Make a clay model of the brain. Use six different clay colors to represent the main sections: frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, cerebellum, temporal lobe and brain stem. Create six small labels, each with the name of one section of the brain written on it. Tape each label to a toothpick, and stick each toothpick in the appropriate section of clay. Older children can do this project individually with minor teacher direction. If you are working with kindergarteners or first graders, have them gather around you at the table and explain the sculpture as you build it. Pass the individual segments around the table before adding them to the sculpture, allowing each child to feel the clay shapes.
Create a presentation for other students about the parts of the brain and their functions. Assign a part to each child. Parts to assign might include: the brain stem, the cerebellum, the hypothalamus or any other segment of the brain. You could assign some children to represent neurons, which are the cells of the nervous system. Include material in the presentation discussing how the neurons transmit information to and from the brain. Allow the children to use encyclopedias and multimedia materials to assemble five key facts about the roles they will be playing. During the presentation, instruct each child to announce his role and read his key facts.
Write a brain book. Divide the children into groups and assign a chapter of the book to each group. Possible chapters include: "Egyptian Beliefs About the Brain," "Animal Brains," "The History of Brain Science" or "Famous Brain Scientists." Encourage the children to include both illustrations and text. When the book is complete, make a photocopy for each child. Younger children's chapters should primarily be illustrations of simple concepts; older children should write more text and draw on higher-quality source material.
Send children on a seek-and-find Internet search, using a browser with parental controls. For older children, write brain trivia questions on a piece of paper. Allow the children to search online for the answers to the questions. Children too young to use the Internet can complete a similar activity. In this exercise, number a picture of the brain by section and ask the children to use a chart of the brain to match each numbered section to its correct name.