STEM Challenge #5: Map your brain!

Hi, children!

In 3rd Grade, we are learning about our senses, so this challenge is focused on the sense of TOUCH.

We wanted to know which body parts are more sensitive and we found an experiment developed by Dr. Rebekah Corlew and Theo Walker of the Fitzpatrick Lab at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience. This experiment is called The Homunculus Mapper.

https://www.maxplanckflorida.org/fitzpatricklab/homunculus/ 

First, we made this card:

Then, in pairs, we took measurements:

1. The tested pupil should close their eyes. 
2. The tester pupil should press 2 points of the card against the skin of the subject and ask if they feel one point or two points. The tested body parts are: HEAD, BACK, ARMS, HANDS, LEGS and FEET.
3. Start with the largest distance and keep testing smaller and smaller distances until the subject indicates that they feel one point.
4. Record these distances. 
5. Enter these numbers on brainmapper.org.

Finally, we entered our results on the web. The more sensitive parts looked larger and the less sensitive parts looked smaller. This is how "our brain thinks we are". For example:

It was an interesting experiment and very easy to do at home ;)