Oklahoma Social Studies PS.2.2
The Standard
- PS.2
- Investigate the structure, biochemistry, and circuitry of the brain and the nervous system to understand their roles in affecting behavior.
Identify and describe the structure and function of major brain systems, including the major parts of the brainstem, limbic system and cerebral cortex.
Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies (2026) · PS.2
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students locate the medulla, pons, and midbrain and describe what each does. They do the same for the amygdala, hippocampus, and hypothalamus. They identify the four cerebral cortex lobes and connect each to a task.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student labels these parts on a brain diagram and gives a job for each. They explain why damage to the medulla may affect breathing, while damage to the occipital lobe may affect vision.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may say the hippocampus controls breathing or the medulla stores memories. They may treat the cerebral cortex as one part with one job, rather than regions that handle different tasks.
How to Assess It
- Give students a blank brain diagram. Ask them to label the medulla, hippocampus, and occipital lobe, then name each part's larger system and one job it does.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs a printed brain outline and colored stickers to mark brainstem parts, limbic parts, and the four cortex lobes.
Ask students which brain parts help them hear a fire alarm, feel fear, and decide where to go.
Play brain-part bingo: call out a job, such as controlling breathing, and have students cover the matching part.
Read a short case about occipital lobe damage, then ask students which daily task would be harder and why.
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Printable PS.2.2 Worksheet
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Related Standards
- PS.2
Investigate the structure, biochemistry, and circuitry of the brain and the nervous system to understand their roles in affecting behavior.
- 6.C.2
Analyze the physical systems of the major regions of the Western Hemisphere.
- 7.C.2
Analyze the physical systems of the major regions of the Eastern Hemisphere.
- PS.2.1
Identify and describe the major divisions of the nervous system.
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