The Brain and the Body Alarm: teacher key

Feelings, grade 8 edition, written for 8th grade. Follow a scary moment through the brain and the body: the small almond-shaped alarm, the control center, and the ways back to calm.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. What shape and size is the amygdala?
   • Like a bean
   • Like an almond (answer)
   • Like a walnut
2. What does the parasympathetic nervous system do?
   • It speeds up the heart
   • It restores the body to balance (answer)
   • It makes the amygdala bigger
3. Which part of the brain acts as the control center?
   • The prefrontal cortex (answer)
   • The amygdala alone
   • The scanner
4. Why might young children feel emotions more intensely?
   • They have no brain yet
   • The brain's regulating system is still maturing (answer)
   • Their feelings last for hours
5. What does fear help the body get ready to do?
   • Get away from danger (answer)
   • Fall asleep
   • Digest food
6. What does emotion regulation mean?
   • Changing or managing your feelings (answer)
   • Never having feelings
   • Counting heartbeats

Words

• amygdala: the brain's alarm
• prefrontal: brain's front
• limbic: emotion brain system
• parasympathetic: calming system
• regulation: managing feelings