Michael Faraday Quick background info

Why is Michael Faraday important?

English physicist and chemist Michael Faraday was one of the greatest scientists of the 19th century. His many experiments contributed greatly to the understanding of electromagnetism.

What was Michael Faraday’s childhood like?

Michael Faraday’s father was a blacksmith. His mother was a country woman of great calm and wisdom. Faraday was one of four children who were often hungry, since their father was often ill and couldn’t work steadily. At an early age, Faraday began to earn money by delivering newspapers for a book dealer and bookbinder.

Where did Michael Faraday study?

Michael Faraday received a basic education at Sunday school. When he was an apprentice bookbinder, he was offered a ticket to attend chemical lectures by Humphry Davy. The lectures inspired Faraday to become a scientist. He eventually became Davy’s laboratory assistant, enabling him to learn chemistry from one of the greatest practitioners of the day.

When Faraday was 20, he was given tickets to attend the lectures of famed British chemist Sir Humphry Davy at the Royal Institution of Great Britain. Faraday wrote a 300-page book based on notes he’d taken during these lectures and sent it to Davy. The following year, Davy damaged his eyesight during an experiment and hired Faraday as his temporary assistant. A short time later, an assistant was fired for brawling and Davy offered Faraday a permanent job, which he accepted.

What did Michael Faraday discover?

In 1820 Michael Faraday produced the first known compounds of carbon and chlorine. In 1825 he isolated and described benzene. What’s more, in 1821 he invented the first electric motor, and in the early 1830s he discovered a way to convert mechanical energy into electricity on a large scale, creating the first electric generator.

 What is a cool kid fact about Michael Faraday?

His most important work was his invention of the electric motor in 1821. He also worked on magnetism, and later discovered how to make electromagnets, which are used in electric generators. Apart from his work in physics, Faraday also made important discoveries in chemistry, such as how to make stronger steel.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michael-Faraday

Known as the “father of electrical engineering,” you probably know Michael Faraday is most famous for his contribution to the field of electromagnetism. His inventions include the first electric motor and the first electromagnetic generator. He also discovered the principles underlying electromagnetic induction and diamagnetism. You also probably know the unit of electrical capacitance is named the farad (symbol F) in his honor. But you may not know everything about Michael Faraday. 

What were Michael Faraday's hobbies?

Faraday's interests were various: he studied the condensation of gases, metallurgy, optical illusions (including diamagnetism), acoustics, and the conservation of energy.

Read on for more Faraday facts.

Michael Faraday was born in England on the 22nd of September, 1791 and died on the 25th of August, 1867.

His work on electrochemistry and electromagnetism laid the foundation for many areas of science. He formed the basis of the electromagnetic field concept in physics, discovered the laws of electrolysis, invented electromagnetic rotary devices that were vital in the creation of electric motors and played a key role in the development of electricity for use in technology.

Not limited to physics and electromagnetism, Faraday also invented a simple Bunsen burner, coined terms such as electrode, cathode, anode, and ion, discovered benzene, and investigated the nature of chlorine.

Faraday had only a basic education in a family that was not well off. He had only a minimal understanding of technical mathematical concepts but was still able to produce some of the most important scientific concepts in history and did so in a language that was clear and easily understood.

Faraday was a man of honor who was strong in his convictions. He rejected both a knighthood and an offer to become President of the Royal Society as well as turned down a burial in Westminster Abbey. He also refused to assist the British government in the production of chemical weapons for use in war.

Albert Einstein admired Faraday's work and kept a picture of him on his study wall.

Famous Michael Faraday quotes include: “But still try, for who knows what is possible”

“Nothing is too wonderful to be true if it is consistent with the laws of nature”

“There is no more open door by which you can enter into the study of natural philosophy than by considering the physical phenomena of a candle”

“I was at first almost frightened when I saw such mathematical force made to bear upon the subject, and then wondered to see that the subject stood it so well.”

HE NEVER HAD A FORMAL SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION. ...

HE WAS A SELF-STARTER. ...

HE INVENTED A MOTOR WITH MAGNETS AND MERCURY. ...

HE ALSO CREATED THE FIRST ELECTRIC GENERATOR. ...

HE SHOWED THE PULL OF MAGNETIC FORCE. ...

YOU CAN VISIT HIS MAGNETIC LABORATORY IN LONDON. ...

HE POPULARIZED NEW SCIENTIFIC TERMINOLOGY.

Faraday invented the toy balloon.

Birthday parties and other celebrations just wouldn’t be the same without balloons, and we have Faraday to thank them. He used small rubber balloons in experiments with hydrogen at the Royal Institution in London. Faraday also discovered benzene (one of the most important substances in chemistry) and provided proof that all gases could be liquefied by the use of low temperatures and/or high pressures, which ultimately led to the invention of the refrigerator.

Homeschooling with Netflix - stranger things

 Phineas Gage: Neuroscience’s Most Famous Patient

An accident with a tamping iron made Phineas Gage history’s most famous brain-injury survivor

Watch Stranger Things season 2 episode 3 he's mentioned

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/phineas-gage-neurosciences-most-famous-patient-11390067/

https://itotd.com/articles/3649/the-story-of-phineas-gage/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fDWH4_5DhI

Dissection and description of the anatomy of the sheep brain.

Mapping the brain Test /lesson plans

Lobes of the Brain

The average human brain weighs about 1,400 grams (3 lb). The brain looks a little like a large pinkish-gray walnut. The brain can be divided down the middle lengthwise into two halves called the cerebral hemispheres. Each cerebral hemisphere is divided into four lobes by sulci and gyri. The sulci (or fissures) are the grooves and the gyri are the "bumps" that can be seen on the surface of the brain. The folding created by the sulci and gyri increases the amount of cerebral cortex that can fit in the skull. The total surface area of the cerebral cortex is about 324 square inches or about the size of a full page of a newspaper. Each person has a unique pattern of gyri and sulci.

The brain is divided into 3 main areas:

the brain stem, responsible for basic body functions such as heartbeat regulation;

the cerebellum, responsible for things such as balance and muscular coordination and

the cerebrum, made of two distinct hemispheres and responsible for higher brain functions including thinking and emotions.

The front parts of the brain (thumb side, if your brain is positioned as though its owner were looking at you) are called the frontal lobes. These lobes are responsible for reasoning and higher brain functions. The upper middle lobes (around the middle fingers) are the parietal lobes, responsible for touch. The lower middle lobes and the backs of the hands (nearest the ears in a person) are the temporal lobes, responsible for hearing. Finally, the back lobes (pinkie fingers) are the occipital lobes, responsible for vision.

 Create a model of the brain by using clay, playdough, styrofoam, recyclables, food, etc. Create a whole brain or use a brain atlas and create cross-sections of the brain at different levels. Use different colors to indicate different structures.

 Materials:

Clay or Playdough or Styrofoam or Recyclables (bottle caps, cups, buttons, etc) OR Food (fruit, jelly beans)

A picture or diagram of the brain

Another nice model can be found in the lesson plan called Potato Head. This lesson was originally from the Brain Power program at the Pacific Science Center and Group Health. In this lesson, you mix potato flakes, sand, warm water, and food coloring in a ziploc bag. The resulting mixture is about the size, weight, and color of an adult human brain. This activity also has a remarkable "WOW!" effect on students. If you have lots of time and money, you can have students in groups make their own potato head brains. Otherwise, makeup 1-4 yourself to pass around the room. They can be rewarmed in the microwave for later classes, to save on material costs. They can be added to a worm bin or garden for disposal.

Brain "Recipes"

Here are two recipes for the construction of a model brain:

Recipe 1 (from the Pacific Science Center and the Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, WA)

Materials:

1.5 cups (360 ml) instant potato flakes

2.5 cup (600 ml) hot water

2 cups (480 ml) clean sand

1 gallon ziplock bag

Combine all of the ingredients in the ziplock bag and mix thoroughly. It should weigh about 3 lbs. (1.35 kg.) and have the consistency of a real brain.

Recipe 2 (from BrainLink)

Materials:

2 cups water

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons cream of tartar

One quarter cup vegetable oil

1 cup salt

Red food coloring

Mix the water, salt, flour, and cream of tartar in a large bowl or blender until the lumps disappear. Then mix in the vegetable oil. Put the entire mixture into a saucepan and "cook" it over low heat until it gets lumpy. Pour the mixture out and let it cool. Then knead and shape it into the form of a brain. Don't forget to add wrinkles (gyri) to your brain. Squirt in red food coloring for blood vessels.

*A)What percentage of your brain do you use?‐Richard E.Cytowic 

http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what‐percentage‐of‐your‐brain‐do‐you‐use‐richard‐e‐cytowic 

*B)What happens when you remove the hippocampus? 

http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what‐happens‐when‐you‐remove‐the‐hippocampus‐sam‐kean

*C)How sugar affects the brain 

http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how‐sugar‐affects‐the‐brain‐nicole‐avena 

*D)How stress affects your brain 

http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how‐stress‐affects‐your‐brain‐madhumita‐murgia

Lobe Poems 

Individuals or teams create short poems to describe a particular lobe of the brain. Those who didn’t write the poem guess which lobe the poem is describing. 

Example poem: 

This part of the brain helps you move,  

Without it, you couldn’t bust a groove 

Coordinating movement for a cool guy swagger, 

Without it, you’d look drunk and stagger. 

Can you guess what part of the brain this is? Answer: cerebellum.

Brains are similar in many ways between species. These similarities allow us to learn more about our own brains and behavior by studying other animals. At the same time, there are also many differences between species. The relative size of regions with a species’ brain tells us what functions are particularly important to that species: for example, humans have larger frontal regions relative to the rest of their brains. Frontal regions are responsible for mental processes such as reasoning, decision-making, and planning—things that humans are very good at doing!

 Key points: 

• The overall size of a brain is not the most important factor in determining intelligence (e.g. humans have nowhere near the biggest brain in terms of overall size).

• The brain-to-body mass ratio is a rough measure of the intelligence of an animal (but not without flaws) as well as the amount of “wrinkles” on a brain (surface area to volume ratio). 

• Frontal areas relative to the rest of the brain are the biggest in humans. 

• Scientists often study other animals’ brains and behavior to learn more about human brains and behavior.

Start by watching the video Brain Play, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPFKwu_quxI where students will meet the parts of the brain and learn about the function of each part. Since this app serves as a connector for all of the Neuro Play Adventures, you may use it to also introduce each of the games listed below.

 

Discuss what students remember and have learned about the parts of the brain. Ask students which parts they use at recess. Which do they use when doing a writing activity? There are many ways the students’ answers can be correct here, with so many ways the brain is useful!

 

Ask ‘Why do you say that’ when a student gives a response, and find out more about how the student is thinking about the brain part.

 

Here are more questions to expand the conversation:

 Which parts do you use without knowing?

 Which parts do you use at recess?

 Ask they have ideas about the parts working together.

 

Here are some examples.

 Making up a dance: Planning and coming up with ideas for a dance uses the cerebral cortex, while performing it involves the cerebellum

Telling a story: The amygdala and hippocampus can work together because your feelings about something will influence how you store the memory.

Solving a math problem: You might use your hippocampus to remember math facts while also using your cerebral cortex to think of how to come up with a way to solve a math problem.

 

When you think students are ready with some of their own ideas about the functions and roles of the brain parts, have them break into groups and distribute the project materials.

 

Tell the students

We are going to put our brains to work to draw a cartoon or illustration of someone (it can be you) using at least one part of their brain. Have each student draw a picture such as doing a dance or feeling an emotion, and then label which part of the brain the character is using.

 

1.  The lobe of the brain important for vision is called:
	a.  the temporal lobe		c.  the parietal lobe
	b.  the occipital lobe		d.  the frontal lobe

2.  The lobe of the brain important for the sense of touch is called:
	a.  the temporal lobe		c.  the parietal lobe
	b.  the occipital lobe		d.  the frontal lobe

3.  The lobe of the brain important for hearing is called:
	a.  the temporal lobe		c.  the parietal lobe
	b.  the occipital lobe		d.  the frontal lobe

4.  The lobe of the brain important for reasoning is called:
	a.  the temporal lobe		c.  the parietal lobe
	b.  the occipital lobe		d.  the frontal lobe

5.  The lobe on the diagram labeled 1 is:
	a.  the temporal lobe		c.  the parietal lobe
	b.  the occipital lobe		d.  the frontal lobe

6.  The lobe on the diagram labeled 2 is:
	a.  the temporal lobe		c.  the parietal lobe
	b.  the occipital lobe		d.  the frontal lobe

7.  The lobe on the diagram labeled 3 is:
	a.  the temporal lobe		c.  the parietal lobe
	b.  the occipital lobe		d.  the frontal lobe

8.  The lobe on the diagram labeled 4 is:
	a.  the temporal lobe		c.  the parietal lobe
	b.  the occipital lobe		d.  the frontal lobe

9.  An adult brain weighs approximately:
	a.  1 lb.       b.  3 lb.     c.  5 lb.    d.  7 lb.

10.  A person's brain is about the size of:
	a.  their heart	  b. their stomach   c. 1 fist	 d. 2 fists

Answers:  1.b  2.c  3.a  4.d  5.b  6.c  7.a  8.d  9.b  10. d