Need to Know Activities Guide
Session 08
For every activity, the focus of discussions should be on how students will apply that information or those skills to their experience in college.
Note to facilitators: In each session, the timing of the activities is less than the 2 ½ hours of the session. This allows for time for transitions between activities, a short break, and time to just talk to students about your experiences, along with their questions and expectations. You may find that some activities take more or less time depending on the group, so be aware of timing and make adjustments as needed. Early sessions have more activities. If you don’t think you will have enough time, use discretion and choose the ones that best meet the needs of your group. Make sure to read over ALL session guides before starting the workshop to get an overview and to plan for the best approach. Then re-read each session guide before you meet with students. Make sure to have needed materials. You might be able to carry some activities over to later sessions if you run out of time.
Let students know that the idea of this session is to have them try out different strategies so they can find the ones that work for them in different testing situations.
01. Test-Taking Triumph
Timing: 15 minutes
Description: This activity is more engaging if you can set up a display with actual objects. However, the grid in the workbook is sufficient for the activity—or use a projector and show the photo of objects provided in this session’s materials. Set a timer for the students to view the display for 2 minutes. Then have them spend about 2 minutes writing down all the items they can remember without looking at the display. You can use the same display for the second round, or provide a different display (or use the other photo provided in this session). Have the students view the display for 2 minutes and consider how the items might be grouped into categories. Then have them spend about 2 minutes writing a list of the items they remember without looking at the display. Most likely, they will remember more from the second time. Discuss why there was a difference. If there isn’t a difference or if they remembered more the first time, discuss why their results happened and why they are different from expectations about memory derived from research.
Objectives:
· To have students experience how processing information improves memory
· To show students an example of a way to process information (by grouping into categories)
Materials: writing utensils, display of 20 objects OR projector and laptop to show students photos of displays
Notes: Two minutes can feel like a long time, so you can shorten it if you feel you will maintain attention better. Try using items that students recognize but that will evoke interest.
02. Memorization Stations
Timing: 45 minutes
Description: Students will go through a series of steps to try out different strategies for processing information to see how they affect memorization of items. The instructions in the workbook are for groups that don’t have a facilitator to organize items prior to meeting. Ideally, stations will be set up when students enter the room. OR use the video provided in this session. The advantage of stations is that students have to move around as they work. Put students into groups of 3 or 4 for visiting stations and answering questions, but they should do Step 1 and Step 3 individually. Discuss what they learned about processing information and how it will help them study.
Here is a list of items for the stations for setting up in advance.
Station 1: book, bookmark, pen, spoon, highlighter, notepad
Station 2: plate, spatula, knife, apple, egg (SPEAK)
Station 3: large blue ball, medium blue ball, small blue ball, large green ball, small green ball, large pink ball, medium pink ball, small pink ball (by size or by color)
Station 4: assorted DVDs Little Women, Boxtrolls, Hunger Games, Wallace and Grommet, Looney Toons, We’re the Millers (animated, not animated, by genre)
Station 5: sunglasses, flashlight, band-aid, key, matches, Swiss army knife
Station 6: yoga mat, dumbbell, vitamins, salad, vegetable cookbook
Station 7: game, Lincoln logs, truck, dog, Rubrik’s Cube (by order of age when you use, alphabetical—depending on what name is used, order of preference)
Objectives:
· To have students experience how processing information improves memory
· To show students examples of a way to process information (by grouping into categories)
· To help students apply their experience to their study habits
Materials: writing utensils, stations (see above) or laptop and projector to show photos and videos included in this session.
Notes: Encourage the students to move around and enjoy this activity.
03. Create a Study Guide
Timing: 15 minutes
Description: This activity works well with the whole group, or form groups 4 students. It might be necessary to review Session 6 for a few minutes to remind students of the materials for their study guides. Each student can handle one row in the chart or students can work together to fill out chart. Discuss how finding the information to create the chart helped them learn better. Discuss other ways a study guide could be organized.
If you are not doing the activity as a whole group, students can work in groups or individually to develop test preparation and test-taking strategies and to compare theirs with the advice in Session 8.
Objectives:
· To have students learn how to construct study guides for their classes
· To demonstrate another way to process and learn information
· To have students consider their test preparation and test-taking strategies
Materials: writing utensils, Session 6 of Need to Know
Notes: Students in high school often expect teachers to provide study guides. Not many college professors do so. Creating the study guide can be an important part of the learning process.
04. Make Your Own Test
Timing: 40 minutes
Description: You can choose a Tedtalk or other video that provides information similar to what you would expect in a college lecture. Choose a video that is under 10 minutes. Students can get into groups of 3 to 5 members to create their test questions. While each student is responsible for three essay questions and two multiple choice questions, they can work together to have fewer questions if they have a difficult time. Have them take a test from another student in their group and then they can grade them together. Watching the video a second time is optional.
Objectives:
· To show students how predicting and creating questions for a test will help them prepare better
· To give students another study option
Materials: writing utensils, test template, laptop and projector
Notes: This exercise can be skipped if it feels like the other exercises are sufficient for students. TED talks: https://www.ted.com/talks
05. Putting Strategies to Use
Timing: 15 minutes
Description: Students can form groups of about 5 members. Have each group pick a member to write out the note cards and someone to highlight them by category. First students should write as many strategies as they can. Then they can divide them into categories and color code them. Students can work individually to answer the questions that follow, but this also works well for whole group discussion.
Objectives:
· To solidify students’ knowledge of test preparation and test-taking strategies
· To help students consider their own habits and how they can improve
Materials: note cards, writing utensils, yellow, green and pink highlighters
Notes: This might be a good time to talk about test anxiety and some strategies to overcome it.
06. Wrap Up: Gist and List
Timing: 5 minutes
Description: Students should be able to summarize what they learned in the session under the “Gist” column. Then they can pick out specific points that are important and list them under the “List” column.
Objectives:
· To help students digest and think about material
· To serve as a memory aid
Materials: writing utensils
Notes: This is an opportunity for students to process the information they learned and put it in their own words. This will facilitate learning and let students control their use of information. If you run out of time, this can be assigned as homework—it should only take a few minutes and will serve as a reminder for students of what they learned before moving to the next session.