Memory+and+Learning

1. Your first option is to write a formal letter to each of the Burlington School Committee members and Supt explaining your plan for the new later start time that has been proposed letter from Middlesex Supts to start schools later and link to BPS site on start time change. which includes some research (my pinterest page has data as well under this chapter and ideal schools page.) What you must include in your well articulated, edited and signed formal letter: When specifically do you think school should start for the teenage brain, explain why: How can that be balanced for families with lots of different people going different places at different times...your family is not the same as all families, don't make assumptions, present data. How can your plan work with sports, clubs, younger siblings, working families, activities, band, etc? Remember that we are at the minimum number of minutes for time on learning so the school day cannot be shortened.

What ideas do you have for making start times work better for the entire school district? Most importantly, how will the new start time support learning? Address potential issues, (sports late at night, people oppose change, work schedules) and suggest ways to overcome them. You are after all constituents and experts in the matter. Many school districts have experimented with this already. Please see their experiences for insight and research. The School Committee Members and Superintendent love to hear from you. The other psych classes have done lesser versions of this assignment. Yours will of course be completed at the AP level. Cite your academic sources. Theirs was done at the CP or honors level. You will sign your formal letters (all 6 copies!)

Yes, this is really going to be given to each member of the school committee, your grade will be determined by 35% demonstrating well researched evidence. However, the school committee members do not want to slog through what they already know to be the right thing to do (preaching to the choir). Your job is to help them with your insight as an owner of a teen brain and a member of our community to: 50% explaining how to tackle the obstacles that will come up with science and your expertise as a high school student and constituent. 15% for careful editing and formal letter writing. You must cite your sources in APA, a minimum of 7 sources must be included. link to citation generator APA Purdue Owl for APA if you don't know how to do APA footnoting or endnotes. Globe article on a Cape town that delayed start already sports and school start times letter from Middlesex Supts to start schools later Resources for sleep research, a nice place to start, feel free to peruse others: Note, I did not cite the below in APA format, this is just a list! [|startschoollater.net] Sleepfoundation.org brainpickings.org Johnshopkins newscientist [|radiolab podcast] [|npr] [|sleep time video] [|sleep deprivation in teens] [|sleep deprivation webmd] [|sleep deprivation in teens] [|sleep deprivation makes]very bad things happen to all ages. [|why are American teens so sleep deprived?]

2. The goal of this option will be to use different memorization skills to achieve a perfect score on the Sporcle Quiz in which you have to list the Top 200 Harry Potter characters by number of mentions*. Take the test once to establish a baseline score. Then, continue to take the test until you can get all 200 characters, or a score close to 200. To improve your score, use different techniques of memorizatation (use the textbook, the TED talk, Pinterest articles for various techniques). After each spaced out test, view the characters you missed, record your data, and add another method of memorization to remember the characters you are forgetting. After the completion of your testing, write a two page paper explaining how you used each technique, and whether or not the technique was effective for you, with evidence. Also, create a graph that displays how your test scores improved with time, and the method you utilized with each test. Make sure to use several methods described in the textbook, TED, etc. However, you can also use your old study habits as one of your memorization techniques.

The Harry Potter sporcle quiz may be found by following this link Harry Potter
 * Note that **with permission** you may also apply this to any other 200(ish) word long list of vocabulary terms in any English or foreign language class on quizlet or sporcle or with notecards, as long as you isolate what you know and what you don't know. See [|Guy with eyebrows for tips on flashcards!], other useful to your AP US history sporkle quiz, like all the US historical figures, or all the countries in the worlds, you do what is helpful for you, the important thing is to to apply the relevant memory applications and chart your progress. Some 200 question sporkles: Rock intros Countries of the world the periodic table (yes, under 200, but useful for some classes...)

Will Sullivan, Arlington High School (MA) Class of 2012, created this assignment and the following rubric (used with permission). Rubric
 * Must use several applicable memorization techniques, accompanied by examples.(33% of grade)
 * The paper must be well written and defended. (33% of grade)
 * Must be accompanied by a graph. (33% of grade)


 * || Memorization Techniques  ||  Writing  ||  Graph  ||
 * 5 || More than three effective memorization techniques are used, with at least three techniques relating to terms from the chapter. The memory techniques are explained in the paper, and examples are given. || The paper covers all of the parameters listed, is concise and insightful, is well written, and uses proper spelling and grammar. Meets the length requirement. || The graph is easy to read, shows how the scores changed over time, and shows the use of memorization techniques to improve score. ||
 * 4 || Several memorization techniques are used, with at least one from the textbook. The memory techniques are explained in the paper, but examples are not all clear.. || Does not meet the length requirement. A few errors in spelling and grammar. Fairly well written. Covers all of the parameters. || Graph is somewhat easy to read, and shows how the scores improve over time with the use of memorization techniques. ||
 * 3 || The effectiveness of the memorization techniques is questionable and hard to understand. Use of textbook knowledge hard to find. No examples. || The paper does not explain how all of the memorization techniques work. Spelling and grammar errors prevent the reader from understanding some parts. || The graph does not clearly show how the memorization techniques led to score changes. ||
 * 2 || Only one memorization technique with questionable effectiveness that does not come from the chapter. Not explained well. || The paper is poorly written, and does not do a good job of explaining how the memorization techniques work, and does not explain all of them. || The graph is missing essential components. Graph is very shoddy and is nearly impossible to understand. ||
 * 1 || Names are memorized, but not using any techniques. || The paper is poorly written, and does not discuss the memorization techniques or how they improved the scores. || A graph, but it is not of Harry Potter Sporcle score improvements. Perhaps it shows improvement on Lord of the Rings scores. ||
 * 0 || No memorization techniques used. || No paper. || No graph. ||