AGC’s 1st and 2nd graders have been enjoying a taste of Neuroscience 101! In a Wellness unit about mindfulness and the brain, students have learned important skills to care for their brains.
Students learned the role that the hippocampus, amygdala and pre-frontal cortex play in their social and emotional functioning, how neurons send messages in the brain, and how they can gain better control over emotional responses using mindful breathing and meditation.
Students made non-fiction chapter books to share what they’ve learned with their peers and families. Just like an understanding of nutrition and energy helps us feed ourselves better, demystifying brain activity is helpful for people of all ages to develop better self-control and master emotional responses that might interfere with learning, play, and work. Teachers and families have noticed students using these tools and their new vocabulary when they find themselves getting frustrated, angry, or overwhelmed.
This understanding can help people of any age gain important control over their reactions, helping them to become better students, friends, colleagues and global citizens.
!["[Deep breathing] helps your prefrontal cortex focus and make good choices. Deep breathing calms your emotions."](https://agcchicago.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/mindful-book-6.jpg "mindful book 6")
