Getting Inside the Teenage Brain

The discussion, a portion of the Middle School’s comprehensive health and wellness program, Benainu (Between Us), addressed emotional responses and behavioral changes around the time of puberty; the importance of impulse control, peer pressure and measuring risks, as their brains are still maturing during these critical years; and the impact of stress on brain functioning as well as the need to cope when “flooded with emotions.”

The students also observed Mrs. Finkelstein’s brain formation demonstration, using a chemical mixture. Just as the mixture matured with time, so does the human brain. Students were also given a handout with supplemental information about adolescent brain development to take home and discuss with their parents.