BRAIN-ELECTRONICS ANALOGY TEACHING UNITS

Overview

The brain-electronics analogy lessons seek to give students an understanding of how the brain functions and how to replicate and augment brain function with electronics.

The teaching units seek to achieve three main objectives, namely:

1. Provide students with an understanding that the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) sends and receives control signals to produce effect in the body.

2. Enable students to identify and understand the relation between the human nervous system and man made electronic circuits in terms of structure and function.

3. Give students an overview of how electronic systems can be manipulated by the nervous system and vice versa as well as the importance of this phenomenon.

Standards

Arizona 2018 Science Standards:

7.L1U1.8 - Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to provide evidence that all living things are made of cells, cells come from existing cells, and cells are the basic structural and functional unit of all living things.

7.L1U1.9 - Construct an explanation to demonstrate the relationship between major cell structures and cell functions (plant and animal).

7.L1U1.10 - Develop and use a model to explain how cells, tissues, and organ systems maintain life (animals).

Next Generation Science Standards:

MS-ETS1-1 - Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

1. Learning goal/objective: Superficial understanding of central nervous system (CNS) function in sending and receiving control signals to produce effect in the body.

Learning Outcomes:

❏ Students will understand that the central nervous system sends signals to effector muscles in the limbs for motion to occur.

Assessments:

❏ Formative assessment: oral questioning to assess what students know about how the nervous system controls the ability of people to move. A high level explanation should be sufficient. Something along these lines: The brain sends electrical signals/pulses via the spinal cord to the nerves that are attached to the arm/leg muscles. The signals are transmitted from the nerves to the muscles and make the muscles move. There will not be a need to explain the mechanics of motion (contraction and relaxation).

❏ Summative assessment: sketch a flow diagram to explain how information is sent from the CNS over neurons to limbs.

❏ Summative assessment: build a paper model to describe how the nervous system works to cause the palm to open and close.

Materials:

❏ Colored A4 sheets (5-10 per student)❏ Plastic straws❏ Sewing Thread❏ Double sided tape❏ Writing tool (marker, pencil, pen)❏ Scissors❏ Large drawing sheets(optional);

Lesson Flow:

❏ Show an image of the nervous system[0] on the screen and ask students to name the image, its parts and functions.

❏ Proceed to show an animated video of the nervous system. [1]❏ Open Inquiry: Ask students to make diagrams that show how the nervous system

controls the arm to open and close. Emphasis should be on them showing that control is due to the CNS sending signals through the nerves to the hand. The diagram can be as simple as blocks with labels and arrows showing the direction in which signals are sent.

❏ Open Inquiry (take home assignment): Students should, with the help of parental assistance, use their design tools to build a paper figure of the nervous system function. They will watch the video [2] and implement the hand motion as a template. The thread represents the nerves and in this case the person pulling on the thread acts as the central nervous system (control center) of the paper model. The students can build upon their design to make fancier and more complex

designs that can include the brain and spinal cord, using large drawing sheets. (This is optional)

2. Learning goal/objective: Understanding the analogous nature of the nervous system and electronic systems.

Learning Outcomes:

Students will:

❏ learn about electronic components (processors, sensors, wires, etc) and how they are similar to human anatomical structures.

❏ be able to build basic electronic circuits that mimic the human nervous system.❏ be able to show how the nervous system sends signals from the brain to effector

muscles to induce motion by using electronic system sketches.

Assessments:

❏ Summative assessment: given two columns (one with images of electronic components and the other with images of human structures), draw lines that connect analogous parts to each other. (Arduino - Brain; Limbs - Servo motor; Sensory organs - Ultrasound sensor/ Photodiode, Nerves - Wires)

❏ Summative assessment: sketch a flow diagram of how a lighting electronic circuit works.

❏ Formative assessment: build an electronic circuit to mimic nervous system function of brain signalling to cause movement and listening. Students will build an online electronic circuit to move a servo motor.

Materials:

❏ Free tinkercad account for tutor [3]❏ The tutor will have to create a tinkercad account and create a class and add

the students to the class. [4] (watch creating a classroom video and joining a class video)

❏ Writing tools (paper and pen/pencil)

Lesson Flow:

❏ Play video of Boston Dynamics robot. [5] and explain how alike humans and the robot are. The robot was able to see the door and use its arms to open it. It was able to move and avoid obstacles. Also, it was able to lift objects just as humans would. We learnt earlier that humans are able to do what they do as a result of the nervous system. What is the nervous system of robots like?

❏ Show images of electronic components (processors, wires, motors, ultrasonic sensors); explain the function of each of the components and how they are analogous to the nervous system. Where humans have a brain, robots have a processor. Where we have nerves, the robot has wires. Where we have arms, the robot has motors, and where we have eyes the robot has an ultrasonic sensor.

❏ Conduct first summative assessment. (In a remote environment, have students write down the names on paper and match them. See slides.)

❏ Guide the students as they build either the servo motor and ultrasound system. (Using the online simulator). Explain how the system functions like a human being. The ultrasound sensor acts as our eyes or ears. When it notices an incident, the servo motor (which acts like our arms or legs) will move. (watch ‘building the circuit’ video)

❏

3. Learning goal/objective: Understanding how electronic components can be controlled using human generated signals and the application of such technology

Learning Outcomes:

Students will:

❏ learn about human-computer interactions (how electronic systems assist with human function).

❏ learn about real world applications of human-computer applications.

Assessments:

❏ Summative assessment: write about real world applications and the importance of human-computer interactions.

Materials: Video screen with good internet.

Lesson Flow:

❏ Students are given a brief oral introduction to brain-computer interactions. ❏ Students then watch a series of videos on BCI’s. [6] [7]❏ Think-Pair-Share: In groups of 3 and 4, students will have to discuss and come up

with other ways (aside from those they have watched) that BCI’s can be used in everyday life. They will have to write a short report and present orally to their other classmates. Students may continue this conversation at home.