Activities for the Psychology Classroom: Build a Neuron

 I have received a complimentary product to review from Oriental Trading Company.

 The opinions here are 100% mine!

This a series of posts with ideas for the psychology classroom.  I received a box of products from Oriental Trading Company for this series of posts.  Each post will showcase an item from Oriental Trading Company and a lesson that applies that item to the psychology classroom.

Today I am building a neuron.

Model Magic could easily be used for any model building or hands-on activity.  Model Magic comes in a tub (what teacher doesn't love a tub) with 4-8oz packages for $16.99.

What is Model Magic?

Model Magic is a light, air-drying material.  It has a wonderfully soft texture and become super-light when it is air dried overnight.  Just be sure that you put it in a container or baggie if you don't want it to dry.

It makes me happy that I have so much of this great product and a container to store it in that can be re-purposed when I am finished.

I pair this glorious material with our biology unit in psychology.  This unit is all about the brain and biological functions that apply to psychology.  One of the topics is neurons.  The parts of a neuron all serve a different function, so I really want my students to know each part and what it does.  In order to accomplish this, we build models of neurons.

Students start by constructing the Axon and Cell Body. 

Next came the Terminal Buttons.

Finally we add the Dendrites.

These can be used several ways once they are complete.  A class can line them up to 'send' and message across the room.  They can be left on paper or cardboard to dry and displayed as models.  Students can make labels for all the parts as a quiz on the structure of the neuron.

I have a rubric, label set, and directions, so you can build a set of neurons with your class.  Grab it from my Teachers Pay Teachers store.

If you aren't going to dry your neurons to save them, the Model Magic can go in bags or containers for another project.

This stuff was so great to work with that I went out and bought secondary colors and neon colors.  My daughter got a hold of it to play with.  One of the containers was cracked, so the Model Magic was dry, but a quick call to Crayola resulted in a new package arriving later that week.

Stay tuned for more great ways to use Oriental Trading Company products in the classroom.

How would you use Model Magic in your classroom?

“This review is based strictly on my opinion. Others may have a different opinion or  experience with the product listed above. I was provided the sample free of charge by the  company or PR agency and I provided my honest opinion. No other type of compensation  was received for this review.”