Human Behavior - Eyes Open! - Episode 111



1) Getting Started
• What activities do you do that really grab your attention? Why is it easy to focus on them?

• When do you have a hard time paying attention? If you say, “When I’m bored,” then what’s the difference between a boring activity and an exciting one?

• Have you heard the phrase, “Time flies when you’re having fun”? Why is that? Why is it easy to lose track of time when you are having fun?

2) Going Deeper
• Try listening to two conversations at once and then recount as much as you can about each conversation. How many details can you remember accurately?

• How often do you see people driving while putting on make-up, or talking on a cell phone? Call your local police department and ask if there has been an increase in accidents among cell phone users.

3) Investigate With DragonflyTV
• Watch the video and see how Maddy and Martina investigated perception or give your students the results from the video (go to investigations to explore) and have them draw their own conclusions.

• Were the girls interested in how well their friends played soccer? What was their real interest?

• What did the girls conclude about “eyewitness” testimony? Is it always reliable?

4) Investigate On Your Own
Using Perception or Roller Coasters as a model, ask your students to design their own investigations. Here are some challenge cards to give student teams to get things rolling.