Brain Power: Exploring Reaction Time and Building Your Own Helmet
Students explore reaction timeCopyright Jessica White
Students explore how animals and humans process sensory information and respond by conducting a reaction time experiment of dropping a ruler to see how quickly they can catch it. They then build a model using various materials to represent how their brain and body work during the experiment. Additionally, students learn the importance of brain protection by using the engineering design process to design and construct their own bicycle helmet using materials such as cardboard, egg cartons, and bubble wrap.
Biomedical engineers help people by creating tools and devices that keep us healthy and safe. They design things like hearing aids to help people hear better, artificial arms or legs for people who need them, and even helmets to protect our heads. They also work on machines that doctors use, such as X-ray machines and heart monitors. Their job is to mix science, technology, and medicine to solve problems and improve lives!
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Describe how information is collected through our senses and then processed in the brain.
- Construct a model that shows the process the brain follows to complete a task.
- Use the engineering design process to design, create and test how well a helmet made from various supplies will protect the brain (i.e., egg).