Lesson 5: Autonomic Control & System Failure

How does your body "run itself" while you sleep? How does chronic stress physically change the brain?

Sympathetic ("Fight or Flight"), Parasympathetic ("Rest and Digest"), Cortisol, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's.

HS-LS1-1 (Proteins/Genetics), HS-LS1-3 (Stability)

Comparing/Contrasting two texts on neurological treatments (e.g., deep brain stimulation vs. medication)

Description: A clinical look at the "hidden" side of the nervous system.

Purpose: To understand the biological basis of the stress response.

DOK 3.

Culturally relevant discussion on "Systemic Stress" and its long-term health impacts on different communities

Thinking that "stress" is just a feeling (Correction: It is a systemic hormonal and neural shift).

Provide scaffolded graphic organizers comparing the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic branches.

• "The Neurological Case File." Students research a disorder (e.g., Parkinson's) and explain the cellular cause and systemic effect.

   

Heart rate monitors; Guest Speaker (Neurologist or Mental Health Professional).