lesson plan: working memory for kids - mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk€¦ · lesson plan: working memory for...
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LessonPlan:WorkingMemoryforKidsGrades:Year3-6Age:7-11years
OverviewWorkingmemoryistheabilitytoholdinformationinmindandmanipulateit.Itisanessentialcognitiveskillforschoollearning.Thislessonintroducestheconceptofworkingmemorytochildren,showsthatthereisalimittothecapacityofworkingmemory,andintroducestrategiestomakethemostofworkingmemory.Thelessonisdividedinto4segments:Introduction,Exploration,Application,andConsolidation.
Introduction 5minObjective Thissectionisaimedtointroducetheconceptofworkingmemory–alimitedcapacity
systemtostoreverbalandvisuospatialinformationandmanipulateit.Materials smallwhiteboard,markerpen,listofexampleitemsActivity Theteacherintroducesthetopictotheclassfollowingtheoutlineofthe‘Introduction’
sheet
Exploration 20minObjective Inthissection,childrenwillhavetheopportunitytoexploretheconceptofworking
memoryandtoalsoexperimentwiththeirownworkingmemoryMaterials listofexampleitemsActivity Thisisastudent-leadactivityinwhichchildrenworkinsmallgroups.Theywillbeplayinga
gamethatrequiresworkingmemory.Thisisfollowedbyashortreviewwiththewholeclasstowrapuptheactivity.
Application 15minObjective Inthissection,childrenwilllearnhowworkingmemoryisusedindifferentclassroomand
leisureactivities.Theywillalsobemadeawareofsignsthatworkingmemoryisoverloadedandstrategiestoreduceworkingmemoryload.
Materials White-boardstickersActivity Thisisateacher-leadactivity.Childrenareaskedtocomeupwithexamplesofactivities
thatrequireworkingmemory.
Consolidation 10minObjective Thissectionaimstorecapitulatethatinformationcoveredinthelessonandcondenseit
tosometake-homemessagesMaterials ConsolidationworksheetActivity Studentsareworkingindividuallyontheconsolidationworksheet,whichcontains
multiplechoicequestionsandtextboxesforlong-formanswers.Studentsarealsoaskedtoreflectonthethingsthattheyfoundmostinterestingoruseful.
Introduction“Whatisworkingmemory?”
Note:Theinstructionsbelowprovideaguideforteacheronhowtointroducetheconceptofworkingmemory.Thetextdoesnothavetobeusedverbatim.Theillustrationsareintendedtobeshownonawhiteboardthatcanbeactivelymanipulated,e.g.byaddinganitem,addingatickmarketc.Today,wearelearninghowourbrainworks,specificallyaboutsomethingcalledworkingmemory.Whenwehearthewordmemory,weoftenthinkaboutrememberingthingsfromalongtimeago.Workingmemoryisdifferent.Workingmemoryisthetypeofmemorythatyouusetokeepthingsinmindwhileyouareworkingonthem.ImagineyourMumaskedyoutogotothesupermarket.Listencarefullyandseeifyoucankeepthefollowinginstructionsinmind:“Gotothehomebakingaisleandgetsomefinewhiteflour,thengotothefridgesectionandgetsomefree-rangeeggs,thengotothesweetsaisleandgetsomedarkchocolate,thengetsomealmondsfromtheaislewiththecannedfruit,andthengetsomecinnamonsticksfromthespicessection.”Whocanremembertheinstructions?It’sdifficult,isn’tit?Whenwekeepinstructionslikethisinmind,ourbrainusessomethingcalledworkingmemory.It’slikethebrain’swhiteboard:itcantakesomeinformationtostoreandmanipulateit,likethis:
Location - Item Baking aisle – white flour ✓ Fridge – free-range eggs ✓
Sweets aisle – dark chocolate ✓ Canned fruit aisle – almonds
Spices section – cinnamon sticks
cashier
cashier
Entra
nce
flour
cinn
amon
alm
onds
dark
ch
ocol
ate
eggs
Thebraincanalsouseworkingmemoryinadifferentway.Forexample,likethis:
Ineithercase,thereisalimittohowmuchinformationwecansqueezeonthisboard.It’sthesamewiththebrain’sworkingmemory.Itgetsfullandthingsneedtobetakenofftomakeroomfornewinformation.Somepeoplecankeepalotintheirmindandothersabitless.Thegoodnewsisthatyougetbetteratthisasyougrowupandyoucanusesometricksthathelpyoukeepthingsinmindmoreeasily.Wearegoingtolearnaboutthesetoday
WorkingMemoryforKidsActivitySheet-Scientist
Hello,welcometotheWorkingMemorygame.Inthefirstroundofthegame,youwillbethescientist.Asthescientist,youwillchallengeyourclassmate’sworkingmemory.Youwillalsohavetokeeptrackofhowwellyourpartnerisdoing.Followtheseinstructionscarefully:
1. Sitoppositeyourpartner.2. Put themagnets on the board as shown below.Make sure that your
partnercannotseethem.3. Showyourpartnertheboard(countto5)andthenturnitawayagain–
usethestopwatch4. Removeitemsasshownbelow5. Showyourpartnertheboardagainandcountto5.6. Showyourpartnerthebackoftheboard.7. She/hewillhavetosay:
a. whereontheboardtheitemswereb. iftheitemsthatyouremovedisfoodornot
8. Giveyourpartnerapointforeachcorrectlocation
Showfirst Showsecond Place? Food?
1.START
2.
FoldHere
Turnover
Showfirst Showsecond Place? Food?
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.FINISH
WorkingMemoryforKidsActivitySheet-Participant
Hello,welcometotheWorkingMemorygame.Inthefirstroundofthegame,youwilltakepartinanexperiment.Youwillhavetorememberwhereyousawobjectsontheboardandiftheyarefoodornot.Followtheseinstructionscarefully:
1. Sitoppositeyourpartner.2. Yourpartnerwillshowyouobjectontheboardforashortmoment.Look
atthemcarefullyandrememberwhereyousawtheobjects3. Yourpartnerwillshowyoutheboardagainforafewmoments.Thistime
oneobjectismissing.4. Pointtothelocationoftheobjectthatwasremovedonthebackofthe
boardandsayifthemissingobjectwasedibleornotedible.5. Youwillgetpointsforcorrectanswers
Application“Whatdoweuseworkingmemoryfor?”
Note:Thissheetcontainsmaterialsforateacher-leadactivityabouttheuseofworkingmemoryintheclassroomandathome.Childrenareaskedtocomeupwithexamplesonwhichsituationsmayrequireworkingmemory.Theteacherwillcategorisethemintoactivitiesthatareusedathomeandintheclassroom.Somepromptsareprovidedincasechildrenfinditdifficulttocomeupwithexamples.Childrenshouldhavesometimetothinkaboutexamplesontheirownandwritethemdown.Everychildshouldhavetheopportunitytocontributesomethingdependingonhowmuchtimeisavailable.Inthelastgame,welearnedthatourbraindoessomethingcalledworkingmemory.Workingmemoryisusedtostoreinformationinourmindandmanipulateitlikeyoudidinthegame.Now,Iwantyoutothinkwhenwemightuseworkingmemoryinschoolorathome.Everyoneshouldthinkofanexampleofwhenwemightuseworkingmemoryandwritetheexampledown.Collectexamplesfromthechildrenonthewhiteboard.Summarizespecificexampleswiththetemplatesprovidedorwriteadditionalexamplesonthewhiteboard.Looselycategorisetheexamplesinto‘atschool’and‘athome’.Makesurethatdifferentchildrencontributesomething.Theexamplesofactivitiesshouldhavesomememoryandsomeprocessingaspecttothem.Examplewhiteboard:
Ifchildrenfinditdifficulttocomeupwithexamples,trypromptslikethefollowing:WhendoyouneedtokeepthingsinmindduringEnglishlessons?WhendoyouneedtokeepthingsinmindinMaths?Inthenextstep,childrenwillthinkaboutsignsthatindicatethattheirworkingmemoryisoverloaded.Whendothesethingsbecomereallydifficult?Expectedanswers:moredifficulttasks,e.g.largesums;whentherearedistractions;whentherearealotofthingstokeepinmindThen,childrenareaskedtothinkofstrategiestohelpthem.Whatcouldyoudotomakeiteasierforyoutokeepthingsinmind?Expectedanswers:takenotes,makeadrawingtovisualiseinformation,useachartoftable,organizematerialsbeforestartinganactivity,planwhatyouaregoingtodobeforedoingit,writeinstructionsdown,askpeopletorepeatwhattheysaidwhenyounoticethatyouforgotsomething,avoiddistractions,dothingsthatrequireconcentrationinaquietarea
Recapitulation“Whathavewelearned?”
Pleasetickthecorrectbox:Workingmemoryis….
� keepingsthingsinmindandthinkingaboutthem� rememberingwhatyouhadforlunchlastThursday� thereasonwhyweuseshoppinglists
Howmanythingscanwekeepinmindatonce?Makeacrossonthelineonething________________________________________________everywordinabookGiveexamplesofanactivityinwhichyoumightuseworkingmemory:__________________________________________________________ Describeinasentencewhatyouhavelearnedtoday:___________________________________________________________