The document discusses key facts about the brain and how it learns. It states that the brain has between 100-200 billion neurons. It explains that dendrites grow when a person learns new things or practices skills, and that repeated practice is important for making learning permanent. The success of learning depends on actively engaging in tasks and getting feedback, as this helps the brain form accurate connections between neurons.

1. Brain Theory

2. Brain Theory
Learning Intention
• To understand how my
brain receives, stores and
retrieves information.
Success Criteria
• I can name the brain cell
and the name of the part
that stores memories.
• I can understand that I am
able to learn new and
different things, but I must
practise them to make the
learning permanent.

3. GKR
Hands Up “What do
you know about the
brain?”
What does
the title tell
me?
What do I
predict the
text will be
about?
What can
the pictures
tell me?
What do I
already know
about this
topic?
What
words do
I expect
to see?
What
images come
to mind?
What will I
do as I
read?

4. Hook
The average human brain the size of ‘The Age’ broadsheet

5. Key Vocab
dendrite
synapse
theory
neuron
endorphins

6. Brain Theory
Brain Fact: You are born with 100-200 billion
brain cells.
You can’t grow brain cells.
A billion is 1,000,000,000 (9 zeroes) so your
brain has between
100,000,000,000 and 200,000,000,000 cells
making it up.

7. Brain Theory
Brain Fact: The brain has 100-200
billion brain cells.
Dendrites grow each time you listen
to/ write about /talk about, or
practise something.

8. Brain Theory
Brain Fact: The brain has 100-200 billion brain cells.
Each Cell has up to 20,000 of these.
So in total your brain can store at least
100,000,000,000 x 20,000 = 2,000,000,000,000,000 pieces of
information.
That’s 2 Thousand Trillion, kids.

9. Brain Theory
Brain Fact: The brain has 100-200 billion brain cells.
Each Cell has up to 20,000 of these.

10. Brain Theory
Brain Fact: The brain has 100-200 billion brain cells.
Each Cell has up to 20,000 of these.
The brain makes dendrites each time learning is done.
The more we practise what we learn the thicker the dendrite
becomes and the messages from the dendrites travel quicker.

11. Brain Theory
Brain Fact: The brain has 100-200 billion brain cells.
Each Cell has up to 20,000 of these.
Brain Cells are called Neurons
Each Neuron can handle 50,000 messages per minute
WOW!, that’s 833 every second!!!

12. Brain Theory
Brain Fact: The brain has 100-200 billion brain cells (Neurons).
Each Cell has up to 20,000 of these.
Brain Cells are called Neurons.
The spaces between Dendrites are called Synapses.
Dendrites use electrical signals to send messages to other
Dendrites across the Synapses.
That’s why drinking water is important (especially on hot days).

13. Brain Theory
Brain Fact: The brain has 100-200 billion brain cells.
Dendrites use electrical signals to send messages to other
Dendrites across the Synapses.
That’s why drinking water is important (especially on hot days).

14. Brain Theory
Fact: Doing and Learning new things grows dendrites.

15. Brain Theory
Fact: Doing and Learning new things grows dendrites.
New Dendrites take time to grow, it takes practise to learn to
grow
DENDRITES
And practise takes time and effort.

16. Brain Theory
Fact: Doing and Learning new things grows dendrites.
However, the dendrite connection is very fragile. In 20 minutes
you will only remember 60%.
In 24 hours only 30%.
If you practise within 24 hours and then practise again, you can
remember 80%.

17. Brain Theory
Fact: Doing and Learning new things grows dendrites.
The dendrites grow for what you are practising.
If you watch other people solve problems, you grow dendrites for
watching others solve problems.
You are not growing dendrites for solving problems,
UNLESS, you are solving the problems yourself.
No one can grow dendrites for you – you have to do it!!!

18. FLIGHT OR FIGHT
Fact: Our Emotions affect how we learn.
When you are anxious or not confident about learning, certain
chemicals shut the synapses down.
Run, Get away – this is the flight response.
When you are confident with your learning other chemicals
make the synapses work.
I can deal with this – this is the fight response.

19. Brain Theory
Fact: Our Emotions affect how we learn.
What are the good chemicals that help synapses?
Endorphins.
Your body makes endorphins when you relax, exercise, laugh,
or learn new things.
You can practise producing Endorphins – it wil help when you are under stress.

20. Brain Theory
Intelligence: Fixed or Changeable?
As we have seen, the more things you learn, (and the more you
practise them), the more you will grow dendrites.
The more dendrites you have the smarter you are.

21. Brain Theory
Intelligence: Fixed or Changeable?
Your brain can grow dendrites in the same way you keep
breathing. It is an auto function of the body.
But you need to practise.

22. Brain Theory
Intelligence: Fixed or Changeable?
How Long can you hold your breath?

23. Brain Theory
Intelligence: Fixed or Changeable?
You must do something active (explain, draw, write, solve, etc)
in order to learn because…
Dendrites only grow when you are actively doing something.

24. Brain Theory
Intelligence: Fixed or Changeable?
Dendrites only grow from existing dendrites. New things must
connect to and grow off existing knowledge.
If existing prior knowledge is not there, new learning will seem
to “go right over your head”.

25. Brain Theory
Feedback
Learning from mistakes by getting feedback and having
mistakes corrected (and good efforts praised) means you check
the accuracy of your connections.
This is very important so you don’t practise the wrong thing and
build a strong, but wrong connection.

26. Brain Theory
Your brain is like any other part of your body, use it or lose it!

27. Brain Theory Review
What do I know now
about the Brain that I
didn’t know before?