To accompany ‘Here’s why being creative is good for your brain’  

SCIENCE

Before Reading:

1. France’s Chauvet Cave is famous for its cave paintings, estimated to be about 30,000 years old. This archeological finding tells us that art is very old. It also suggests that art provides some important benefits to people. Describe one way that creating art, or even just enjoying it, might benefit someone. Briefly explain your reasoning.
2. How important do you think brain health is? What are two habits that you think might help improve brain health? Pick one of them, and briefly explain your reasoning for why it might aid brain health.

During Reading:

1. Describe the branch of science called neuroarts.
2. According to a report co-authored by Jessica Bone, what is one example of how participating in arts can improve mental health?
3. Give two examples of tasks carried out by the brain that would fall under the category known as executive function.
4. Which part of the brain controls executive function?
5. Assal Habibi and her team discovered that kids in music programs tend to manage executive-function tasks better. Briefly summarize the evidence supporting this finding.
6. What type of special training might aid people with dyslexia, according to a study by Nadine Gaab and her team?  
7. One study had participants try to remember names mentioned in a long, boring audio recording. What simple activity improved name recall?
8. What program did school principal Mariale Hardiman create in hopes of improving her students’ test scores?
9. How might a person incorporate more art into their daily life? Give one specific example.
10. What changes in their thinking and behavior did museum visitors report after viewing an exhibit in Vienna, Austria?

After Reading:

1. What do scientists mean when they talk about brain plasticity? Why is brain plasticity important? This story mentions several activities shown in studies to improve brain plasticity. Consider the similarities between these activities. Then, come up with another activity or task — one not mentioned in this story — that you suspect might improve brain plasticity. Explain your answer in one or two sentences. Then, describe an experiment that could help investigate potential links between this activity and brain plasticity.
2. Imagine you are a teacher and learn that your school board plans to remove the arts programs to cut costs. To what extent might this change have negative impacts on school subjects besides art? Write a letter to the school board predicting the unexpected consequences of such a decision. Support your position with scientific research mentioned in this story.