Lesson Plan: Structures of the Nervous System
Biology
This lesson plan includes the objectives, prerequisites, and exclusions of
the lesson teaching students how to describe the main components of the nervous system as
the brain, the spinal cord, and neurons and relate their structure to their
function.
Objectives
Students will be able to
- define the term stimuli,
- recall that the main purpose of the nervous system is to provide a coordinated
response to stimuli,
- recall that the human nervous system is made up of the brain, the spinal cord,
and neurons (nerve cells) that extend through the body,
- describe the structure and function of sensory, relay, and motor neurons,
- describe how neurons are adapted for their function, including the role of
dendrites, axons, and the myelin sheath,
- outline how impulses are transmitted across a synapse, including the role of
neurotransmitters.
Prerequisites
Students should already be familiar with
- the fact that the brain is a major organ of the body,
- the fact that the human body will react to changes in the environment (e.g., a
loud noise).
Exclusions
Students will not cover
- the detailed process of a reflex action,
- the structure of the brain,
- the detailed structure of cholinergic synapses.