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American Medical Association. "Harmful Consequences of Alcohol Use on the Brains of Children, Adolescents, and College Students." American Medical Association. Web. 3 Nov. 2010. This article by the American Medical Association talks about how television exposure has harmful effects on children and adolescents, when it comes to underage drinking. The exposure of young children, adolescents, and college students to television that had alcohol in it increases the chances of underage drinking. The damaging effects on the brains of alcohol on this age groups brains can be permanent. Television ads make drinking alcohol seem like the normal thing to do so they think its okay to do. These alcohol companies have mascots, other characters, and even slogans geared toward people who are underage.

Zoeller, Robert F. "Exercise and Cognitive Function: Can Working Out Train the Brain, Too?." American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine 4.5 (2010), 397-409. This article studies the relationship between working out and the functions of the brain. It says that studies with children, adults, and elderly people have proved that physical activity does have a positive impact on brain functions while cognitive function in young adults does not change with physical activity. Regular aerobic exercise and fitness increase brain volume and promote brain growth.

This is a link to the listing for this book on OhioLINK. It sounds like it might be helpful to those doing research on literacy development, how we learn to read. As the description implies, this might be an easy introduction to a rather complex topic. Wolf, a professor of child development at Tufts University, integrates psychology and archaeology, linguistics and education, history and neuroscience in a truly path-breaking look at the development of the reading brain-a complicated phenomenon that Wolf seeks to chronicle from both the early history of humanity and the early stages of an individual's development ("unlike its component parts such as vision and speech... reading has no direct genetic program passing it on to future generations"). Along the way, Wolf introduces concepts like "word poverty," the situation in which children, by age five, have heard 32 million less words than their counterparts (with chilling long-term effects), and makes time for amusing and affecting anecdotes, like the only child she knew to fake a reading disorder (attempting to get back into his beloved literacy training program). Though it could probably command a book of its own, the sizable third section of the book covers the complex topic of dyslexia, explaining clearly and expertly "what happens when the brain can't learn to read." One of those rare books that synthesizes cutting edge, interdisciplinary research with the inviting tone of a curious, erudite friend (think Malcolm Gladwell), Wolf's first book for a general audience is an eye-opening winner, and deserves a wide readership. (From the description on Amazon.com.)

Artical talks about the impact music has on the brains development. It also explains the connection between musical structure and cognitive activity. 

A film on OhioLINK. Researchers debate whether differences in the brain architecture lead to a division of talents and aptitudes between the sexes. A bit dated, but could be helpful for those researching gender and literacy.\n

Zeigler, Donald W., Claire C. Wang. "The Neurocognitive Effects of Alcohol on Adolescents and College Students." Journal of Preventive Medicine 40 (2005): 23-32. OhioLink. Web. 8 Nov. 2010. This article is about the cognitive effects high-risk drinking has on college students. It explains how underage alcohol use is connected to brain damage and neurocognitive deficits, with implications for learning and intellectual development.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). "College Drinking-Changing the Culture." College Drinking Prevention.gov. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 11 July. 2007. Web. 15 Nov. 2010 This article explains the damaging effects alcohol has on a person's liver, heart, stomach, and brain. It talks about how drinking heavily over the years causes irreversible damage to these vital organs. This article breaks the body down and specifically covers each organ that is affected by heavy alcohol use.

Rosewater, Ann. "Learning to Play and Playing to Learn: Organzied Sports and Educational Outcome." MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO, Sept. 2009. Web. 10 Nov. 2010. The article expresses the benefits of playing sports to increase academic performance. In the article it provides data on why it is beneficial for youth to participate in organized sports including the effects on brain functions critical to learning.

What the Internet is doing to our brains

Sloan, Katherine, and Linda Nathan. "Art Transforms Education." Connection: The Journal of the New England Board of Higher Education (2005): 18-20. EBSCO. Web. 13 Nov. 2010. The article addresses the fact that schools are lacking art influences because of the No Child Left Behind Act. It states that this should be changed and proposes the "Critique Method." It emphasizes the benefits of right-brained thinking. The authors relate to Daniel Pink's idea of the Conceptual Age. They discuss how art fosters empathetic thinking that is crucial to the future generation.

Roscoe, Rod D., and Michellene T.H. Chi. "Understanding Tutor Learning: Knowledge-Building and Knowledge-Telling in Peer Tutors' Explanations and Questions." JSTOR. Review of Educational Resource 77.4 Dec. 2007: 534-574. Web. 18 Nov. 2010. < >< stable www.jstor.org http: > > Peer tutoring is more effective in college due to the brain being more developed. Though peer tutors have their own learning method, they take what the tutee is good at and combine it with their own way of learning. Thus having more of an effective learning style than in the classroom. This article also states that peer tutoring at all ages is effective and can only benefit the students. Tutors can help determine new learning methods for the tutees.

Sloan, Katherine, and Linda Nathan. "Art Transforms Education." Connection: The Journal of the New England Board of Higher Education (2005): 18-20. EBSCO. Web. 13 Nov. 2010. The article addresses the fact that schools are lacking art influences because of the No Child Left Behind Act. It states that this should be changed and proposes the "Critique Method." It emphasizes the benefits of right-brained thinking. The authors relate to Daniel Pink's idea of the Conceptual Age. They discuss how art fosters empathetic thinking that is crucial to the future generation.

Coombes, Rebecca."Developed world is robbing African countries of health staff". bmj.com. BMJ, Volume 230, p.923, April 23, 2005. This article talks about how developed nations are draining all the healthcare professionals out of the developing countries, and that this sort of drain is causing very strained health services in these regions, since most of them have very few to no doctors or nurses in most of the areas. This helps in quickening the depletion of health services and thus health in general, in these developing nations.