Unlocking The Human Spark

indexWhat makes us uniquely human? In the three-part series The Human Spark, originally broadcast on PBS in January 2010, Alan Alda visits with dozens of scientists on three continents and participates directly in many experiments – including the detailed examination of his own brain. Through PBS LearningMedia’s The Human Spark collection of lesson plans and video resources for grades 5-12, students join Alda in searching for the answers to many of our most age-old questions. 

During the series, he learns why some brains are bigger than others, such as does it really mean you’re smarter after all?, and explores the relationship between social and technological change, even looking at the ways in which monkeys and apes are biologically, mentally and socially similar to humans.

With this collection of lesson plans and video resources, you can take classes on their own journey, back in time all the way through to the present as you explore human evolution, prehistory, child development, the human brain and more. It’s sure to get your students pondering the question of what makes up their own DNA.

 

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