CLASSROOM Grades 4 - 6 | Week Three | The Hippo
Or, Jump To:
Week One - The Owl Week Two - The Dog Week Four - The Monkey Week Five - The Elephant Week Six - The Dolphin Week Seven - The Panda Bear Week Eight - The Pig
Subject: Where Memories Go to Make Sense - The Hippo
Requirements: You will need internet access and a laptop, tablet or smartphone for accessing this content. You will need a wired or Bluetooth connection to a speaker to amplify the audio into the classroom. You DO NOT need a screen or projector as each lesson is audio only from your device and requires students to close their eyes and/or focus on their Belly Buddy.
Step One: The DIY Belly Buddy Crafting Project - The Hippo
As with last week, it is recommend that the children start this week’s lesson with the activity of making their own “Hippo” Belly Buddy. For the Classroom version of this program it is recommended that students draw their belly buddy animal on a sheet of paper. The finished drawing can be placed on the student’s desk and used as a focal point during the meditation. Teachers may choose to tie this drawing activity to Art Education Curriculum Expectations. Drawings can be placed in a duo tang and stored in students’ desks. A favourite tool to assist students with their artwork is Art For Kids Hub.
Art for Kids Hub - Art Lessons - How to Draw for Kids
Hippo - A More Challenging Version
As an alternative to drawing a picture, teachers may choose to have students create the toilet paper roll animal that is used during the bedtime version of the program. Click here for toilet paper animal template.
Step Two: Soundcheck - 30 seconds
Before beginning The Hippo Lesson and Meditation, play the Sound Check file below to ensure your speakers are working correctly and that all students can hear the audio effectively. This also serves as a way to get the students to settle down, be still, and prepare to listen.
Step Three: Discuss Last Week’s Mindful Challenge
Discuss with students their success and challenges with last week’s Mindful Challenge
Last Week’s Mindful Challenge: Practice a Body Scan and notice when their brain’s Guard Dog has been triggered.
The following questions may help you prompt the discussion:
Put up your hand if you remembered to practice a Body Scan before bedtime last week?
How did it go? What did you notice?
Did it make you feel sleepy? Did you fall asleep?
Did anyone notice that your brain’s Guard Dog / Amygdala barked/was triggered last week?
What did you notice in your body when your brain’s Guard Dog was barking/triggered?
Were you able to calm the brain’s Guard Dog? How did you do this?
Step Four: Play The Hippo Lesson & Meditation - 6 minutes
Now that the Sound Check is complete, you will play the Lesson below. Listen and learn with your students!
Step Five: Meditation Reflection - 5+ minutes
Here are some questions to drive follow up discussion. There are no wrong answers!
What favorite gift did you remember yourself receiving?
What did you notice in your body/mind when you remembered playing with your favorite toy?
Step Six: Mindful Challenge
Remind students of this week’s Mindful Challenge: Mindful Breathing in the morning.
Step Seven: Daily Meditation - 4 minutes - Various Times During the Week
With the audio lesson complete, you are encouraged to take time during the balance of the week to practice with students the guided meditation/s below (the Hippo Belly Buddy craft is not required for these practices). The ‘Daily Meditations’ are in support of each week’s lesson, but you can come back to them as often as you like. Typically they are 3 - 6 minutes each. These meditations are also included as a part of the Bedtime Program (accessed through the Bedtime Program students sign up for with their FREE Promo Code) and students are encouraged to practice one per night at bedtime. It is recommended that Parents/Guardians practice along with their child and then build onto this practice by participating in the Parent program.
This meditation is a useful tool to help settle students after a recess, lunch break, or physical activity.
Step Eight - Additional Activities (Optional)
JOURNAL
Write about the following:
What was the favorite gift you recalled receiving?
What did you notice in your mind and body when you remembered receiving this favorite gift?
What did this teach you about your memories? Are they powerful? Can they trigger strong emotions, feelings and sensations in the body?
DEEP DIVE LEARNING QUESTIONS ( BASED ON YOUR STUDENTS’ READINESS, PLEASE SELECT FROM THE QUESTIONS BELOW TO PROMPT A MORE IN-DEPTH BRAIN SCIENCE CLASS DISCUSSION)
Q: Have you ever smelled something, and then noticed that the smell made you remember someone, being somewhere or doing something? For example, the smell of popcorn may cause you to feel strong positive emotions, such as excitement because it triggers a memory of going to the movies?
A: Students Share. Explain to the students that when they notice that one of their senses (hear, smell, see, touch, taste) triggers or causes them to remember something emotional from the past, this is the hippocampus at work.
Q: Are brushing and flossing our teeth connected to the health of the hippocampus?
A: Yes it is true. Unhealthy gums can cause inflammation and swelling in the body. Inflammation in the body damages the hippocampus. Some other things that cause inflammation are stress, alcohol, fatty foods and sugar.
Q: Can you guess what some of the most damaging things are for the hippocampus?
A:
Stress (the consistent flow of cortisol into the bloodstream damages the hippocampus).
Alcohol and marijuana use.
Unhealthy food that causes your body to become overweight
Q: What are some of the best ways to help your hippocampus become stronger?
A:
Exercise. One of the best ways to increase blood flow is with exercise. Low blood flow is the number one indicator of Alzheimer’s a disease that affects a person’s memory.
Learning new things. The hippocampus starts to get smaller when we stop learning new things.
Healthy food
Meditation because it helps to reduce stress and the release of cortisol into the bloodstream
Sleep
Vitamin D and sunshine
Q: Which is better for the hippocampus, table tennis or soccer?
A: Both are forms of exercise and exercise is great for the hippocampus, but the brain is soft like butter and the skull is really hard with sharp bony ridges and contact sports like soccer, football, hockey and boxing can cause head trauma, leading to memory loss.
Q: Do we have more than one hippocampus in our brain?
A: Yes, we have two in our brain. When we speak of more than one hippocampus we say hippocampi. They are a part of the emotional brain.
Q: If your hippocampus was removed would you still know how to ride a bike?
A: Yes you would still remember how to ride a bike, but you would not remember how to find your way home. The hippocampus is not responsible for remembering motor skills, but is responsible for remembering facts, details and locations of people, places and things.