The main roles of the frontal lobes in brain functioning - the regulation of voluntary movement, thinking, planning, decision-making, concentration, problem-solving, behaviour, emotion, language and memory
Its basic structure including the left and right frontal lobes, the primary motor cortex, the prefrontal cortex and Broca’s area
The roles of significant substructures
Damage to the lobes can result in changes in personality and behaviour and impairments in executive function, memory, and speech production
The frontal lobes operate in coordination with other areas of the brain to carry out different functions
And apply knowledge to other contexts in a meaningful manner
Activity 1.
Activity 1. Broca’s aphasia vs Wernicke’s aphasia
Instructions: Ask students to determine from the following information whether the patient has Broca’s Aphasia or Wernicke’s Aphasia. Scenario 1: When asked about a dental appointment, the patient responded,“Yes…Monday…teeth…doctors…nine o’clock...unhappy...drill ...teeth...hole”. Scenario 2: When asked why the patient was in hospital, the patient responded, “I am sweating, very nervous, you know, once in a while I get caught up, do not mention the car, quite a little I done a lot well. I think while on the other hand you know”. Scenario 3: Kimberley fell off her bike and suffered brain damage. She was able to pronounce the word “accident” but could not describe the incident. What part of the brain was damaged?
The contrast of the Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas is inclined to aid student understanding as it compares two different lobes (the frontal and temporal lobes respectively). Students can call upon previously learnt knowledge to help grasp new information. This activity underlines that different lobes in work in coordination to carry out brain functions, in this case the function of language, which is one of the learning objectives. Connections are drawn among ideas, adding purposeful meaning and potential insights to the learning.
Teachers can ask students to justify their answers. Students are also likely to benefit from class discussion or exchange of ideas in small groups which teachers can oversee and facilitate. Social learning has been established as unequivocally vital to learners of all ages. Asking students to explain their choices broadens critical thinking (a General Capability of the national curriculum) and reasoning skills of students. In other words, this task extends beyond traditional rote learning methods in that it provokes higher order cognition. It challenges students to weigh the evidence and form an argument which support their claims. In conducting the activity, teachers provide students possibilities to employ what they have covered in lessons in a realistic setting. Learners are able to apply theory to another context and observe it in practice. Highlighting the utility and relevance of material learnt in class can reap many education rewards for students and teachers.
Peer discussion allows students to have a say and allow teachers to demonstrate to students that their opinions are valued and respected. Regardless of backgrounds and prior experiences, all students are equal and deserve to voice their opinion. When students feel adequately safe and welcomed at school, successful learning outcomes are more achievable. This activity is supportive of inquiry-based learning since the students are at the centre of the learning process and teachers are facilitators who seek to learn more about their students. In addition, students are required to probe real-life questions and issues through examinations of individual cases and social experiences.
There is the option for teachers to formulate scenario descriptions of their own using the given examples as a guide or completely from scratch to encourage students to apply class material. Not only would this help student learning, it also bolsters the understanding and creativity of teachers. At the conclusion of the task, teachers may ask students to write their own scenarios for homework and swap with one another next class to further their understanding. Or the teacher can compile the work of all students next lesson and distribute a copy to everyone as a useful tool for revision.
Activity 2.
Activity 2. Teachers can inform students of the famous case of Phineas Gage
In 1848, a railway worker named Phineas Gage was involved in a workplace accident that resulted in metal rod being thrust through the top of this skull, behind his left eye socket and through his left cheekbone. Gage was left with permanent brain damage to his prefrontal cortex. He was still able to speak and perform voluntary movements.
Suggested questions to pick students’ brains:
Using what you know about the functions of the prefrontal cortex, what changes may have been observed in Phineas Gage’s behaviour?
This could be expanded on by asking, which behaviours would have increased and which decreased?
Gage was still able to speak and perform voluntary movements. Which brain areas does these actions mainly refer to?
What are the implications of this case study?
Personality changes were identified in Phineas. Which lobe of the brain is primarily concerned with personality?
Teachers may add, modify or omit questions to cater for the level of their students. It is possible for teachers to devise other cases and pose the same questions. Using this story as a guide, teachers can ask students to write up their own case and quiz each other. If students appear to require help with questions, teachers can allow more waiting time between questions, get students to write their ideas down or ask students to discuss in pairs before discussing as a whole class.
After the class has thoroughly considered the questions, teachers can clarify any misconceptions and errors, giving immediate feedback to students. Students can confirm their answers with the text below~ In 1848, a railway worker named Phineas Gage was involved in a workplace accident that resulted in metal rod penetrating through the top of this skull, behind his left eye socket and through his left cheekbone. Miraculously, he survived the accident and was still able to speak and move because his motor cortex and Broca’s area were unaffected. However, Gage was left with permanent brain damage to his prefrontal cortex. The brain damage resulted in personality changes; prior to the accident he was a calm and responsible man. But after he became emotionally volatile, impulsive, irresponsible, incapable of making good decisions and carrying out planned behaviours. Gage’s unfortunate accident, while tragic for him, gave researchers valuable information about the functions of the prefrontal cortex.
Retrieved from: Edwards, R., Marangio, K., Moore, V., Blaher-Lucas, E., Ganino-Day, F. (2013) Oxford Psychology Units 3 + 4 (2nd ed.). South Melbourne, Victoria: Oxford University Press
Teachers can also show this entertaining yet educational video clip of a person singing a song about the case of Phineas Gage to students https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGl5SUB8IXM
As an extension activity or a possible assessment task, teachers may challenge students to work in groups and generate a song, poem or rap about Phineas Gage and perhaps present it to the class. This enables them to build on skills in areas including social interaction, teamwork, peer relationships and confidence. These skills have the potential to lead to increased sense of belonging and connection to the school, which nurture student wellbeing and thus student learning. Constructing a song, poem or rap develops creativity and gives students choices and past research has endorsed the use of democratic classrooms. Such classrooms provide a physically and emotionally safe environment that will positively support the student’s learning, self-esteem and realization of their own values and attitudes. Creative medium such as songs are entertaining and memorable due to repetition, catchy tunes, rhythms and patterns. They are also suited to kinesthetic and auditory learners and hence useful for teaching and learning. The General Capabilities of - literacy, critical and creative thinking and personal and social capability are met. ICT capability is met if students appropriately consult digital technologies.
Another possible interactive extension activity is to ask students to enact out a roleplay of the Phineas Gage story in pairs. Much can be gained from roleplays in learning.
Develops communication and language skills
Allows students to act out and make sense of real-life situations
Allows students to explore, investigate and experiment
Develops social skills as children collaborate with others
Encourages students to empathises: by taking on the role of character teaches students an understanding of different perspectives.
Helps students learn about different cultures
Encourages students to express their ideas and feelings in a relaxed environment
Develops students’ awareness of themselves and others
Promote inquiry-based learning
Sparks creativity and imagination
Discussion of the case of Phineas Gage, an application of frontal lobe functions, is almost certain to spark engagement in students. It is a true and fascinating story that students will probably take an interest in. The case study provides the means for students to recognise and bring theory into play and it is disseminated through the medium of digital technology. Students will be able to firmly understand the implications of Gage’s incident as they are pertinent to the daily lives of humans. As humans, we can relate to functions executed by our brain. As humans living in a technologically driven society, a video is highly engaging, especially for learners who prefer visual and auditory means.
activity 3.
Activity 3. This activity is designed to be exercised before teaching the content. However it can be remodelled as an activity while learning or after learning as well. Teachers can ask students to draw a body surface map of the motor neurons (more motor neurons are devoted to the body part that requires more specificity). Students will be asked to draw a picture of a human being and enlarging body parts that require more specificity. Teachers may guide by getting students to classify the size of body parts according to motor neuron precision by creating a table or list with headings ‘small’, ‘medium’ and ‘large’.
A class discussion can be held to incite peer communication and let students know if they are on the right track.To get students get thinking about the drawing task, teachers can ask stimulating questions such as:
Which body parts would you expect to draw bigger?
Of these enlarged body parts, would they be equally inflated? Or would one be larger than the other(s)?
Justify your reasoning
Teachers can supply students with a rough outline human being or students who enjoy drawing may do so from scratch. This would be appealing to visual and kinesthetic learners, particularly students who relish in opportunities to express themselves freely through art. This task teaches students to observe and describe, analyze and interpret all with an open mind. Drawing may also be an efficient stress reliever and may be embraced by students due to its contrast to usual learning methods. For students who may not enjoy or excel at drawing, this challenges students outside of their comfort zone. Such hands-on activities are different to usual classroom practice and hence are likely to trigger interest of all students, including those who are at risk of disengagement. The General Capability of creativity is anticipated to be met and we know creativity is a worthwhile lifelong skill with many accompanying advantages. While engaging, it is critical that teachers ensure links are made to classroom material while employing this task. When connections are made to what is covered in class, it appears to be more significant to students and therefore more prone to be recollected in future and across varying contexts.
These types of learning activities directly involve the learner, by actively encouraging them to do something in order to learn about it. It is an effective way to learn if applied appropriately. Hands-on learning allows students themselves to observe and understand what is happening. This is a particularly successful way to teach kinesthetic learners, who learn best by example. Students can draw on their existing knowledge and attempt to formulate an argument as to why certain parts of the body need more specificity than others. It also encourages young pupils to do things for themselves, which will help them with learning independently later on in life. Important life skills such as these are often neglected in a situation where students are simply told facts and made to learn them by heart. There is no doubt that actively involving students will enhance their education. However, hands-on learning would be more effective if it was combined with traditional classroom instruction.