MODULE 3: INTRODUCTION AND LESSON 1
June 28
TODAY'S MESSAGE
Today we start off Module 3, which focuses on Sensory and Perception. It is also the first day of our Grace Period for Module 2. So if you haven't gotten all those assignments in for Module 2 yet do so for partial credit. The Grace Period for Module 2 ends on Friday.
The Grace Period for Module 1 is finished unless I have talked with you personally.
TODAY'S ASSIGNMENTS:
1. Complete the Module 3 Pre-Test. Take the pre-assessment quiz to establish how much about our topic you already know. You are required to take this pre-assessment, but don't worry. It does not impact your grade!
2. Review the Glossary and any vocabulary practice. You will be required to know the terms included for the post assessment at the end of the module.
3. Review Lesson 1 Notes to learn about the sensory system.
4. Complete the Lesson 1 Practice Activity.
5. Complete the Lesson 1 Assignment (Sensory System Trip).
TEACHER TALK 1
Sensation is the process by which our senses gather information and send it to the brain. A large amount of information is being sensed at any one time such as room temperature, brightness of the lights, someone talking, a distant train, or the smell of perfume. We only sense those things we are able too since we don’t have the sense of smell like a bloodhound or the sense of sight like a hawk; our thresholds are different from these animals and often even from each other.
Our sense of taste comes from the taste buds on our tongue. But, the sense of smell also affects our taste. The tongue is only able to taste four separate flavors: salty, sweet, sour and bitter. But, you might ask, how come different sweet foods taste different if there are only four flavors? That's because your favorite candy might be a combination of sweet and salty. And the chips in your chocolate chip cookie could be a combination of sweet and bitter. Everything you taste is one or more combinations of these four flavors.
Our sense of sight is all dependent upon our eyes. A lens at the front of the eyeball helps to focus images onto the retina at the back of the eye. The retina is covered with two types of light sensitive cells – the cones and the rods. The cones allow us to see color and the rods allow us to see better at night and also aid us in our peripheral vision. All of this information is sent to the brain along the optic nerv
The sense of touch is spread through the whole body. Nerve endings in the skin and in other parts of the body send information to the brain. There are four kinds of touch sensations that can be identified: cold, heat, contact, and pain. Hair on the skin increase the sensitivity and can act as an early warning system for the body. The fingertips have a greater concentration of nerve endings.
Our nose is the organ that we use to smell. The inside of the nose is lined with something called the mucous membranes These membranes have smell receptors connected to a special nerve, called the olfactory nerve. Smells are made of fumes of various substances. The smell receptors react with the molecules of these fumes and then send these messages to the brain.
Our ears, which help us hear, are made of two separate parts: the outer ear and the inner ear. The outer ear is the part that others see. It works like a cup to catch sound as it travels past our heads.
Today we start our study of sensation and perception. In Lesson 1 we will learn about our 5 senses, one of those being sight.
Did you know that colors can have an effect on our mood? Did you know that marketing executives use color as a ploy to get us to purchase their products? Did you know that according to some experts a persons favorite color says a lot about their personality?
In the Getting to Know You survey I asked each of you to share with me your favorite color. I want to share a few of your responses and the corresponding personality description. I'm interested to know if these pairings are accurate. Text me to let me know what you think or text me your favorite color and I can share your personality description.
Swetha Red: You are bold, passionate, and full of energy.
Tionna Purple: You are deep, calm, reliable and trustworthy.
Danielle Green: You are affectionate, loyal, and frank
Jaheim Blue: You are deep, calm, reliable and trustworthy.
Interesting Fact: One of the most evocative smells from childhood is crayons. A survey found that 85% of all people remembered their childhood when they caught the smell of Crayola Crayons.
When we started Module 2 your first thought might have been, “this is not an anatomy class, why are we taking the time to learn about various parts and functions of the nervous system?” Now we are in Module 3 learning about the five senses, something you probably learned in elementary school.
So, why???
We learned that the brain and other parts of our nervous system impact how our body physically responds to our environment, thus impacting the way we think, feel, and process information. Our five senses are just as important because they are our connection to the outside world. They send messages to our brain, our brain interprets that information which results in our perception of the world around us.
In preparation for tomorrow's assignments on the 5 senses take a few minutes to read the articles below. Trust me they’re worth reading! Both address the impact our 5 senses have on our daily lives in practical ways. Before reading the articles check out a few amazing facts about the senses.
- Ninety percent of a young child’s knowledge is attributable to hearing background conversation
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Some people can’t smell skunks
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Your taste buds die off and regenerate every few days. As you age, the cycle slows, dulling your ability to taste
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One in 20 men is at least partially color-blind, and color-blindness is 10 times more common in men than in women
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Your eyes will process 24 million images in your lifetime
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80% of what we experience as taste is actually smell
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Your back is the least sensitive part of your body
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Smell is the most sensitive of the senses. People can remember smells with 65% accuracy after a year, while visual recall is about 50% after three months.
The Psychology of Color in Marketing and Branding investigates what artists and interior designers have long understood -- how color can dramatically affect moods, feelings, and emotions. It is a powerful communication tool and can be used to signal action, influence mood, and cause physiological reactions. Despite the general lack of research in this area, the concept of color psychology has become a hot topic in marketing, art, design, and other areas, but researchers and experts have made a few important discoveries and observations about the psychology of color and the effect it has on moods, feelings, and behaviors. (adapted from psychology.about.com)
5 Senses and Depression investigates how using your 5 senses can help fight depression.
This site will help you review the major components of our senses.
TEACHER TALK 2
For today’s two assignments, the Sensory System practice quiz and Sensory System Trip assignment, you will need to have an understanding of the function of each the 5 sense systems. Click below to access a Google Doc that will help you complete today's assignments.
Retina: Eye structure that contains all of the photoreceptors (rods and cones)
Cones: Photoreceptors that receive visual information in color
Fovea: Eye Structure that is the point of best focus
Optic nerve: Sends visual information to the brain
Bones of the middle ear: Ear structures that amplifies the sound
Cochlea: Ear structure which contains hair nerve cells
Auditory Nerve: Sends hearing information to the brain
Olfactory lobe: Brain structure that receives smell information
Taste buds: chemical receptors on the tongue
Somatosensory cortex: Structure in the brain that receives touch information
IMPORTANT DATES THIS WEEK
6/30: End of Module 3; Take Module 3 Test and Honors Summative; End of Module 2 Grace Period
CONTACT ME
Text/Call: 919.602.5075
E-mail: christopher.watson@ncpublicschools.gov
Text anytime between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.
NCVPS Psychology
CITATIONS
Today's Assignments (Book Icon Orange, David Peters, Wikpedia Education Program Case Studies.pdf, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license
Teacher Talk (Red Silhouette - Teacher, Ben from Openclipart, Openclipart, Creative Commons CCO 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication license)
Shout Out (callout-quote-bull-speaking-bubble, Pixabay, Pixabay, CCO Public Domain license)
Important Dates This Week (Blank Calendar Page Icon, Jackaranga, Jackaranga, GNU Free Documentation License)
Contact Me (Smart phone mobile phone, Pixabay, Pizabay, CCO Public Domain)