Nature vs. Nurture - Intelligence

Video responses #6, #7 and #8 -

Genius - From where does it come?  The three videos we watched and discussed in class presented people who have unique abilities which come from a variety of sources.  Is intelligence something with which we are born?  Does it come from a stimulating environment with parents who push us to be our best? Can it come from brain injuries or childhood diseases? What is the difference between genius and savant?  You should be able to speak intelligently to each of these questions. 
Post three seperate entries - one for each video linked at the site below - each consisting of at least 150 words and one picture.  This assignment is due by Sunday, February 27th at midnight.

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/my-brilliant-brain-make-me-genius/  (3 seperate videos)

Nature vs. Nurture: Homosexuality

Video Response #5
Probably the most controversial topic in the Nature vs. Nurture Debate concerns how a person develops their sexuality - specifically, whether a person is heterosexual or homosexual.  Watch the video from class (in two parts) and state your response in 200 or more words and include at least one picture which respresents the topic.  * What did you learn? What did you find interesting? What are your opinions or ideas on the topic?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3pvAk7Zz5U&feature=related  (part 1 of the 60 Minutes program)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS6J_gg89ms&feature=related (part 2)

The Human Brain

Inside the Teenage Brain:  (video shown in class)  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/teenbrain/view/
In your blog, write a response to the video - minimum 200 words including at least one picture which represents your topic.  Video response #1

Brain Power (part 1 of 5 videos):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEGJzHKXDa4   

3-D view of the brain:  http://www.pbs.org/wnet/brain/3d/index.html

Phineas Gage Websites:   
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXiM-nDYzX0 --- video clip from class

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Phineas-Gage-Neurosciences-Most-Famous-Patient.html?c=y&page=2 --- article from smithsonian magazine

http://neurophilosophy.wordpress.com/2006/12/04/the-incredible-case-of-phineas-gage/ 

Sleep & Psychology

We spend 1/3 of our lives asleep (some of us even more) - why is sleep so important to our survival?  What is the difference between deep sleep and REM sleep?  How does sleep affect your health? How does sleep affect your intelligence and development?  These are some of the questions we are going to examine in our unit on sleep and psychology.

Article from Time Magazine:   http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1009765-1,00.html

Video from 60 Minutes:    http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4181992n

PowerPoint from Class:    http://bdoughertyamschool.wikispaces.com/Grade+10+documents+-+2010-2011

The Limits of the Human Brain

When the human body/brain are pushed to extremes we find out that the brain is capable of things we never imagined.  Watch the videos to find out what your brain is able to achieve.

Video Response Questions (completed in class):    http://bdoughertyamschool.wikispaces.com/Grade+10+documents+-+2010-2011

Quiz: the Brain

Your quiz on Friday, October 1st will cover the information from your notes in class as well as the 10 questions answered last week on your blog and the information covered in class regarding the case study of Phineas Gage.  We will have a short review in class this week - please see me with any questions.

PowerPoint presentation from class:    http://bdoughertyamschool.wikispaces.com/Grade+10+documents+-+2010-2011

Lost And Found -- Cognitive Scientists Use fMRI To Watch Brains While Eyes Search

ScienceDaily  -- Cognitive scientists ran an experiment to understand how the brain searches for an object with a known shape. They asked subjects to track the movement of dots, and used fMRI to see which parts of the brain activated. The fMRI showed that when the brain is looking for a particular feature, such as a certain shape or color, it is searching for that feature everywhere in the visual field, not just in the spot where the eyes focus.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2008/0207-lost_and_found.htm

Topics for Discussion - Nature vs Nurture (videos for class)

Six segments from the BBC entitled "The Mind of a Murderer": Details case studies of criminals convicted of murder and the biological/environmental factors that may have caused the brain damage thought to be responsible for the actions of the murderers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_u3PH-7oAg  Seg 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHpGEGSnGDA&feature=related  Seg 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZupNkYTcKM4&feature=related  Seg 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbZX4jfbQSE&feature=related  Seg 4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJl2qHrt6gI&feature=related  Seg 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXR-PtM_eCU&feature=related  Seg 6

A "60 Minutes" story detailing the possible biological connections to homosexuality (2 segments.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3pvAk7Zz5U&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS6J_gg89ms&feature=related