Office of Community-Engaged Learning

This course is designed for Biology, Psychology, and Neuroscience and Behavior Majors and the first half is writing intensive. In the second half of the semester, students engage in projects that include a service learning module in which they teach middle or high school students. The teaching projects focus on one of the course modules in which student learn about how experience shapes the brain. The topics include the effects of the fetal environment and exposure to drugs, alcohol, or environmental toxins; how visual or auditory experiences or deprivation shapes our ability to see and hear, and the effects of stress, depression, or exercise on learning and memory. Working in teams, students prepare an educational module on one of these topics, practice it in class, and then teach it to local high school students. Students will be responsible for creating demonstrations and models, writing and recording a podcast, and measuring how well their class of high school students master the concepts. In addition, students will keep a journal of their service learning experiences.