The Brain: Understanding Neurobiology

This Web site is based on a printed publication of the same title. Because of the limited number of printed supplements, we created this online version for people outside the grades 9–12 education community.

The content is equivalent to the printed supplement’s. The unit consists of lesson plans, which are accessed through the Teacher’s Guide section of the site, and the multimedia student activities, accessed through the Student Activities page. The Web-based activities for students are only one part of the curriculum. The Lesson Plans provide the framework for both the hands-on classroom activities and the Web-based multimedia activities. Together, the classroom and multimedia activities enable students to gain a deeper understanding of the science behind this important topic and how it relates to human health.

The Brain: Understanding Neurobiology Through the Study of Addiction—developed with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)—is a creative, inquiry-based instruction program, designed to promote active learning and stimulate student interest in medical topics. This curriculum supplement is designed to help students develop the following major goals associated with scientific literacy:

• to understand some fundamentals about neurobiology and how drugs of abuse change the brain;
• to recognize that drug addiction is a treatable, chronic brain disease;
• to experience the process of scientific inquiry and develop an enhanced understanding of the nature and methods of science; and
• to appreciate the role of science in society and the relationship between basic science and human health.

Before Getting Started

• Review the recommended setup for using this Web site.
• Peruse the site’s navigation overview.

Recommended Setup

• Pentium class IBM compatible running Windows XP (Service Pack 2) or higher, with at least 256 MB RAM
• G4 Macintosh running Mac OS 10.4 or higher, with at least 512 MB RAM
• Screen resolution of 1024 by 768 pixels or higher
• High-speed Internet connection
• Web browser: Mozilla Firefox 2.0 or higher, Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, or Safari 3.0 or higher
• Browser settings: JavaScript enabled
• Adobe Reader version 7.0 or higher (downloadable for free)
• Adobe Flash browser plug-in, version 9 or higher (downloadable for free)
• QuickTime Player version 7.1.6 or higher (downloadable for free)

Note: The above setup (or better) is recommended. Although your computer configuration may differ from this, the site may still be functional on your computer. The most important items in this list are current browsers and plug-ins.

Navigation Overview

• Main—The main opening page
• Getting Started—A brief overview of the objectives of this curriculum supplement and technical instructions for the use of this Web site
• Student Activities—The portion of the student activities that are Web-based; includes a glossary
• Teacher’s Guide—Information for teachers, including an introduction, lesson plans, masters, references, and resources
• About NIH and NIDA—Overview of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• Map—Web site map
• Contact—Contact the NIH Office of Science Education

The home page of the NIH Office of Science Education provides access to a wide variety of resources for teachers, students, and parents/guardians, including NIH sites and publications.