Running head: BRAIN-COMPATIBLE 1

Brain-Compatible Lesson Plan Modifications

Rebekah Blakeman

EDU 417 Cognitive Studies Capstone

Kenneth Caron

August 31, 2018

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Brain-Compatible Lesson Plan Modifications

Brain-compatible learning is teaching the students how they best learn; using techniques

to make a lesson plan that has the elements that the student needs. Parts of a brain-compatible

classroom are emotional wellness and safe environment; body, movement and the brain; time;

enrichment for the brain; assessment and feedback; and collaboration (Halupka, 2004, p 57).

Emotional having the students relate to the lesson on a personal level, have them talk about an

experience with the lesson. Making sure that the child feels safe in their environment, no stress a

safe place for them to discuss their thoughts and feelings.

Make sure that the topic is discussed as a whole, and made relevant to the students and

why they are learning about this. A movement has the children dance, sing, or even stand,

allowing movement can help the student remember more. Just standing up allows for the brain to

get more oxygen, the more oxygen the brain receives for more energy, less stress and also

increases the production of hormones that help grow and strengthen the connections in the brain

(Erlauer, 2003, p. 46). Allowing the students to have time and hands-on activities helps them

retain the information, as well as giving them feedback on what they did. The collaboration of

what was learned is another strategy that helps students. Modifications to make the lesson plan

more brain-compatible are simple but effective.

Modification began with explaining the objective, making sure that there was a reason for

the students to be learning about pumpkins. The objective was for the students to be able to make

observations and predictions about the pumpkins floating, insides and then testing the theory.

Adding a preparation allowed for the decorating of fall theme around the classroom, hanging

pumpkins and talking about them on a bulletin board can help the students with pre-exposure,

talking about what the lesson is about before talking about the lesson (Brooks, 2008, p.3).
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Making sure that the students are surrounded with the theme and have a full understanding of

what they are about to learn can help them.

Making sure that the students feel they are in a safe environment, bullying is not

tolerated, and the students can talk freely. Having the students sit on the carpet and discuss fall

and pumpkins allowing for them to talk about their concrete experiences of the pumpkins.

Concrete experiments are experiences that the brain has stored and is actual physiological

connections between neurons (Wolfe, 2010, ch. 11). Meaning all the times that the children have

seen and touched pumpkins their brain has stored that memory and the students can think back

and remember about pumpkins they have experienced. Talking about the different pumpkins and

their size and colors helps the students to make their predictions about the pumpkins. Having a

small fall dance party, finding some fun fall music allows for the students to get up and use their

body, moving can help their brain to get more oxygen and retain more.

Once the dancing is done the students then go to their area of their choosing, a place for

them to draw a picture about their predictions of what the pumpkin will look like on the inside,

as well as if it will float or sink. This allows for them to have a safe area around the classroom

with the seating they need as well as the lighting they need (Lackney, n.d., para 6). The students

are then able to come back to the front and test their predictions this allows for the feedback and

them knowing what happens and what is inside the pumpkin. Letting the students touch the

inside of the pumpkin and all over the pumpkin. Having small pumpkins for the students to color

on and decorate as well. Once the predictions are tested and proved, the students can give

feedback about what happened versus what they thought would occur as a group. The students

can cook and try out pumpkin seeds; this is a little bit of body and movement the students were

able to make something and eat it.

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This lesson plan can meet the needs of the diverse learners because it is individualized,

the discussion at the beginning allows for all of the students to talk about their experiences with

no pressure. Then time for reflection and going to their safe area to draw predictions is going to

be different for each student, allowing each student to predict something they want. The students

can work at their own pace and make one prediction or numerous. As the group comes back to

test their predictions the students can observe and participate as they want and need. Then

feedback and assessment are talking about the predictions that they made if they were right or

proved incorrect. Giving the students feedback and encouragement on their participation and

predictions helps them to feel pride in their work. As well as allowing the students to decorate a

pumpkin to take home and tell their family about the lesson they learned.
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References

Brooks, K. (2008). The 7-stage brain based learning lesson planning [Presentation Slides].

Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/kbrooks/the-7-stage-brain-based-learning-

lesson-planning-290516

Erlauer, L. (2003). The Brain-compatible classroom : Using what we know about learning to

improve teaching. Alexandria, Va: Assoc. for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Halupka, M. (2004). The Brain-Compatible Classroom: Using What We Know About Learning

to Improve Teaching Laura Erlauer. Science And Children, (4), 57.

Lackney, J. A. (n.d.). 12 Design Principles Based on Brain-based Learning Research. Design

Share. Retrieved from http://www.designshare.com/Research/BrainBasedLearn98.htm

Wolfe, P. (2010). Brain matters: Translating research into classroom practice. (2nd ed.).

Alexandria,VA: Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development.