Sadness

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/sadness

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the emotional spectrum?A fundamental human emotion ranging from mild disappointment to profound grief
2. What is the neurobiological pathways?Involves the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine
3. What is sadness and why do we feel it?Sadness is a feeling that happens when we think we have lost something or feel helpless. It can be like a rainy day for your heart and helps us grow and connect with others.
4. How does sadness affect our body?When we feel sad, we might cry, feel hungry or sleepy, and our brain parts like the amygdala and prefrontal cortex work to process the feeling. Tiny chemicals like serotonin and dopamine also help control the mood.

Phenomenology: The study of subjective conscious experience and how things appear to us.
Neurotransmitters: Chemical messengers that transmit signals across a synapse from one neuron to another.
Cognitive Appraisal: The subjective interpretation and evaluation of an event or situation.