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brain structure & function

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4 detailed 50-minute lessons with teaching scripts, worked examples, parent guides, and assessment criteria.

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Lesson Overview

Total Lessons: 4
Tier: Foundation and Higher
Duration: 50 minutes per lesson (200 minutes total)
Exam Boards: AQA, Edexcel, OCR, Eduqas, CCEA

Learning Objectives

Prerequisites

Materials & Equipment

Lesson 1: Introduction: brain structure & function

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Write down everything you already know about brain structure & function. Then check against the key terms: Psychology Exam Tips. Use a mini-whiteboard or paper.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide:
Before lesson: Read the script below. Pre-teach key vocab: Psychology Exam Tips.
If stuck: Re-read the revision notes (link above), then break the content into smaller steps.
Extension: See the Stretch & Challenge ideas in Lesson 4.
Teaching Script (35 mins):
Mins 0-5 - Hook: "Today: brain structure & function. By the end you will be able to answer exam questions on it unaided. It connects to the rest of Psychology because the ideas here recur across the spec."
Mins 5-20 - Direct Instruction: Work through the core ideas below one at a time; after each, ask your student to explain it back in their own words.
Mins 20-30 - Guided Practice: Model the worked example together, then let your student attempt the first practice question with guidance.
Mins 30-35 - Independent Practice: 2-3 practice questions from Lesson 3 below, with immediate feedback.
First Look

Start with the revision notes summary, then attempt: Describe the functions of the four lobes of the cerebral cortex.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Check Out

Your student states one thing they learned and one question they still have about brain structure & function.

Lesson 2: Core Concepts: brain structure & function

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Review Previous Lesson

Quick recap: write 3 key points from Lesson 1 on brain structure & function. Check them against the notes below.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Key Fact: The brain has four lobes: Frontal (planning, decision-making, personality, motor control), Parietal (sensory processing, spatial awareness), Temporal (hearing, language comprehension, memory), Occipital (visual processing). Each lobe has specialised functions (localisation of function).
Key Fact: The cerebral cortex is the outer layer of the brain responsible for higher-order functions: thinking, language, memory, perception and consciousness. It is divided into two hemispheres connected by the corpus callosum.
Key Fact: Language areas: Broca's area (left frontal lobe) - speech production. Damage causes Broca's aphasia (slow, non-fluent speech but comprehension is intact). Wernicke's area (left temporal lobe) - language comprehension. Damage causes Wernicke's aphasia (fluent but meaningless speech).
Key Fact: The limbic system: amygdala (emotion, especially fear and aggression), hippocampus (forming new memories - damage causes anterograde amnesia as in case of HM), hypothalamus (regulates hormones, temperature, hunger, and the fight-or-flight response).
Key Fact: Localisation vs holism: localisation argues specific brain areas have specific functions (supported by case studies like Broca's patient Tan and case of HM). Holism argues the brain works as an integrated whole (supported by Lashley's rat studies showing no single area is responsible for learning). Modern view: both - some functions are localised but the brain works as an interconnected system.
Psychology Exam Tips: When evaluating brain localisation, always consider: case studies have limited generalisability (each brain injury is unique), brain scanning shows localised activity but also widespread networks, and plasticity means the brain can adapt after damage.

Practice (10 minutes)

Q: Describe the functions of the four lobes of the cerebral cortex.

Answer: Frontal: planning, decisions, personality, motor control, speech production (Broca's area). Parietal: sensory processing (touch, temperature, pain), spatial awareness. Temporal: hearing, language comprehension (Wernicke's area), memory formation. Occipital: visual processing, colour and motion perception.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Explain Back

Your student teaches the key points back to you without looking. Fill any gaps immediately.

Lesson 3: Application: brain structure & function

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Recall

Recall the key terms: Psychology Exam Tips. Define each in one sentence.

Main Content (35 minutes)

Parent/Teacher Guide: Let your student attempt each question alone first, then compare with the model answer. Award method marks for correct working even if the final answer is wrong.

Q1: Describe the functions of the four lobes of the cerebral cortex.

Answer: Frontal: planning, decisions, personality, motor control, speech production (Broca's area). Parietal: sensory processing (touch, temperature, pain), spatial awareness. Temporal: hearing, language comprehension (Wernicke's area), memory formation. Occipital: visual processing, colour and motion perception.

Q2: Explain the difference between Broca's aphasia and Wernicke's aphasia, and what this tells us about localisation of function.

Answer: Broca's aphasia: damage to Broca's area (frontal lobe). Speech is slow, effortful and non-fluent but comprehension is fine. Patient Tan could only say 'tan' but understood everything. Wernicke's aphasia: damage to Wernicke's area (temporal lobe). Speech is fluent but meaningless (word salad); comprehension is poor. Both support localisation - specific areas have specific language functions.

Q3: Evaluate whether the brain is best understood through localisation or holism.

Answer: Localisation evidence: Broca and Wernicke's case studies show specific areas for specific functions; brain scanning shows activity in specific regions during tasks. Holism evidence: Lashley's law of equipotentiality (intact brain areas can take over damaged functions); many functions require multiple brain regions working together; plasticity shows the brain can reorganise. Conclusion: some functions are clearly localised (e.g. motor cortex, Broca's area), but complex behaviours require integration across regions.

Plenary (5 minutes)

Error Review

Review any questions answered incorrectly. Identify whether the error was knowledge, method, or reading the question.

Lesson 4: Exam Practice: brain structure & function

Duration: 50 minutes

Starter Activity (5 minutes)

Command Words

Review what these command words require: state (one point), describe (say what happens), explain (say why), compare (both sides), evaluate (judgement).

Main Content (35 minutes)

Extended Answer

Extended question: Full-Mark Response Evaluate the evidence for localisation of function in the brain. <div class="

A grade 9 response will: define localisation and describe key evidence (Broca, Wernicke, motor/sensory cortices, brain scanning); present holism evidence (Lashley's equipotentiality, plasticity, distributed processing); evaluate case studies (rich data but unique individuals, cannot infer normal function from damaged brains); evaluate brain scanning (shows activity locations but also widespread networks); conclude: localisation is supported for basic functions (motor control, primary sensory processing, key language areas), but complex cognitive functions (personality, intelligence, creativity) require integration across multiple brain regions. The interactionist position - localised specialisation within an interconnected system - best captures the evidence.

Exam Tips: 4 lobes: Frontal (thinking), Parietal (sensing), Temporal (hearing), Occipital (seeing). | Broca = speech PRODUCTION (can't speak fluently but understands). Wernicke = speech COMPREHENSION (speaks fluently but makes no sense). | Localisation = specific areas for specific functions. Holism = brain works as a whole. Both are partly right.
Common Errors: Watch Out! Students often make mistakes here. Wrong: Each part of the brain has one specific function, and if that part is damaged, the function is permanently lost. Correct: While some functions are localised, the brain shows remarkable plasticity - it can reorganise and adapt after damage. For example, children who have an entire hemisphere removed (hemispherectomy) can still develop near-normal abilities as the remaining hemisphere takes over functions. Adults show less plasticity but some recovery is possible through rehabilitation. The brain is not a set of isolated modules but a dynamic, adaptive system.
Stretch & Challenge (Grade 8-9):
  • Synoptic links: explain how brain structure & function connects to another Psychology topic you have studied
  • Real-world: research one real-world use or example of brain structure & function
  • Critical: "What are the limitations of the models used in brain structure & function?"

Plenary (5 minutes)

Assessment Criteria
  • Got it: Confident explanation + correct worked examples
  • Getting there: Main points OK, needs support with detail
  • Not yet: Confused on key concepts - re-run Lesson 2

Homework & Consolidation

Recommended Resources

🎓 Smart Lesson (Guided)