Learning Resources Brain Model

The detail is really amazing for the size and cost. It even has the ventricles, corpus callosum, and hippocampus as separate pieces. It shows the different areas of the brain very clearly. I teach A&P at the college level and have one of these in my office, which saves a trip to the lab when students stop by with questions. I can even use it during lecture to show how the brain is put together in a general way. I recommend it to my students to help them learn the anatomy, since it fits well with a limited budget.A few points to consider:1) It is very difficult to put together the first time. You need to be gentle but firm to get the pieces to fit right. They don't need to be forced, just coaxed. It takes a decent understanding of the brain to put it together correctly, which is why it is good for students. They have to work at it, which helps them remember it better. Once put together, the pieces fit snugly and will stay together.2) It is detailed and accurate, but definitely not a lab quality brain, which tends to cost several hundred dollars. Part of the learning process can involve using markers to color in additional structures if necessary.3) Believe the age recommendation (8+). Younger children would probably get very frustrated with it, and even the older ones might also. I wouldn't necessarily consider it a toy.4) It's pretty durable, but the tiny pegs that hold it together would definitely break if forced too hard.5) It is small, just as specified in the description. The total height is about 9 inches, which includes the base the model stands on, the brain stem, and cerebrum.

It's quite small, and a few of the holes aren't quite drilled all the way and have to be mashed into place, but for those of us who can't afford a $1,500.00 SOMSO brain, this is a godsend! Attached is a photo of all of the structures. I wish they made a life sized version, but otherwise this is the most detailed articular model I can find.

I am very fortunate to be the father of a little gifted boy who loves to ask questions; From the amount of molecules in a drop of water to how much faster than the speed of light can the Millenium Falcon go, he wants to know the answer. One day he asked the question about why do so many people judge or react based on emotion or clan, or affiliation rather than on reason. I explained to him that it harks back to the antediluvian exchange between the mid-brain and the frontal cortex. From this he said he wanted to see the mid brain and how it works.In response, we ordered this Learning Resources Brain Model. It has about 30 pieces and each piece has little pegs or holes so that the whole brain can be snapped together within a few minutes (if you really understand the anatomy of the brain). Overall, the model covers all of the major areas of the brain including the brain stem, mid brain regions, the 4 lobes and has highlights for specific areas like the Motor Cortex. Overall it is a fairly good little model and even includes a small stand for the brain to be displayed.The reason why I am giving it 4 instead of 5 stars is that the brain is a little bit difficult to snap together. In some areas, the fit is very tight and it is a little bit hard to get some of the pieces to plug into another.In totality though I would say this model does a pretty good job and it definitely was fun and eye opening for my six year old son. I would recommend to other parents interested in educating their children or parents who homeschool.

It did the trick for my Brain and Behavior class, but the instructions were useless. It was still fun to put together, although nerve wracking

The media could not be loaded. Excellent! Very pleased!

A great manipulative to go with a human anatomy lesson. These models really help to solidify the concept. Yes it is tiny, so what. As a homeschool mom, I don't want a bunch of giant models taking up room when I am not using them.

I very rarely post one-star reviews, but this product was just that bad. It is so poorly manufactured that you can't get the parts together, and if you do manage to get it together it barely fits so you have to hold it together. Since this was a purchase I had hoped to use with the third graders I work with the inability to manipulate it without it falling apart renders it completely useless. If you want to glue everything together and never take it apart it MIGHT work, but even then most of the rubber pegs are so out of place and bent that you can't get it together even with glue. Also, the brain is SOOOOO small. Absolutely useless and a complete waste of money. Oh, and if you're hoping the instructions will help, you'll be sadly mistaken. Pictures-only instructions that do very little to help.

This item met my expectations. I read previous reviews so I knew what I was buying and it's possible faults. I posted a picture of it assembled next to a AA battery for size comparison.The parts are made with a hard plastic/rubber. They fit together in sort of a interlocking puzzle kind of way. I found that I had to line up a few pieces in tandem then push them all together at once. Several pieces interlock so putting one piece together at a time does not work.I would not recommend this item as a toy for a child. This is best as a manipulative for an older student to make a lesson more interesting or as a display piece on a desk. The pieces are hard to get together and take apart so I would not expect to do that more than once during a lesson.