboard
Whiteboard marker
iPads or cameras (if available)
Screen or projector to show videos from students
Rubric (1 for each student)

Performance Expectation(s):
4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external
structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and
reproduction. [Clarification Statement: Examples of structures could include thorns,
stems, roots, colored petals, heart, stomach, lung, brain, and skin.] [Assessment
Boundary: Assessment is limited to macroscopic structures within plant and animal
systems.]

Disciplinary Core Idea(s):

LS1.A: Structure and Function
• Plants and animals have both internal and external structures that serve various functions in
growth, survival, behavior, and reproduction.

Science and Engineering:

Asking Questions and Defining Problems
Developing and Using Models
Planning and Carrying out Investigations
Analyzing and Interpreting Data
X Engaging in Argument from Evidence
Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
Constructing Explanations and Designing Solution
Obtaining, Evaluating and Communicating Information
Crosscutting Concepts:
Patterns
Cause and Effect
Scale, Proportion and Quantity
X Systems and System Models
Energy and Matter
Structure and Function of Matter
Stability and Change
Engagement
Have a student come up to the front of the class and have them hold out their arms.
T: “I am going to test you, not a normal test, but a test of how fast you can react.”

Throw a large ball gently towards the student. Have them return it and throw a smaller ball
towards them. Once they return that ball, throw an even smaller ball.
T: “Which ball was harder to catch? Why?”
The student will respond and you will have them return all 3 balls.

T: “We are going to test our ability to grab a ruler as fast as we can using measurements in
order to test our coordination.”

Exploration
Pair students and give each student a data collecting worksheet and one ruler for each pair.
Also, provide one iPad or camera per pair for them to video their results.

Ask the students to choose a “Dropper” and a “Catcher.”

Instruct the “Catchers” to rest their arm on the desk with their hand over the edge of the desk.
Instruct the “Dropper” to hold the ruler at the tip above the “Catcher’s” hand for them to be
able to catch the falling ruler.

Students will set up the camera on the iPad to face the catcher and film each attempt separately.
When they are done, they will send their best round to the teacher to show on the screen.

When they are ready, they will say “ready…set…go…” and drop the ruler for the “Catcher” to
grab. Wherever their hand is, they will measure the number of centimeters it took to catch the
ruler. The rule is that the measurement will be the centimeter mark above the hand grasping the
ruler. They will record this information on their data sheet.

Have students switch jobs when they have recorded the data for the first “Catcher.”

The teacher will walk around the classroom, checking for understanding and asking inquiry-
based questions such as, “How does your hand know when to grab the ruler? How do you think
you can get a lower number of centimeters? What affects your ability to grab the ruler? Etc.”

Have students send their best round to the teacher to display on the screen.

Explanation
T: “Who in your pairs had the quickest response, or the lowest number of centimeters needed
to grab the ruler?” Have student pairs share aloud their top result and make a note of it on the
whiteboard.

T: “What caused you hand to grab onto the ruler so quickly? How did your hand know when
you needed to grab it?” Record ideas and observations on the whiteboard.
T: “Where does the signal originate that causes your hand to close?” Take answers and guide
students with additional questions to the brain. Then ask, “How does that signal get to the
hand?” Take answers and guide students to thinking about nerves and the nervous system.

Instruct students to draw a diagram of how they think the brain is able to connect to the hand
and send signals.

Elaboration
Show the students https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ta_vWUsrjho
Ask comprehension questions such as, “What is a neuron? How does this help us understand
what was happening during our experiment?”

Show student videos of their best trials in their pairs that they sent.
T: “What makes these students grasp onto the ruler quicker than others?”

Write the words “nervous system,” “nerve,” “brain,” “hand-eye coordination,” and “dendrite”
on the whiteboard with a picture and definition. Have the students read each word and
definition aloud to identify important vocabulary needed in their understanding of the topic.

T: “Why do you think it is important for us to have a nervous system? What if we didn’t have
a nervous system? What if our nervous system was damaged, what would happen?”

Evaluation
Evaluate student understanding by having them do a quick write based on the question, “Why
is it important to have a nervous system and how does it work?”

Students will turn in their data sheets and quick write reflections.

Differentiation
EL: Students will be paired with those who are willing to assist them in writing. They may be
given the opportunity to dictate their responses for the worksheet and have a student or the
teacher record their response. Visuals will be used, such as the video as well as a lot of
questioning instead of written responses.

SPED: Have SPED students in pairs with those who are willing to assist them in the ways
that they may need. The lesson includes hands-on experiences to keep students engaged.
Students can provide verbal responses to the questions, if needed, and those responses can be
recorded on their worksheet. Their pair-member can assist in writing the data down. Visuals
will be used through the video. For those who may need assistance grabbing the ruler, the
teacher can help them by asking them if it is okay to grasp their hand to help in grabbing the
ruler as it falls. If they are not comfortable with it, you can ask if they would prefer a buddy
to do it for them so that they may collect the data.
GATE: Have GATE students in pairs that are based on mixed abilities. Allow them to help
with handing out and collecting the materials. Also, they can assist with managing the
technology and sending of the videos to the teacher. You can encourage them to write more
on the quick write portion of the lesson if they wish.
Think Fast! Name:__________________

Record your results from you round of being the “Catcher” below:

Round Measurement in
Centimeters

1 cm

2 cm

3 cm

4 cm

5 cm

How do you think the brain sends signals to your

hand? Draw it in the box below.
Quick Write: Why is it important to have a
nervous system? What would happen if we
didn’t have a nervous system? What if it is
damaged?
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