The following activity will probably take up an entire class period, but is a very graphic illustration of most of the principles of memory discussed in this chapter and will serve to reinforce your students’ understanding of those principles. You should engage in this activity after students are reasonably familiar with the memory principles.

Step one: If the instructor brings the items, they should be displayed in a box, on a tray, or on the desk top but covered so they cannot be seen. Students (in small groups of three or four) view the items for a brief amount of time--one minute perhaps. If students bring items, have each student bring his item and place it where everyone can see. After all items are displayed, cover them so they can no longer be seen.

Step two: When everyone has seen the items and the items are covered, students should list as many of these items as they can.

Step three: Ask the students how many they have listed, but do not reveal the items.

Step four: Form groups of four to five students and see if each group can remember more items than individual students were able to remember.

Step five: Reveal the items one by one as students check their list. Say each item out loud as it is revealed and have the students repeat it out loud.

Step six: With the items revealed, have the whole class create ways to meaningfully group the items into four or five groups (office supplies, food items, etc.) If there are some items left that don't fit into a neat and tidy category, have the students make up a story about those items. Any one group should not have more than 7 items. Review the groups.

Step seven: Cover the items again and have students individually list as many as they can.

Step eight: Discuss why they were able to remember more this time by reviewing and relating and by using various memory principles presented in the chapter. (You will find that almost all of the principles were used in some ways by someone in the class.)