Fifth graders at Black Mountain Elementary School got a hands-on look at the human brain and nervous system with help from students at nearby Warren Wilson College earlier this month.

As part of a community project, students in Warren Wilson’s biopsychology class led interactive activities about the brain, its parts, and how nerve cells send messages. Elementary students built models of nerve cells, examined brains from different animals, and even got to hold and study real human brains. The activities helped students build on what they had learned about the human body and better understand how the brain works with other parts of the body.

"You got to hold the brain, and it was really cool,” said Tanner, one of the fifth grade students. “You got to see all the little details about the brain. And then we looked at other brains, like monkey brains and rat brains, and it was really fun.”

For the college students, the visit was a chance to improve their knowledge of brain structure and how the nervous system works by teaching younger students. Warren Wilson professor Jen Mozolic explained that teaching others is a powerful way to learn, especially when young students ask questions and show curiosity.

“I like the model ‘watch one, do one, teach one,’” she said. “They practice it with each other, but actually talking about it with young kids who are asking them all kinds of great questions is probably the best way for them to learn.”

The project gave both groups of students a chance to learn from each other and sparked an interest in science while showing just how complex and amazing the human brain is.