Science The Human Bodyusually ages 5–7

The Brain Controls the Body

Understand that the brain is the body’s control centre: it receives messages from the senses, thinks and makes decisions, and sends messages through nerves to tell muscles what to do

How to tell they’ve got it

Tick these off as you see them — no test required.

State that the brain is inside the skull and controls the whole body
Describe the basic loop: senses send information to the brain, the brain decides what to do, and sends messages to muscles
Give an example (e.g. eyes see a ball coming, brain decides to catch it, nerves tell hands to move)

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Try this together

Can your child explain what the brain does — that it’s in charge of thinking, feeling, and telling the body what to do?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Nothing on the map comes before this — it’s a starting point.

The Brain Controls the Bodythis skill · ages 5–7

Unlocks

The Nervous Systemages 9–11Detailed nervous system builds on knowing the brain is the body's control centre

The Five Sensesages 5–7Senses send messages to brain; understanding senses helps understand why brain receives signals

Cells, Tissues & Organsages 7–9Cells-to-systems hierarchy helps organise knowledge of brain as an organ in a system

How the Eye Worksages 7–9Eye sends signals to brain via optic nerve; knowing brain receives sense messages helps

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Candidate matches to official curriculum codes — machine-suggested, unreviewed (v0.1).

This skill sits outside the F–6 Australian Curriculum — no candidate code matched (v0.1). No NSW K–6 outcome code matched (v0.1). No Victorian Curriculum 2.0 code matched (v0.1).

Nearby on the map

Basic Body Needsages 5–7 Bones & Musclesages 5–7 How Breathing Worksages 5–7 The Five Sensesages 5–7

All The Human Body skills →