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MnemonicsA mnemonic is simply a device to help you remember something. On this page I'll talk about Acronyms, Acrostics and Chaining. An acronym is an invented combination of letters - the sillier the better. Each letter is a cue to an idea you need to remember. For trigonometry, to remember that sine=opp/hyp, cos=adj/hyp and tan=opp/adj, list the first letters - S O H C A H T O A. That's an odd word, but most students remember it. The colours of the rainbow are Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet. That spells Roy G. Biv. BRASS is an acronym for how to shoot a rifle--Breath, Relax, Aim, Sight, Squeeze. An acrostic is an invented sentence where the first letter of each word is a cue to an idea you need to remember. Example: EVERY GOOD BOY DESERVES FUN is an acrostic to remember the order of G-clef notes on sheet music--E, G, B, D, F. With trigonometry again, you could make up a sentence out of the word SOHCATOA. For example, Silly Old Hitler Couldn't Advance His Tanks Over America, or something like that; something you'll remember. These are well known examples, but you can use the idea wherever there is a list to remember. Here are some lists - try making up your own mnemonics: The components of a plant cell: Wall, Mitochondria, Cytoplasm, Membrane, Nucleus, Chloroplast, Vacuole. The fractions obtained from crude oil: gas, petrol, kerosene, diesel, machine oil, bitumen The two metals at the top of groups one and two are Lithium and Beryllium - Li Be - That reminds me of the name Libby. The first three noble gases are Helium, Neon and Argon - HeNeAr - just say it and you'll probably remember it - Henear. Chaining: Create a story where each word or idea you have to remember cues the next idea you need to recall. If you had to remember the words Napoleon, ear, door, and Germany, you could invent a story of Napoleon with his ear to a door listening to people speak in German. There is no end to the creative things you could do. If you read book on memory skills, you will find lots about mnemonics. But you will also find that the examples they use are usually the same! I wonder if that means that using them has a limited use? Certainly, they may help with learning a few lists, so experiment with them - see if they work for you. Here is a link to a good site on mnemonics Mnemonic Techniques [-> Next - go to the learning activity - Speed reading ] |
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