THE MYSTERY OF WHY YOU CAN’T REMEMBER BEING A BABY

Babies are sponges for new information – so why does it take so long for us to form your first memory? BBC Future investigates.

By: Zaria Gorvett

Published: 26 July 2016, http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20160726-the-mystery-of-why-you-cant-remember-being-a-baby

Level of Difficulty: **

BEFORE YOU READ

·         Why we can’t remember being babies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3EKyKSp-lY

·         What happens when you remove the hippocampus? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkaXNvzE4pk

QUESTIONS

1.       State in your own words and as briefly as possible what “This gaping hole” refers to.

2.       Read the information about the development of the brain. Which of the sentences below best summarizes the paragraph? There may be more than one answer.

a.       The infant brain makes people jealous

b.      There is a lot going on in the infant brain

c.       The infant brain is developing very fast

d.      The infant brain is learning very fast

e.      The infant brain is a hub of activity

f.        The infant brain soaks up new information

3.       The incredible pace of learning and development that takes place in the infant brain means that……………………….. needs to begin quite early on.

4.       We understand from the text that the natural process of forgetting is inevitable/preventable automatic/unavoidable /necessary/widespread. Mark the wrong answer(s)

5.       a. We understand from Ebbinghaus’ research that next to nothing / almost everything remains of what we memorize if ………………………………….

b. The above implies that ……………….is necessary in order to prevent forgetting (Use your own words)

6.  We can deduce that Ebbinghaus’s famous chart of forgetting does not apply / applies to babies toddlers and kindergarten kids because the rate of forgetting varies from ………………………….and from …………………………..

7.  Read the childhood memories below. Which would be more likely to be remembered?

 a. A child is ill in bed and has been left alone in the house. He calls and calls for his mother but gets no response. He gets scared and anxious.

b. The neighbors’ son plays football on the street for a while. Then he goes home to eat.

8. Maori culture is different from Chinese culture in that there is …………………………….This means that Maoris/ Chinese have better recall of early childhood memories.

9. What does “this” refer to in the phrase “that this plays much of a role”?

10. What does “This” refer to in the phrase “This leads us to the theory…”?

11. H.M.’s experience proves that the real reason why people can’t remember their earliest memories is that………………………………………………………………..(Two answers, find both)

12.  At point to people start remembering early childhood memories? Be specific.

13. What does “they” refer to in the phrase “they must be lingering somewhere”?

14.  What are false memories?

15.  Loftus’ experiment proves that:

a. We tend to lie about our memories

b. We tend to believe our mothers accounts

c. We tend to have a lot of false memories

d. All of the above

e. None of the above (provide the correct answer yourself)

16. We understand from the last paragraph of the text that our early childhood memories are not true / are wrong / are correct /may not be true / cannot be true. Mark as many as necessary.

WRITING TASK

Write an essay discussing the reasons why we cannot remember early childhood memories. Use the information in the text and the videos

THE MYSTERY OF WHY YOU CAN’T REMEMBER BEING A BABY Key and teachers’ notes

This brilliant and highly scientific text includes all the most famous experiments on forgetting and conclusions we can draw from them yet the language is very simple. The focus of the questions is certain specific cognitive skills.

1.       Possible answer: the almost total lack of memories for early childhood

2.       B and E

3.       Training of the mind

4.       Preventable, widespread

5.       The brain is left alone; Possible answers: consolidation, revision and the like

6.       Doesn’t apply; from country to country and person to person ( or child to child or individual to individual or toddler to toddler…)

7.       The first because it is egocentric and involves feelings

8.       A strong emphasis on the past; Maoris

9.       Being able to provide a structure or organization for our memories that is a narrative thanks to language OR the fact that language helps provide…

10.   The fact that there is no difference between the age at which children who are born deaf and grow up without sign language report their earliest memories

11.   Their hippocampus hadn’t developed / their brains hadn’t developed the necessary equipment.

12.   When the hippocampus stops adding neurons

13.   Long-term memories

14.   Suggestions that have been picked up and visualized

15.   None of the above; people pick up suggestions, begin to visualize them and they become like memories (This question involves correctly identifying what “this” in the phrase “ how this happens” refers to)

16.   May not be true