Limbic System

Q.  How can I improve my students' memory?

A.  The limbic system plays an important role in emotion and memory.  Recent research indicates that the higher the emotional content of an experience the more likely the experience will be remembered.  Connecting emotion to the facts that are taught will help increase students' memory.

The amygdala and the hippocampus are in the limbic system, which is sometimes referred to as the "emotional brain".  The amygdala, being the center for identification or danger, is fundamental for self-preservation.  When triggered, it gives rise to fear and anxiety, which lead the person into a stage of alertness, getting ready for flight or fight. 

If a student perceives the school environment as threatening, the amygdala will be chemically stimulated and he/she will find it difficult to attend to school work. 

The hippocampus is particularly involved with memory phenomena, especially with the formation of long-term memory (the one that, sometimes, lasts forever).

information from www.epub.org