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Students explore the concept of the mind and how thoughts are private ideas we have inside ourselves.
Did you know that you have a secret room that only you can enter, and you carry it with you everywhere you go?
Inside your head, you have a mind. Your mind is where your thoughts live. A thought can be a picture, a word, or a feeling. The coolest thing about your mind is that it is private. This means that if you are thinking about a purple elephant, nobody else knows! They can't see the elephant unless you decide to tell them or draw it for them. Your mind is like a special book that only you can read.
Let's try a quick experiment to see how your mind works: 1. Close your eyes tightly. 2. In your head, imagine the color bright green. 3. Keep that color in your mind for seconds. 4. Open your eyes. Even though you saw green, the room stayed the same color! That is because the green was only in your mind.
Quick Check
If you are thinking about your favorite toy, can your teacher see it just by looking at your forehead?
Answer
No, because thoughts are private and happen inside your mind.
Even though we all live in the same world, we don't all have the same thoughts. Imagine you and a friend see a big puddle. You might think, 'I want to jump in and splash!' But your friend might think, 'I don't want to get my shoes wet.' Neither thought is wrong! It just shows that every person has their own unique way of thinking. Our thoughts are shaped by what we like, what we feel, and what we have done before.
Imagine you and a friend are looking at the same fluffy cloud in the sky: 1. You look at the cloud and think it looks like a giant marshmallow. 2. Your friend looks at the exact same cloud and thinks it looks like a fluffy rabbit. 3. You are both looking at the same thing, but your minds created two different ideas!
Quick Check
Does everyone think the exact same thing when they look at a picture of a dog?
Answer
No, everyone has different thoughts based on their own mind.
Because our thoughts are hidden inside our heads, we have to use tools to share them with others. These tools are words, art, and actions. When you say, 'I am hungry,' you are taking a thought from your mind and sending it to someone else's ears. This is how we connect our secret rooms together! Without sharing, people wouldn't know the wonderful ideas you have inside.
Try this challenge to share a thought: 1. Think of a simple shape, like a triangle . 2. Don't say the name of the shape. 3. Instead, use your finger to draw it in the air. 4. Ask a friend to guess what you were thinking. You just moved a thought from your head into theirs!
Where do your thoughts live?
If you and your friend see a cat, do you have to have the same thought?
People can hear your thoughts even if you stay perfectly quiet.
Review Tomorrow
In 24 hours, try to remember: What is the 'secret room' inside your head called?
Practice Activity
Draw a 'Thought Bubble' on a piece of paper. Inside the bubble, draw one thing you are thinking about right now, then show it to someone to share your thought!