Teenage Brains Are Malleable And Vulnerable, Researchers Say
“Teenage Brains Are Malleable And Vulnerable, Researchers Say” discusses how the teenage brain responds to potential rewards and consequent impacts on decision making.
When and How to Pair: Have students read this text after they finish Chapter 7, to provide them with a theoretical text to help them analyze Holden’s actions and motivations. Ask students to discuss the risky behavior that Holden engages in and how, according to Hamilton’s article, it might be related to his brain development as an adolescent. How much of Holden’s behavior do students think is due to his age and brain development? How does his behavior compare to the behavior of his fellow adolescent classmates?