Art + Neuroscience: the story of Santiago Ramón y Cajal
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Alignment
4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
5PS1-3. Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties.
Learning Outcomes
- Students learn about the connection between science and art.
- Students learn about Ramon y Cajal and his contributions to neuroscience.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you think that art plays a role in science? If so, how?
2. Do you think that scientists can be artists? Do you know any?
3. Do you think that art can help us understand the world or discover new things?
Video 1
Video 2
Vocabulary
Brain: an organ located in the skull of humans and other vertebrates, that serves as the control center for the nervous system.
Cell body: the control center of a neuron, that compute the information received by other neurons and decides when to send an output message through the axon; the cell body contains the nucleus
Dendrites: the part of a neuron that receives information (input); dendrites look like a tree because they branch out to reach other neurons
Axon: the part of a neuron that carries information away from the cell body (output); axons are like electrical cables that connect neurons with each other and with muscles
Review
Art has an important role in communicating science.
Science is a collaborative effort, meaning it takes many different types of people.
Santiago Ramon y Cajal was both a scientist and an artist whose work influenced what we know about neuroscience today.
