Troy students learn about their brains

Students and parents in Troy learned about the intracacies of the human brain Feb. 18, thanks to an exhibition presented by spectrUM and We Are Montana in the Classroom at W.F. Morrison Elementary.

Students from kindergarten to seventh grade visited the exhibition throughout the day as an in-school field trip. Several interactive stations were set up in the school, including an EEG measurement station, a gigantic brain and an activity in which visitors were able to move a ball using their brain waves. Students were also shown a dissection of a sheep’s brain and participated in discussions about the brain and its functions.

In addition to the daytime activities, parents and families were invited to a science night at the elementary school Thursday from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. About 120 community members attended the science night activities.

While spectrUM visited W.F. Morrison students, University of Montana higher education and career role models from We Are Montana in the Classroom shared research and educational opportunities with students at Troy’s elementary, middle and high schools on Thursday and Friday. Amanda Duley of spectrUM and the Center for Structural and Functional Neuroscience, Sherrill Brown of the School of Pharmacy, Dan Reisenfeld of UM’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and Tim Chester of the Missoula College Energy Technology Program led hands-on activities and demonstrations during classroom visits throughout the day.

W.F. Morrison Elementary principal Diane Rewerts said the program was a hit with the students.

“It was an amazing day for our students,” she said. “They participated enthusiastically in all activities and were very excited to have the professors in their classrooms.”

The spectrUM Discovery Area is an interactive science center committed to inspiring a culture of learning and discovery for all, serving more than 50,000 Montanans annually through in-museum and mobile programs.

We Are Montana in the Classroom partners with more than 100 UM faculty members, professionals and graduate students to inspire K-12 students about higher education and career pathways. This academic year, the program is on track to reach 10,000 students through statewide tours, local classroom visits and distance-learning experiences.

SpectrUM and We Are Montana in the Classroom belong to the UM Broader Impacts Group in the Office of Research and Creative Scholarship.