Acceleration Group Lesson 2

Phineas Gage
A Gruesome but true story about brain science
Lesson 2

Multiple Choice

Phineas was first treated by

• Dr. Williams

• Dr. Harlow

• Nurse Cavendish

Multiple Choice

Then he was treated by

• Nurse Cavendish

• Dr. Williams

• Dr. Harlow

​Go to page 12 in your journal

​Go to page 13 and answer question 2!

Elevates Phineas' head

​Extracts the bone fragments

​Puts pieces of skull back into place

Pulls loose skin back over skull

​Bandages everything securely

Question 2 Journal page 13:
​

I think the doctors' treatment impacted Phineas by ____________________________________
because the text says ______________________.

​Possible Answers:

Poll

Which type of injury is worse? Open brain injury or Closed brain injury?

• Open

• Closed

Question 4 on Journal page 13
​

I think the (open/closed) ________brain injury is worse because the text says  ______________________________.

Go to Page 13 in your journal and answer question 4

Open Ended

Based on your reading of the text, what were the factors that enabled Phineas to survive? Record your initial response to the question, and include evidence from the text that supports your view. (page 14 in your journal)

Discuss the original question with your partner. Try to convince your partner that your response is correct. Take turns sharing your arguments and evidence, using your original response to the question for reference.

​

Choose a partner to complete the next task

Poll

How did the discussion with your partner affect your views?

• I changed my mind about the reasons for Phineas' survival

• I did not change my mind about the reasons for Phineas' survival

Poll

What most influenced your thinking about the reasons Phineas survived?

• Evidence from the text

• Evidence or concepts I know from outside of the text

• My partner's ability to explain important ideas

• Talking through the problem with another person

Open Ended

The author says that Phineas had a “stroke of luck” (19). Do you think Phineas was lucky? Why or why not? (page 15 in your journal)

Multiple Choice

Based on the information in the text, what conclusion can you draw about the doctors' treatment of Phineas?

• The doctors only wanted to experiment and did not care about the outcome.

• The doctors intentionally withheld treatment from Phineas that could have improved his condition.

• The doctors treated Phineas according to the best medical knowledge of that time.

• Phineas would have suffer no side-effects from the injury if he were treated with the medical knowledge we have today.