1st grade lesson 4......Neurons and Controlling our Breathing

This week we are talking about neurons and how they make connections on our brains. We are able to breathe, learn and do all of the things we do each day. 

Neurons connect the parts of our brain to one another……..

By controlling our breathing and listening closely, we can become more reflective

                                                  

and less reactive

                                             

Our word for the lesson was REFLECT......please be sure to ask your child what it means and what it allows us to do ~ (it means to stop and think about something; it allows us to give our brains time to think, calm down, respond, etc)! A 1st grader shared with me that she believes REFLECT means to RESET YOUR BRAIN!

Here is the activity we did together:

•Sit in a criss-cross applesauce position

•Close your eyes or look down at your hands

•Pay attention to your breathing (take calm breaths through your nose and release through your mouth)

•Think about the air coming into your nose and going out your mouth (if your mind starts to think other things, gently bring it back to your breathing)

•Feel your stomach rising and falling

•Take a deep breath by smelling the fresh baked cookies and blowing out the candles and open your eyes

Discussion:

•How did you feel as you breathed in and out?

•What did you notice about your breathing?

•How did you keep your mind focused?

•Did we build or grow any neurons?*

*The students seemed to love talking about how using our neurons makes them grow bigger, which makes our brains grow stronger!!*