Neurotransmitters

Name: Chris Knipp

Lab Instructor: Rudy
Lesson topic:

Neurotransmitters and their functions

Neurotransmitters are an important part of behavioral neuroscience, one of
the many subsections of psychology
o Knowing the different types and their functions is very important to
understanding the endocrine system and the neural system, in more
depth
Indiana Standard(s):

P.2.7: Compare and contrast the effect of neurotransmitters on human

behavior
Once again, this standard discusses an important part of behavioral
neuroscience, a field within psychology
Considering my course theme deals with psychology in secondary education,
this standard shouldnt be too difficult to accomplish within a high school
level course
Target audience/students:

High School students enrolled in Psychology

o Grades 10-12
There is always a possibility for diversity in a high school class; diversity in
culture, race, ethnicity, age, and even learning abilities and environments
o To address these issues, it is important to make sure that:
Instructions are clearly stated
Lecture is simple enough for everyone to understand
Outline the functions of each neurotransmitter as clearly as
possible
Make the interactive module as simple as possible
More confusion creates less learning
Culture, Race, and Ethnicity are not things that are worrisome
when discussing a subject that relates to every human
Age diversity shouldnt be a major issue either, but could explain
gaps in knowledge
Since most psychology courses in high schools are only
offered as a one semester course with no other levels,
every student should be at the same understanding of
psychology
Learning gaps in abilities and environment types will be evident
within the classroom
The interactive module will stay simple enough that every
student should not have an issue with completion
 Effectiveness of the activity may vary between students
however
Lesson objectives:

Be able to differentiate between multiple neurotransmitters with given

information on roles
Understand how a neurotransmitter functions at a neural level
Know what the different neurotransmitters are

Learning environment:

The learning will take place in a computer lab within the school
Students will receive a lecture at the front of the classroom while computers
load
Materials needed for the lesson

Computer/Laptop with attached internet

Worksheet for students to fill out during the lecture
Paper (Spare if needed)
Pen/Pencil
Textbook

Procedures:

Begin lesson with a brief lecture on neurotransmitters (NT)

o More specifically, mention these NTs
1. Glutamate
2. GABA
3. Melatonin
4. Serotonin
5. Dopamine
6. Acetylcholine
7. Endorphins
8. Cannabinoids
9. Oxytocin
o Hand out a worksheet relating to lecture
Students arent required to take their own personal notes or fill
out the worksheet, but it would be helpful to the next activity for
them to complete the worksheet during the lecture
The worksheet will contain spaces to write the names of the
neurotransmitters, space to write their functions, and space to
describe what daily activities or events they might affect
o During the lecture, elaborate on each neurotransmitter and describe
their function and daily uses
Make sure to cover what the students will need to know in order
to complete the worksheet
o Continue the lecture by discussing where neurotransmitters work
and how they function on a neural level
 Discuss how theyre released from the axon by molecules, how
they travel across the synapse, how they attach to receptors,
and how they then affect the neuron
Also discuss surrounding basic functions, such as reuptakes and
reuptake inhibitors
Discuss how reuptakes can cause depression
After the lecture is finished, introduce the interactive module to the class
o An interactive quiz on Quizlet with images matching to definitions as
well as functions
o Will change around what students are matching
o Quiz will contain names of the 9 neurotransmitters (mentioned above),
definitions, functions, and images
o Students will see either the definition, function, or image, and have to
label the neurotransmitter
o Students will then be redirected to a game created on the Quizlet app,
where the functions and definitions will be shown and students will
only have a certain amount of time to answer
As the rounds increase, the time given decreases

Assessment

Students will be assessed on the quiz they are provided with during the
interactive module
Will use the score of the quiz for assessment as well as completion of their
worksheet
Quiz (IM) will be created on the website Quizlet
o Students will then record their score on both items
Will also require teacher viewing
Can be done with calling teacher over or emailing a
screenshot of their score
o A student can try as many times as they would like, in order to get the
best score possible
Resources

Using a website on definition and functions of Neurotransmitters

Quizlet
Will use a textbook that the students are using for their psychology course