1. Mnemonics Acrosss the Curriculum
Greg Conderman
Mnemonics Acrosss the Curriculum

2. What Are Mnemonics? Any device(s) which aid(s) memorization
These devices come in a variety of forms

3. Mnemonics
Mnemonics is the art of assisting the memory by using a system of artificial aids
Rhymes Diagrams
Rules Acronyms
Phrases Songs/Jingles
Recall of names, dates, facts and figures.

4. Mnemonics
First invented by the Greeks for memory-training 2500 years ago (Simonides the Younger invented the first known system in 477 BC)

5. Mnemonics
The word "mnemonics" comes from the Greek mneme ("memory") and mnemon ("mindful"), and the Greek goddess of Memory and mother of the Muses, was Mnemosyne (pronounced "ne-mos'-i-ni").

6. Why Teach Mnemonics?
Solid research base Mandate to use research-based methods Positive outcomes for students with and without disabilities in all grades and subjects

7. Why Teach Mnemonics?
Meta analysis of popular methods in special education showed mnemonics to be the most effective technique Especially effective in remembering content for tests and vocabulary

8. Average Effect Size For Various Interventions Calculated On The Basis Of Meta-analysis For Each

9. Why Teach Mnemonics?
Help students with disabilities compensate for their learning challenges
Supports the belief of fostering independence in learning

10. Reminders/Cautions
Teach the mnemonic after conceptual understanding Focus on one type of mnemonic at a time (i.e., acronyms) Collaborate with general ed/grade level teachers regarding consistent instruction of mnemonics Pair with a visual, if possible (or physical action) Tell students if order is important Have students develop their own, when ready

11. Various Types A C R O N Y M S
visuals

12. Various Types
The story method
Peg words

13. What is this rhyme?
Do you know the number of days in each month of the year?
Thirty days hath September,
April , June and November;
February has twenty-eight alone.
All the rest have thirty-one,
Except leap-year --that's the time
When February days are twenty-nine.

14. What Is This Rhyme? Red sky at night: ____________________
Red sky in the morning: ____________________
Rainbow in the morning: ______________________
Rainbow at night: ______________________
sailor’s delight
sailor’s warning
traveler's take warning
traveler's delight

15. Acronyms And Acrostics
Probably the two most popular Acromyms are words composed of the first letters of items in the list However, many items in a list do not make a word Acrostics are sentences in which each ordered word in the sentence starts with a letter associated with something to be remembered

16. First Letter Mnemonic Strategy
Developed at the University of Kansas-Lawrence Validated through years of research with students with disabilities Training required for purchasing the curriculum Can still teach the “big ideas” from the strategy Teaches acronyms and acrostics

17. FIRST Letter Strategy
F Form a word (acronym) I Insert a letter (acronym) R Rearrange letters (acronym) S Shape a sentence (acrostic) T Try different combinations (be flexible!)

18. Example: Form A Word Films in which John Wayne Died Sands of Iwo Jima
The Fighting See Bees
Alamo
Reap the Wild Wind
Shootist

19. Example: Insert A Letter
Scientific Objects That Have Never Been Seen
Black Holes
Antimatter
Cosmic rays
Earth’s Core
Black Holes R
Antimatter
Cosmic rays
Earth’s Core

20. Example: Rearrange Letters
Deserts we are learning about
Mohave
Sahara
Thar
Arabian
Mohave
Arabian
Sahara
Thar

21. Example: Shape A Sentence
Famous People Who Ran Away From Home
Crockett , Grant
Dylan, Kaye
Diamond
Students develop a sentence such as: Caring Girls Do Kind Deeds

22. Try Different Combinations
Use a combination of those noted
EX: Might need to rearrange the letters AND insert a letter to make a word

23. Activity: Acrostic [order does not matter]
Use the shape a sentence step (acrostic) to develop a mnemonic for one of these:
Coordinating conjunctions: for, and, nor, but, or, yet so [F, A, N, B, O, Y, S]
Parts of the eye: eyelid, sclera, iris, pupil [E, S, I, P]
Animals killed for their fur: fox, opossum, mink, raccoon, sable [F, O, M, R, S]

24. List Order Acronyms Lake Huron Ontario Michigan Erie Superior
To recall the names of the Great Lakes, remember HOMES for:
Lake Huron
Ontario
Michigan
Erie
Superior

25. Spelling Acrostics Becuz? Arithmuytik?
Sentences or phrases The initial letters of the words spell out a word which many people find rather tricky to spell.
Becuz?
Arithmuytik?

26. Spelling Acrostics
BECAUSE Big Elephants Can Always Understand Small Elephants
ARITHMETIC A Rat In The House May Eat The Ice Cream

27. Over Fried Green Spinach
List Order Acrostic
Order of taxonomy in biology: Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species
Kids Prefer Cheese
Over Fried Green Spinach

28. Math Acrostic
How would you approach this problem? ( ) – (45 x 3) – 1 x 98 When you have to deal with a combination of addition, subtraction, parenthesis (brackets) etc., it is important to carry out the process in the correct order to get the right answer. One way to remember the order is: parenthesis, first then followed by multiplications, divisions, additions and subtractions is to recall the following sentence: Pardon My Dear Aunt Sally OR if exponents are included: Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally

29. Math Acrostic
To remember the most common metric prefixes: Kilo,hecto, deka, basic unit, deci, centi, and milli. They are in order from large to small. My cousin’s dog usually barks despite his kindness (reverse order) or Kenny’s healthy diet banishes unusual dark chocolate muffins.

30. Mathematical Example
When doing long division, do we divide first or subtract before we bring down and multiply? To remember that the sequence is Divide, Multiply, Subtract and Bring Down, remember the order of the following family members: Dad (D = divide) Mom (M = multiply) Sister (S = subtract) Brother (B = bring down)

31. Science Acrostic
To remember the order of the colors in the natural light spectrum: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. ROY G. BIV Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain

32. Take A Minute… Airplane Cell Phone McDonalds Typewriter Chicken Leg
Pencil
Saturn (planet)
Red Corvette
Stop Sign
Window

34. Use In The Content Area: Snapshot Method
Inventions that enabled the west to be settled
Six-shooter
Windmill
Sod house
Locomotive
Steel plow
Barbed wire

35. Practice Activity: Snapshot Method
Develop a snap shot visual for one of these:
Common human fears: Heights, Insects, Death, Elevators, Snakes
Uses of soybeans: Rubber, Soap, Food, Explosives
Examples of arthropods: Spiders, Crabs, Lobsters, Shrimp

36. Keyword Strategy
Wide range of subject areas (Scruggs & Mastropieri, 1992)
Used to teach factual information
Help students with high-incidence disabilities remember main ideas in the content areas (Graves & Levin, 1989).
Used to teach vocabulary for standardized tests

37. Keyword Strategy: Step 1
Reconstruct term to be learned into
an acoustically similar
already familiar
easily pictured concrete term
A KEYWORD

38. Keyword Strategy: Step 2
Relate the keyword
to the
to-be-learned information
in an
interactive picture, image, or sentence.
___________
____________________

39. Keyword Strategy: Step 3
Model and teach students to retrieve the appropriate response by thinking of:
The keyword
The picture
The “action” in the picture

40. Key Word - Example Vocabulary Word: Apex Definition: The highest point
Key word: Ape
(Acoustically similar, familiar and can be drawn)
Image: Ape on highest point

41. Activity Develop a key word and illustration for one of the following:
Definition
Keyword
Picture
Ranid
frog
rain
Frog sitting in the rain
Dorado
fish
Carline
witch
Dogbane
Tropical plant

42. Peg Word System
This method is for remembering ordered or sequential information Such as: Washington was the 1st president,or New Jersey was the 3rd state to be admitted

43. Peg Word System
This system involves using peg words, which are rhyming words associated with a number such as: One-bun; two-shoe, three-tree; four-door; five-hive; six-sticks; seven-heaven; eight-gate; nine-vine; and ten-hen

44. Peg Word System
Visually associate the item to be remembered with its “peg word”
EX: Washington is the first president
First goes with one
The peg word for one is bun
Draw Washington eating a hot dog bun

45. Peg Word System
New Jersey was the 3rd state to be admitted The peg word for three is tree Draw the state of New Jersey interacting with a tree

46. Examples:

47. Activity
Develop a peg word (word and associated illustration) for one of these items 1. California is the largest state in land size (1-bun) 2. Illinois is the 25th largest state in land size (25-hive) 3. North Carolina is 10th in order of population (10-hen)

48. Teaching Suggestions
Use the model, guided practice, independent practice approach
Do not overwhelm students with too many mnemonics or strategies

49. Teaching Suggestions
Use the correct approach: For unfamiliar information, use the key word method For information that is numbered or ordered, use the peg word method When you can make a word or sentence, use the acronym or word or sentence method

50. Teaching Suggestions
When the information is concrete and students seem to learn through visuals, use a visual approach