Brainstorm will be hosting our October "All About Neurons" workshop at the Claremont Branch Library in Berkeley, California. We'll be teaching children about synaptic transmission (how neurons talk!) and helping them to make their own model neurons.
We've created a fun and easy way to make a model synapse, and it only requires 3 craft items: pipe cleaners, tape, and a foam poster board.
This model synapse is super easy to make! Here are some steps to guide you through it:
1. Roll one of your pipe cleaners into a small ball, leaving a hole through the center (this is the neuron's soma).
2. Insert a pipe cleaner through the ball, moving the ball to the center of the straight pipe cleaner.
3. Wrap the halves of the straight pipe cleaner around each other and twist them together to form the neuron's axon.
4. Cut pipe cleaners in half for use as axons and dendrites. Wrap the half pipe cleaners through the soma and the end of the axon to form dendrites and axons, respectively.
5. To create a myelin sheath, wrap a different color pipe cleaner around the axon pipe cleaner to form a striped pattern.
And you're done with your first neuron! Create a second neuron for the synapse poster board model or enjoy your neuron solo. Either way, this will be a fun and educational activity to learn more about neuron structure and communication, and we hope you can join us at our October workshop!