LESSON 5 The Powers of the Mind

Part I. Learning Module Information

the concepts about mental health and wellbeing particularly stress and coping
Content strategies in middle and late adolescence
Standards
Performance identify his/her own vulnerabilities and plan on how to stay mentally
Standards healthy while coping with stress
Most Essential Identify ways that help one become capable and responsible adolescent
Learning prepared for adult life
Competencies
(MELC) Discuss understanding of mental health and psychological well-being to identify
ways to cope with stress during adolescence
Duration Q1 Week 6-7

Objectives:
At the end of this module, you will be able to:
1. Discuss that understanding the left and right brain functions may help in improving one’s learning,
2. Explore mind-mapping techniques suited to right brain- or left brain-dominant thinking styles, and
3. Make a plan to improve learning using both left and right brain development.

Part II: Learning Explorations 3 MAJOR PARTS OF BRAIN

1. The Cerebrum (Forebrain)-is the largest of
THE THREE MAJOR PARTS OF BRAIN
the three brain sections. It accounts for about
85% of the brain’s weight, and has four lobes.
4 lobes of Cerebrum
Frontal-determines personality and emotions.
Parietal-helps people understand what they see
and feel
Temporal-hearing and word recognition abilities
Occipital-vision functions

The Cerebellum (Hindbrain)-it controls

controls voluntary movement. Ex. When you
want to lift your fork, wave your hand, brush your
hair or wink at a cutie, you form the thought and
then an area in the cerebellum translates
your will into action. It happens so quickly.
Neurons-basic functional units of the nervous
system and the key to brain function. They are
comprised of a nerve cell body, axon and dendrite,
and they power the rapid-fire process that turns
thought into movement.
The Brain Stem (Medulla)-it connects the
spinal cord and the brain. It control functions that
keep people alive .
 What happens inside your brain when you hear something new?

 During the first three years of life, the brain experiences most of its growth and develops
most of its potential for learning. That’s the time frame in which synaptogenesis, or the
creation of pathways for brain cells to communicate.
 Research shows that the brain is more like a muscle, it changes and gets stronger when you
use it.
 People don’t know that when they practice and learn new things, parts of their brain change
and get larger like muscles do when they exercise.
 Studies have found that marijuana use hinders memory, learning, judgement and reaction
times while steroids cause aggression and violent mood swings.
 Scientist have found that drug destroys neurons that make serotonin, a chemical crucial in
controlling sleep, violence, mood swings and sexual urges.

The Real Truth About What Can You Do to

“Smart” and “Dumb” Get Smarter?
No one thinks babies are stupid because they can’t talk.
They just haven’t learned how to yet. But some
people will call a person dumb if they can’t solve ACTIVITY #1: BRAIN DOMINANCE
math problems, or spell a word right, or read fast—
even though all these things are learned with
practice. At first, no one can read or solve equations.
Just like a weightlifter or a basketball
But with
player, to be a brain athlete, you have to
practice, they can learn to do it. And the more a exercise and practice. By practicing, you
person learns, the easier it gets to learn new things— make your brain stronger. You also learn
because their brain “muscles” have gotten stronger! skills that let you use your brain
The students everyone thinks as the “smartest” may
in a smarter way—just like a basketball
not have been born any different from anyone else.
player learns new moves. But many
But before they started school, they may have started
people miss out on the chance to grow a
to practice reading. They had already started to build
stronger brain because they think they
up their “reading muscles.” Then, in the classroom,
can’t do it, or that it’s too
everyone said, “That’s the smartest student in the
class.” They don’t realize that any of the other hard. It does take work, just like
students could learn to do as well if they exercised becoming stronger physically or
and practiced reading as much. Remember, all of becoming a better ball player does.
those other students learned to speak at least one Sometimes it even hurts! But when you
whole language already— something that grownups find feel yourself get better and stronger, all
very hard to do. They just need to build up their “reading the work is worth it!
muscles” too.

Directions: Write YES if you agree with the statement, NO if not.

_____1. I am very organized.

_____2. I remember faces more than names.
_____3. I think things through before making a decision. If you have more “YES” answers from
_____4. I make a to-do list. numbers 1-5 you are probably left-brain
_____5. I work best in a quiet space. dominant, while if you have more “YES”
_____6. I daydream a lot. answers from 6-10, you are probably right-
_____7. I hate taking risks. brain dominant.
_____8. I tend to get emotional.
_____9. If someone’s mad at me I can tell even without the person saying a word.
_____10. I trust my ‘’gut-instinct

THE DOMINANT SIDE OF THE BRAIN

Researchers believed that brain dominance determines a person’s preferences, problem-solving style,
personality characteristics, and even career choices. For example, a right-brain individual will quickly get a
feeling for a situation, while a left-brain person will usually ask a lot of questions first. The following chart
reflects additional difference between left and right-brain dominance

PERSONAL PREFERENCE
LEFT DOMINANCE RIGHT DOMINANCE
Classical music Popular music
Being on time A good time
Careful planning To visualize the outcome
To consider alternative To go with the first idea
Being thoughtful Being active
Monopoly, scrabble, or chess Athletics, art, or music

There is nothing good or bad about either preference. Both orientations can be equally successful in
accomplishing a single task; however, one may be more appropriate over the other depending on the
situation.

ACTIVITY #2: MIND MAPPING

MIND MAPPING
Mind mapping is a powerful thinking tool. It is a graphical technique that mirrors the way the brain works, and
was invented by Tony Buzan. Mind mapping helps to make thinking visible. Most people make notes using
lined paper and blue or black ink. Making notes more attractive to the brain by adding color and rhythm can
aid the learning process, and can help to make learning fun. The subject being studied is crystallized in a
central image and the main theme radiates out from the central image on branches. Each branch holds a key
image or a key word. Details are then added to the main branches and radiate further out. Mind maps have a
wide variety of uses, for example, note taking, revision planning, planning for writing and problem solving can
all be successfully carried out using the technique. The colors and the graphics used will help children to
organize their ideas and thoughts. They can be very simple or, quite detailed depending upon the age of the
children and the complexity of the subject. Because creating the mind map involves the use of the left and
right brain, remembering the information becomes easier!
Below is an example of a simple mind map linked to the information above.

How to draw a mind map:

1. Use the back page of your worksheet.

2. Choose between Covid-19, New Normal Class and Election as your subject of the map.
3. Add the branches representing the subject’s main topics or themes using key words or images.
4. Add detail with more key words and images.

What did you learn?

1. Describe the brain and its value in learning and human work?
2. What do you need to develop or adjust in your way of thinking to improve learning?
3. How can you study your lessons more effectively in class and at home?

Your answers are expected during our online class.

Part IV: Internet Links

Source: Dodd (2004). Learning to Think: Thinking to Learn,

http://aysinalp.edublogs.org/files/2013/09/TheBrainandLearning-1f6e16y.pdf