Do not write anything on the activity sheet.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
GRADE 11
THE DOMINANT SIDE OF THE BRAIN
Researchers believed that brain dominance determines a person’s preferences, problem-solving
style, personality characteristics, and even career choices. For example, a right-brain individual will
quickly get a feeling for a situation, while a left-brain person will usually ask a lot of questions first.
The following chart reflects additional difference between left and right-brain dominance.
PERSONAL PREFERENCE
LEFT DOMINANCE RIGHT DOMINANCE
Classical music Popular music
Being on time A good times
Careful planning To visualize the outcome
To consider alternative To go with the first idea
Being thoughtful Being active
Monopoly, scrabble, or chess Athletics, art, or music
There is nothing good or bad about either preference. Both orientations can be equally successful in
accomplishing a single task; however, one may be more appropriate over the other depending on the
situation.
: MIND MAPPING
Mind mapping is a powerful thinking tool. It is a graphical technique that mirrors the way
the brain works, and was invented by Tony Buzan. Mind mapping helps to make thinking visible.
Most people make notes using lined paper and blue or black ink. Making notes more attractive to
the brain by adding color and rhythm can aid the learning process, and can help to make learning
fun. The subject being studied is crystallized in a central image and the main theme radiates out
from the central image on branches. Each branch holds a
key image or a key word. Details are then added to the main
branches and radiate further out. Mind maps have a wide
variety of uses, for example, note taking, revision planning,
planning for writing and problem solving can all be
successfully carried out using the technique. The colors and
the graphics used will help children to organize their ideas
and thoughts. They can be very simple or, quite detailed
depending upon the age of the children and the complexity
of the subject. Because creating the mind map involves the
use of the left and right brain, remembering the information
becomes easier!
Below is an example of a simple mind map linked to the information
Mind mapping can be used in all curriculum areas and can help children to think about their
learning.
How to draw a mind map:
1. Turn the page on its side (landscape). Use plain paper.
2. Draw the central image using different colors. The central image should encapsulate the
subject of the map.
3. Add the branches representing the subject’s main topics or themes using key words or
images.
4. Add detail with more key words and images. Use color.
5. Print the words clearly.
6. Use arrows to connect linked ideas.
The Key to Growing the Brain: Practice!
From the first day they are born, babies are hearing people around them talk—all day, every day, to
the baby and to each other. They have to try to make sense of these strange sounds and figure out
what they mean. In a way, babies are exercising their brains by listening hard. Later, when they
need to tell their parents what they want, they start practicing talking themselves. At first, they just
make goo-goo sounds. Then, words start coming. And by the time they are three years old, most can
say whole sentences almost perfectly. Once children learn a language, they don’t forget it. The
child’s brain has changed—it has actually gotten smarter. This can happen because learning causes
permanent changes in the brain. The babies’ brain cells get larger and grow new connections
between them. These new, stronger connections make the child’s brain stronger and smarter, just
like a weightlifter’s big muscles make them strong.
Do not write anything on the activity sheet.
The Real Truth About “Smart” and “Dumb”.
No one thinks babies are stupid because they can’t talk. They just haven’t learned how to yet. But
some people will call a person dumb if they can’t solve math problems, or spell a word right, or read
fast—even though all these things are learned with practice. At first, no one can read or solve
equations. But with practice, they can learn to do it. And the more a person learns, the easier it gets
to learn new things— because their brain “muscles” have gotten stronger! The students everyone
thinks as the “smartest” may not have been born any different from anyone else. But before they
started school, they may have started to practice reading. They had already started to build up their
“reading muscles.” Then, in the classroom, everyone said, “That’s the smartest student in the class.”
They don’t realize that any of the other students could learn to do as well if they exercised and
practiced reading as much. Remember, all of those other students learned to speak at least one
whole language already—something that grownups find very hard to do. They just need to build up
their “reading muscles” too.
What Can You Do to Get Smarter?
Just like a weightlifter or a basketball player, to be a brain athlete, you have to exercise and
practice. By practicing, you make your brain stronger. You also learn skills that let you use your
brain in a smarter way—just like a basketball player learns new moves. But many people miss out
on the chance to grow a stronger brain because they think they can’t do it, or that it’s too hard. It
does take work, just like becoming stronger physically or becoming a better ball player does.
Sometimes it even hurts! But when you feel yourself get better and stronger, all the work is worth it!
Portfolio Output No. 11: Make a Mind Map (In a bond paper)
1. Choose a subject or activity that you do well (for example, math, basketball, playing the
guitar, painting, cooking, or computer games).
2. Make a mind map of the chosen topic, following the procedure described earlier.
3. Explain your mind map and how you worked on it.
Additional Reading: THE MYTH OF MICHAEL JORDAN
Michael Jordan is one of the best basketball players of all time. His average point per game is the
highest in NBA history – 31.5. He is one of two players to score more than 3000 points in a single
season. And he has 11 MVP awards – five for the regular season and six for the finals.
It was dazzling to watch Jordan play. People often spoke of his grace on the court. They talked
about his natural abilities. But the true story is different. When he was a sophomore in high school,
Michael Jordan didn’t even make the team. “It was embarrassing not making the team,” he says.
“They posted the roster [list of players] and it was there for a long, long time without my name on it.
I remember being really mad, too, because there was a guy who made it that wasn’t as good as
me.”Someone else might have sulked, or quit. But this setback only fueled Jordan’s desire to
improve.
“Whenever I was working out and got tired and figured I ought to stop, I’d close my eyes and see
that list in the locker room without my name on it,” Jordan says, “and that usually got me going
again.”
The physical education teacher at Jordan’s high school, Ruby Sutton, describes
Jordan’s commitment to the game in those days. “I would normally get to school between 7 and
7:30. Michael would be at school before I would. Every time I’d come in and open these doors, I’d
hear the basketball. Fall, wintertime, summertime. Most mornings I had to run Michael out of the
gym.”
