This activity requires 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the length of discussion,
and should be conducted at the start of the class period.
Begin by asking students to write down everything they did yesterday
that did NOT involve memory. If students appear stumped, assure them
that they did engage in a number of activities that did not involve memory.
After having students consider this question for 3–4 minutes, ask students
to provide some responses.
Students may provide accurate but fairly limited responses (e.g., blinking,
burping, seeing, breathing, sleeping, waking up). Affirm these responses
and highlight how very limited a human would be if this were all
he could accomplish in a day.
Often students will provide responses that do involve memory (e.g.,
walking, using the bathroom, eating, talking). These responses provide a
great opportunity to emphasize the pervasive role of memory in our livesand to begin a discussion of the different types of memory (e.g., motor or
procedural memory for walking, semantic memory for our knowledge of
the people in our lives).
Students may fail to recognize the extent to which memory impacts behavior
and cognitive functioning. Discuss a very simple task, such as discussing
what you want to have for breakfast with a parent or sibling. Explain
that without semantic memory, we would have no knowledge of the
other person or his or her likes or dislikes. We would also not understand
the meaning of breakfast or some of the cultural conventions generally
associated with it (e.g., when it is typically eaten, what types of foods are
commonly involved, how formal or informal the dress). Without procedural
memory, we would have a difficult time using utensils and eating.