These brief video segments can be used alone or in combination, to introduce a topic or to spark discussion among your students. The video segments can be adapted for any grade level. Stream the video segments from the players below, or scroll to the bottom of the page to find downloadable QuickTime versions of the videos. These videos are also used in the lesson plan Journey into the Brain (Grades 9-12).
The Human Spark: Brain Matters, selected segments
A Matter of Size
A look at the brains of a rat, monkey, chimp and human and a discussion of why some brains are bigger than others.
Scanning the Brain
An introduction to MRI scans.
The Brain in Action
A look at the regions of the brain that are activated during different tasks.
Downloadable QuickTime versions of the video segments:
(Note: To download a video, right click on the video title and click “Save Link As…’ or “Save Target As…”. On a Mac, press the CTRL key and simultaneously click the mouse, then save the link.)