Mississippi Science HAP.6.3
The Standard
- HAP.6
- Students will investigate the structures and functions of the nervous system, including the cause and effect of diseases and disorders.
Discuss the structure and function of the brain and spinal cord.
2026 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science · Nervous System
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students identify major brain regions and the spinal cord on a diagram. They explain how these parts help with movement, balance, breathing, and communication between the brain and body.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can label the cerebrum, cerebellum, brainstem, and spinal cord and give a job for each. They can trace a hand-withdrawal reflex through the spinal cord and explain that the brain becomes aware of the pain.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think every response has to wait for the brain, even a withdrawal reflex. They may also think all brain regions do the same job or that the spinal cord only supports the body.
How to Assess It
- Give students a blank brain and spinal cord diagram. Ask them to label four parts, give one job for each, and explain why a hand pulls away from a hot pan.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Have pairs build a clay brain and spinal cord, then use string to trace a signal from a finger to the spinal cord.
Ask: Why can your hand pull away from a hot pan before you notice the pain? Have students write a two-sentence answer.
Give groups cards naming brain regions, body functions, and spinal cord actions; have them match each set and explain one match.
Show a bicycle helmet and neck brace; ask students which nervous system structures each protects and what an injury might affect.
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Printable HAP.6.3 Worksheet
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Related Standards
- HAP.6.4
Compare and contrast the structures and functions of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Investigate how the systems interact to maintain homeostasis (e...
- HAP.6.1
Describe and evaluate how the nervous system functions and interconnects with all other body systems.
- HAP.6.2
Analyze the structure and function of neurons and their supporting neuroglia cells (e.g., astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, Schwann cells, microglial).
- HAP.6
Students will investigate the structures and functions of the nervous system, including the cause and effect of diseases and disorders.
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