Memory and Recall Activities The following activities are based on those described in The Open University BBC Eyewitness dvd available from Uniview Short Term Memory Ability to Recreate a Visual Image Generation Game style activity Describing a Stranger

Short term memory Ask two classmates sitting next to each other to stand up back to back and describe what the other is wearing and looks like.

Short term memory This sounds as though it should be easy, but most people find it hard to remember details such as eye colour, clothes and colours. This simple activity demonstrates this.

Ability to recreate a visual image Show the following design to the class for 5 minutes. Ask students to try and remember the design.

A few days later ask the students to recreate the design using pens and paper. How easy do they find it to recreate the design? What strategies had they used when trying to recall the design?

To develop this activity further, manipulate the degree of difficulty by providing extra irrelevant coloured pens. Do students feel that they should use all the colours provided?

Generation Game style activity Ask students to watch the following display of objects. Tell them they will be asked to recall them afterwards.

Recall Activity

Thank you for participating.

After viewing the slideshow ask students to write down a list of the items they have seen.

List of Objects Birthday presents Coins Glove Guitar Jug Keys Lightbulb Mantle clock Mug Orange Plate Scissors Pumpkin Holepunch Stick Stickytape String Torch Batteries Screwdriver

Now ask individual students for more detail about the objects displayed. Is incorrect detail often introduced?

Arrange for a stranger to enter the room for a short time during a lesson. If possible ask him or her to say something that can be heard by the class. Describing a stranger

Describing a stranger After the stranger has left the room and a few minutes have elapsed ask students to describe that person – hair colour, accent, height etc How accurate are they? Would they be able to identify them accurately in a line up?

Memory and Recall Activities taken from The Open University BBC Eyewitness series dvd available from