The brain has limited capacity for multi-tasking. While it can switch between tasks rapidly, it can only focus deeply on one task at a time. Trying to do two attention-demanding tasks simultaneously usually results in poorer performance on both tasks.

1. Using the BRAIN BINGO sheet given to you, fill in the
blanks with an assortment of the words below—
your choice!
Memory Stress Brain Sleep
Neurons Nutrition Tummy Attention
Study Memory Activate Learning
Information Katniss Dendrites
Dreaming Energy Hemisphere Laughter
Gale Potential Class Human
Primacy-Recency Four Multi-tasking
Unconscious Prefrontal BOOM

2. BRAIN QUIZ!
How are the
answers
usable in
YOUR LIFE?
Adapted with permission from Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa, PhD

3. True or False?
1. Past information influences how we learn something new.
2. Sleep is important for learning.
3. People judge each others’ faces and tones of voice
immediately and almost unconsciously.
4. Nutrition impacts learning.
5. Some people are more right-brained, and some are more
left-brained.
6. Attention + Memory = Learning?
7. Stress impacts learning.
8. Students can pay attention for a full class period.
9. The brain can hold more than 10 items in its working memory
at any one time.
10. The brain cannot multi-task.

4. True or false?
Past information
influences how we
learn something
new.

5. Activating Prior Knowledge
Rupban Kanya Trailer
Hunger Games Trailer

6. TRUE!
Connecting
new information
to prior
knowledge
facilitates
learning.

7. True or false?
People judge each other’s
faces and tones of voice
immediately and almost
unconsciously.

8. TRUE!
The human brain judges
others’ faces and tones
of voices for threat levels
in a rapid and often
unconscious way,
influencing the way
information from these
sources is perceived.

9. True or false?
Sleep is
important for
learning.

10. TRUE!
Your brain works while you are
asleep. Both sleep as well as
dreaming impact learning.
Sleep Brain Rule

11. True or false?
“Some people are
more right-
brained and
others more left-
brained.”
“Brain parts work
in isolation.”

12. FALSE!
Brain areas do NOT act in
isolation.
Most brain functions
involve complicated
systems that involve
both right and left
hemispheres.

13. True or false?
Stress impacts learning.
Laughter Yoga

14. TRUE!!
Both positively and negatively
“Good” stress heightens attention and
helps learning, while “bad” stress
detracts from learning potential.

15. True or false?
Attention +
Memory =
Learning?

16. (Oversimplified, but…)TRUE!
Without ATTENTION and MEMORY
there is no LEARNING.
To learn
something
new means
you have to
pay attention
to it as well as
remember it.

17. True or false?
Students can pay attention
for a full class period (40-90
minutes).

18. FALSE!
The human attention span is limited.
10-12
MINUTES

19. The “Primacy-Recency” Effect
People
remember best
what happens
first, second best
what happens
last, and least
what happens in
the middle.

20. True or False?
The brain can hold more than 10
items in its working memory at
any one time.

21. FALSE!
4

22. True or False?
The brain cannot
multi-task.

23. TRUE!
Rub your tummy.
Pat your head.
At the same time.