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

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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.

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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.

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Ability to recreate a visual image

Show the following design

to the class for 5 minutes.

Ask students to try and

remember the design.

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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?

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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?

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‘Generation Game’ style activity

Ask students to watch the following display of objects. Tell them they will be asked to recall

them afterwards.

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Recall Activity

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Thank you for participating.

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After viewing the slideshow

ask students to write down

a list of the items they have seen.

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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

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Now ask individual students for more detail about the

objects displayed.

Is incorrect detail often introduced?

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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

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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?

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Memory and Recall Activities taken from The Open University BBC Eyewitness series dvd available from www.uniview.co.uk

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