Neuroscience of Emotion

Emotions are complex responses that shape how we think and act. From the thrill of a winning game to the sting of rejection, emotions arise from networks of brain cells communicating with each other and with special chemicals called neurotransmitters. In this reading, you will learn about the key players that help your brain create, regulate, and remember feelings.

What Is an Emotion?

An emotion is your brain’s reaction to something important. When you see a surprise test, feel a friend’s support, or smell fresh cookies, your brain works behind the scenes to tag the experience with “emotional meaning.” It then helps your body react—maybe your heart races, or you smile.

Key Brain Structures

• Amygdala
• Location: deep in the temporal lobe, almond-shaped.
• Role: rapid detection of threats and rewards, your brain’s “emotional alarm.”

• Prefrontal Cortex (PFC)
• Location: front of the brain, right behind your forehead.
• Role: planning, impulse control, and calming down strong emotions.

• Hippocampus
• Location: seahorse-shaped structure near the amygdala.
• Role: creating memories and adding context to your feelings.

Chemicals That Carry the Message

Neurotransmitters bridge the gaps between brain cells:
• Dopamine signals pleasure and motivation—think of the rush you get when you score a goal.
• Serotonin helps stabilize mood and focus—like keeping you calm before a big presentation.

How Emotions and Memory Connect

When your amygdala tags an event as “important,” the hippocampus steps in to store that memory more strongly. That’s why you often recall exciting or scary moments in vivid detail.

Why This Matters

By understanding how brain structures and chemicals work together to create emotions, you can learn to recognize and manage your feelings. This knowledge is the first step toward building self-awareness and emotional resilience.

This reading sets the stage for creating your own emotion mind map—visualizing how these parts connect in your brain.

Mapping Emotional Connections Discussion

Overview

In pairs, students will deepen their understanding of how emotions connect in the brain by referring to concepts from Inside Your Emotional Brain and the Neuroscience of Emotion. They will sketch connections on chart paper or a whiteboard and explore real-life examples.

Materials

• Inside Your Emotional Brain slide deck
• Neuroscience of Emotion handout
• Chart paper or whiteboard
• Markers

Discussion Guidelines

• Listen actively and respectfully to your partner’s ideas
• Support your explanations with evidence from the reading or slides
• Encourage each other to elaborate with personal examples
• Take turns speaking and asking questions

Discussion Questions

1. Amygdala + Hippocampus Interaction
   Choose two emotions you identified earlier (for example, fear and excitement). How might the amygdala and hippocampus work together when you experience these emotions?
   Follow-up Prompts:
   • Can you describe a personal experience that illustrates this interaction?
   • Which memory details does your hippocampus highlight in that moment?
   
   
   
2. Regulation by the Prefrontal Cortex
   How could the prefrontal cortex help regulate a strong emotional response between these two feelings?
   Follow-up Prompts:
   • What strategies does your brain use to calm down (e.g., deep breathing, reframing)?
   • How does this regulation help you respond more effectively in real-life situations?
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Value of Mapping Emotions
   Why is creating a visual map of emotional connections useful for self-awareness and emotional regulation?
   Follow-up Prompts:
   • How can visualizing these connections help you manage stress or make decisions?
   • What patterns or themes do you notice in your emotional map?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Closing Share-Out (2 minutes)

• Each pair shares one key insight from their discussion with the class (verbal or by posting a sticky note).
• Teacher highlights common themes and unique observations to wrap up.

Mind Map Creation

Objective

Students will create a personalized emotion mind map showing how key brain structures, chemicals, and past experiences connect in their own emotional landscape. This helps build self-awareness and strategies for emotional regulation.

Materials

• Emotion Map Worksheet
• Colored markers or pencils
• Optional: Sticky notes for extra ideas

Instructions (8 minutes)

1. Quick Recap (1 minute)
   • Recall the roles of the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus.
   • Remember how dopamine and serotonin influence mood.
2. Central Theme (1 minute)
   • On your worksheet, write “My Emotion Map” or your name in the center circle.
   • Draw branches radiating out for each brain structure or chemical you want to explore.
3. Add Emotions & Connections (4 minutes)
   • Label each branch with an emotion you feel often (e.g., anxiety, excitement, calm).
   • Draw lines connecting branches to show how one emotion might trigger or influence another in your brain.
   • Next to each line, jot a short note: a memory, thought pattern, or strategy (for example, “deep breaths” or “positive self-talk”) that helps regulate that connection.
4. Personal Examples & Color Coding (1 minute)
   • Use different colors to represent positive vs. challenging feelings.
   • Near each emotion, write a quick example from your life that illustrates that feeling (e.g., “butterflies before a game”).
5. Partner Feedback (1 minute)
   • Turn to a classmate and briefly explain one branch of your map.
   • Ask for a suggestion: “What strategy could strengthen my regulation on this emotion?”

Follow-Up Prompts & Reflection

• Which connection on your map surprised you the most?
  
  
  
• How might visualizing these links help you manage stress, make decisions, or support a friend?
  
  
  
  
  
  

When time is up, place your completed worksheet on the front table for our Cool-Down share-out.

Emotion Map Worksheet

Use this worksheet to draw and explore your personal emotion mind map. Use colored markers or pencils and fill in the sections below.

1. Central Theme

Write “My Emotion Map” or your name in the center circle and draw your circle here:

2. Branches & Emotions

Draw 4–6 branches radiating out from your central theme.
Label each branch with:

• A brain structure or chemical (e.g., amygdala, PFC, hippocampus, dopamine, serotonin)
• An emotion you feel often (e.g., anxiety, excitement, calm)

Sketch and label your branches below:

3. Connections & Strategies

Draw lines connecting related emotions. Next to each line, write:

• A memory, thought pattern, or strategy that helps regulate this connection

Example: “Anxiety → Calm: deep breathing”

4. Color Coding & Examples

Legend:
Positive feelings (color): ______
Challenging feelings (color): ______

Write one real-life example near each emotion (e.g., “butterflies before a game”):

5. Partner Feedback

My chosen branch for feedback: _________________________________
Partner’s suggestion for strengthening regulation: _________________________________

6. Reflection

1. Which connection surprised you the most?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. How might visualizing these connections help you manage stress or make decisions?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

When finished, place your completed worksheet on the front table for our Cool-Down share-out.

Cool-Down: One Thing Learned

Take 2 minutes to reflect and share your key takeaway from today’s session. Choose one option:

Option A: Sticky Note Share
• Write one insight you gained about how emotions connect in your brain (e.g., a fact about the amygdala, a new strategy for regulation).
• Post your sticky note on the board under “One Thing Learned.”

Option B: Verbal Share
• Turn to a classmate and tell them one surprising thing you learned today.
• Explain why it stood out and how you might use it in your daily life.
 
 

Reflection Prompt

What is one specific way you will use today’s lesson to better understand or manage your emotions moving forward?