Using a Memory Palace: States and Capitals Memory Challenge
States and Capitals Memory Challenge
Use this effective memory strategy to prove to yourself that you can remember much more than you thought you could! Watch the video or follow the instructions below, and prepare to take on a whole new perspective of your memory!
Your first challenge is to create your "AG" (Alabama-Georgia) house:
Create a BASIC drawing of your home (it could be just a box!), including just the walls or any prominent features.
Designate 10 different rooms or locations on your diagram to "store" information
Identify a natural progression through the diagram, and place one state (using the list below in order) in each location along the way.
4. Create associations, visual cues, and any other memory strategy you would like to link the state, its' capital, the state flower and bird, into its given location.
5. HAVE FUN with it!
Here is an example of a creative way to “house” Alabama! In the first room of your palace (Alabama) Camellia (State Flower) is using a yellow hammer (State Bird) to hammer down a mountain of gum.*
*Mountain of Gum=Montgomery (State Capital)
Use the list below to creatively insert information for each state into the designated spaces in your memory palace! Don’t have ten rooms?! Neither do we! Any ten spaces will do…consider bookshelves, closets, and even furniture as fun and creative places to house your information for retrieval.
Next Step
Once you have created your "AG" (Alabama-Georgia) house, you will find it helpful to review the journey through the memory palace to revisit and enhance the visuals you have created. More repetition will allow you to maintain those neural connections you have so dutifully been developing through his challenge. For a more robust challenge, try going in reverse order, or quizzing yourself by practicing navigating to your desired information.
You can now easily retrieve information for any state that begins with the letter A-G. Now it is time to create your "Hi Mary!" Memory Palace for states Hawaii through Maryland.
Here’s how!
Create a second "palace" using a former home, another familiar location (friends home, your favorite grocery store, etc.) or perhaps simply using another area of your house.
Designate 10 different rooms or locations in your "Hi Mary!" house, to "store" the next set of states capitals, birds and flowers.
As you did before, identify a natural progression through the diagram, placing one state (beginning with Hawaii, ending with Maryland) in each location along the way, creating associations, visual cues, and using any other memory strategy you would like to link the state, its' capital, the state flower and bird, into its given location.
Repeat, rehearse, enjoy!
Click here for a link to a website with the information to all 50 states, or reference the image below for Hawaii through Maryland on your list!
Challenge yourself to create 3 additional memory Palaces for the remaining 30 states, or stay tuned for more information to guide you along the process!