EDU221VAKtoMemorizeSequence

Something we ask students to do as a part of the learning/assessment process:
Many things in life have a very specific order and knowing the order is an important aspect of we want our students to understand.

Examples of a middle school or high school unit in your content area where you would really need this:
(some examples are provided to get you started; brainstorm more)
 * the presidents of the United States in chronological order
 * the elements of a specific genre of story
 * the phases of the carbon cycle

== Examples of typical activities that we do in middle school or high school to accomplish this; how do each of the three learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) benefit (if indeed they do) from this activity. You can do this in writing or by discussion (or a combination). == (some examples are provided to get you started; brainstorm more)
 * **Activity** || **How a visual learner benefits** || **How an auditory learner benefits** || **How a kinesthetic learner benefits** ||
 * learn a song with the information in it and sing it over and over until you have the song memorized (the 16 counties of Maine song is a good example although the order of the 16 counties is inconsequential in the song) || not much; repetition is a good memorization technique for a lot of people but it's not necessarily targeting any specific characteristics of the visual learner || this is right down an auditory learner's alley! || not so much; but if you add a few dance moves that are meaningful (even if it's just YMCA-type hand gestures), it will make that song easier to learn and the lyrics will really stick ||
 * have a graphic organizer or chart that shows the flow/cycle/sequence; students can use it to learn the desired elements and for assessment, design a blank one that students can fill in the missing information || this one is right down the visual learner's alley! || not so much; if they can do it out loud with a partner it will benefit an auditory learner || not so much; if you chart the sequence or cycle on the floor with tape or on the parking lot with chalk and let students "live" or "walk through" the cycle, it could be very beneficial on content that has a logical sequence to it, it might help a little for content that has an arbitrary sequence that truly needs to be memorized ||

Consider this activity. Try it out and then discuss with your teammates how each of the three learning styles benefit (if indeed they do) from this activity.
Let's learn/review the flow of blood through the circulatory system. The PE teacher at our school set up an obstacle course in which students carried a red ball as they ran through the first part of the obstacle course which included jumping up and down in the right atrium and crawling through an artery, then they got to the extremity where they dropped off the red ball and picked up a blue ball and ran through more stations until they got to the lungs and could trade the blue blood cell for an oxygenated red blood cell. A next best approach would be to assign each student an important element of the circulatory system and they put themselves in order as you read the story of the blood cell's journey, then trade cards and have students put themselves in order. Your assessment can be to have each student take the same set of cards and lay them out on their desk in order. When they are ready, the teacher comes to the table and "checks" the answers to "the test" and gives immediate feedback. Take this set of cards and see if your group can put them in order. [|Play this song in the background]...it could help. //(NOTE: This song was first heard on the television series "Happy Days" in episode 142 "Potsie Quits School." When Potsie was thinking of dropping out of school because he was failing his science class, Fonzie inspired him to use his talents and personal learning style to learn and Potsie successfully followed the advice. [|Many a medical student since then has used this song as a mnemonic].)//

//[Thank you to Patty Veayo, science teacher at Mt. Blue Middle School, who taught me about the color-coded index cards. I actually observed her using them in her class for an assessment.]//


 * **How a visual learner benefits** || **How an auditory learner benefits** || **How a kinesthetic learner benefits** ||

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