MM-Unit 4-Lesson 12-Meet Your Brain

Meet Your Brain

3 Key Lobes

Your brain has different lobes

Each lobe has a different responsibility in the body, and today, we're going to learn about three of them.

Prefrontal Cortex

The first part we will discuss is the Prefrontal Cortext, or PFC. The PFC is like the boss of your brain. It makes decisions and choices and helps the other parts to work together. The PFC keeps growing until you are in your mid-twenties. Most of the time your PFC is in charge of your brain. Put your hand on your forehead; your PFC is right behind your skull.

Hippocampus

Another interesting part of your brain is called the Hippocampus. This is the part of the brain that makes and stores your memories. You might think of the hippocampus as the librarian of your brain, storing up all of your memories, like books in a library or your hard drive. It's deep inside your brain.

Amygdala

The last part we're going to learn about is the Amygdala. The amygdala is one of the most interesting and one of the most troublesome parts of the brain. The amygdala is like your brain's security guard. It is always on the lookout for danger. When the amygdala thinks your in danger, it reacts. It doesn't think, it just reacts.

Match

Match the following

• Memory

• Deep Thinking

• Emotional Response

Hippocampus

Prefrontal Cortex

Amygdala

• Hippocampus

• Prefrontal Cortex

• Amygdala

Multiple Choice

If you get angry, which lobe of the brain is responsible?

• Prefrontal Cortex

• Amygdala

• Hippocampus

Multiple Choice

If you need to think through a big problem, which lobe of the brain will be working the hardest?

• Hippocampus

• Prefrontal Cortex

• Amygdala

Multiple Choice

If you are trying to remember what you did earlier in the day, what part of your brain are you using?

• Amygdala

• Hippocampus

• Prefrontal Cortex

Amygdala in Action

Protection

Sometimes, our amygdala helps to protect us using reactions. For example, if a ball is thrown at you, you don't think about reacting to it, you just move or hit it out of the way.

Anger

• Sometimes the amygdala totally overreacts.
  

• For example, have you ever had someone do something small, and you totally lose your temper?
  

• Sometimes your amygdala can't sense whether danger is real or not, but it tries to protect us anyway.
  

• This can lead us to always feeling like we need to protect ourselves.

Anxiety

• This can also happen when we feel anxious or nervous.
  

• For example, if you've ever had stage fright, you're not actually in danger, but it feels like you are.
  

• Worrying can also feel like you are in immediate danger, and the thing you're worried about could be something entirely out of your control.

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When you feel the amygdala take over, let the PFC drive.

Multiple Choice

You touch a hot stove and quickly pull your hand away when you feel how hot it is. What part of your brain did you just use?

• Prefrontal Cortex

• Hippocampus

• Amygdala

Multiple Choice

Using this response can mean responding negatively like physically pushing or hitting someone. But it can also mean yelling, using mean words, blaming others, stomping your feet, etc.

• Fight

• Flight

• Freeze

Multiple Choice

This type of response to danger could mean running away or trying to escape. Like leaving the area or leaving the room.

• Fight

• Flight

• Freeze

Multiple Choice

This type of response could mean you physically and mentally “shut down”. It might mean your body is stuck and you can’t move, or it could mean your brain has stopped understanding what’s going on.

• Fight

• Flight

• Freeze