Mrs. Litherland’s Lifespan Development class participated in a “Build Your Brain” activity after learning how the brain develops at different stages of life. Using their new knowledge, students explored how early experiences can impact brain strength and development.
Students were given pipe cleaners, straws, dice, and scenario cards. They rolled the dice to determine the shape of their brain’s base and then worked through eight rounds, representing the first eight years of life. The first five years focused on building a strong foundation. During these rounds, a positive event earned students support straws and pipe cleaners, while a negative event earned only pipe cleaners.
In the final three rounds, representing years six through eight, positive events earned only pipe cleaners, while negative events resulted in a weight being placed at the highest point of the brain. The goal was to build the strongest brain possible—if the structure collapsed, it symbolized a brain “falling” under pressure.
Junior, Abbey Montague shared what she found most interesting about the project, saying, “It was interesting how some people with a lot of damage could still stay supported, while others with lots of supports still fell. When we built our brains, the straws were the supports. Some people had mostly pipe cleaners, which represented damage, but they still held together and lived happy lives. Meanwhile, others with lots of supports still went down. It showed that people can still do well even with damage, and that having supports doesn’t always mean things won’t fall apart if you haven’t learned as much along the way.”
