How can you tell they’ve got it: The Brain Controls the Body?

If they’ve got it, you’ll see things like: 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). Or just try it together: Can your child explain what the brain does — that it’s in charge of thinking, feeling, and telling the body what to do?

Science The Human Body Ages 5–7

The Brain Controls the Body

Your child knows the brain is the body's boss. It takes in what the senses find, decides what to do, then tells the muscles to move. Eyes see a ball; hands reach to catch it.

In curriculum terms

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

Ages are typical, not deadlines — follow your child’s pace. How to help at home →

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

Where this fits in the official school curriculum — our best automated guess, not yet checked by a person.

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 →