Remembering the Bill of Rights' Eighth Amendment

The Bill of Rights' Eighth Amendment deals with cruel and/or unusual punishment and excessive bail or fines.

In this memory story we're going to substitute "gate" for "eight" and for those who use the Link/Peg/Phonetic system we're going to use "ivy".

Memory story: You're trying to get your friend out of a foreign prison renowned for its cruelty. You walk past the manicured "ivy" covered wall and the guard lets you through the squeaky "gate". What contrast there is between the peaceful street scene and this prison. There are punishments going on here that are right out of the Spanish Inquisition. It has moved you and all your friends and their family to part with all the moneys you have to bail your friend out of prison and pay his fine before he is subjected to the same treatment. He never should have parked in El General's parking place as a joke because they obviously don't have a sense of humor here.

Remembering the Bill of Right's sixth amendment

The goal of Struggling Student's Memory Guide is to develop ways to use association and mnemonic memory techniques, instead of rote memorization, to remember educational information we can use for a lifetime.

The sixth amendment is about our rights related to criminal prosecution in a federal court. It's pretty extensive but the highlights of our rights are: Speedy Trial, Public Trial, Impartial Jury, Counsel, Confrontation and Cross Examining of Witnesses, and Notice of Accusation.

We're going to substitute "six" with "sticks" and for those who know the Link/Peg/Phonetic system we're going to use the word "shoe". We're also going to use the acronym SPICe CaN for Speedy trial, Public trial, Impartial jury, Counsel, Confrontation and Notice of accusation.

Memory story: (We're going to steal from Dr. Seuss.) You're the Grinch and have been a bad boy this year so you get sticks and coal in your shoes again for Christmas. (Which can be used as a switch should anyone be so inclined to use it on you.) Misanthrope that you are you decide to steal every SPICe CaN of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in Whoville making Christmas a little less festive. No pumpkin pie, spiced yams, eggnog, muled wine, or hot buttered rum for them you think as you go about your nasty business. You're just about to complete your mischief when you get pinched.
You immediately get charged by the federal government because this is a federal crime it being so horrendous.
You're given a speedy trial out in the public square and your impartial jury (a toothless bunch of Whos who must have left their partials at home) is selected by your appointed counsel (your school councilor who was the first person you stole a spice can from) and the district attorney. You're looking at all the witnesses you get to confront as they read your Notice of Accusation, which took about twenty minutes longer than your trial. (You've been a very bad boy, especially around this holiday.) Your punishment? Banished to Mount Crumpet for the rest of your life. Yea, well wait til next year's Christmas you think. I'll show 'em.

Memorizing word root -ac- and the Bill of Right's third amendment

Word root -ac- occurs in many Greek and Latin word parts: -acid-, -acerb-, -acri-, acet-, acetabul-, -acu-, -acanth-, etc. meaning "sharp, spine, spiney, thorny, acid, bitter, needle, sour". -ac- also occurs in medical and scientific word parts -acme-, acro-, and acromio-. (Yes, we're going to cover all these word parts in the near future.) [acid, from L. acere, to be sour, acerbic, lit. sharp, fig. sour or bitter in taste, acetic, lit. to be sour, fig. relating to vinegar, acrid, fig. harsh or bitterly pungent, acuity, fig. sharpness, acumen, acuteness of mind, acescence, lit. the state of becoming sour, acetabulum, lit. a shallow vinegar bowl, acanthesthesia, lit. feeling a thorn condition, acicular, lit. a small pin, acidosis, lit. acid condition, state, or process, aculeate, lit. having small spines, Acuaria spiralis, lit. needle animal group - spiraled]

blue emboldened words are common or college terms we can use for word association. reddish brown emboldened words are medical terms and should be looked up in a medical dicitionary for their figurative meanings.

Memory story: [Using the -ac- common to all the word parts listed:] "Ach" (-ac-) would be the sound you would make during numerous SS STABbiNgS (sharp, spine, spiney, thorny, acid, bitter, needle, sour) and also being made to drink acid and bitter solutions. [This memory story is a bit different then the one in my book. I think it's better.]

Now let's do the Bill of Rights' third amendment which is in regards to the quartering of soldiers. We're going to substitute the word "tree" for "three" in this memory story and for those who know Mnemonics' Link/Phonetic system the word "ma" is used.

Memory story: There's a bunch of British soldiers in your "tree" house and your "ma" is telling them to get out it. Of course, being the ever enterprising lady that she is, your ma tells them they can stay if they each come up with a quarter. Which is about ten cents more than you have invested in the place with all the found lumber and nails you used to build your tree house.

[This amendment doesn't seem that relevant today but prior to the Revolutionary War the British Army could come into your house, search it to insure all your documents and papers were stamped with the hated Stamp Act stamps, quarter their soldiers, make you feed them and their horses, and even throw you out of your house and use it for their own purposes. That's why it was felt important enough to be number three.]

Remembering word parts ab-, abs-, apo-, and the Second Amendment

ab-, abs- and apo- like many common word parts, have been bandied about for centuries and consequently they have more than one meaning. To keep from using rote memorization, any more than we have to, I like to use acronyms. Especially if I can back up their meanings like we do in the memory stories below. Yes, acronyms require a bit of rote but it isn't mindless but mindful repetition with a back up, which will help us recall information for a lifetime.

[blue emboldened words are common or college terms, reddish brown words are medical terms that should be looked up in a medical dictionary]

ab-, abs- from L. ab-, off means "separation, off, from, away". [abductor, lit. one who or that which leads away, fig. a kidnapper; a muscle, absolve, lit. to loose from, fig. to set free or release from debt, responsibility, or guilt, ablate, lit. carry or take away, abscess, lit. a going away, abstract, lit. to draw away]

Memory story: You're Abe (ab-, abs-) Lincoln lying on a SOFA (separation, off, from, away) in the White House and have a dream about looking off into an abyss (abs-). Upon waking you have a strange feeling of separation or going away when your wife asks you to get up and get ready to go to the theater.

apo- from Gr. apo, away from, off, means "separation, off, from, away". [apostate, lit. stand away, fig. one who has left their religion, apobiosis, lit. away from life condition, apocrine, lit. separate from, Apocynum, lit. from dog, apophysis, lit. growing off process]

Memory story: You've gone off to write a poem (apo-). Lying on your SOFA (separation, off, from, away) you've managed to get away from everybody so you can think.

Now let's do the Bill of Rights' second amendment, the right to keep and bear arms. We're going to substitute the word "zoo" for "two" in this memory story.

Memory story: You're looking over the "zoo" that Noah has on his ark and notice that the two bears are walking around the deck bearing arms.

[Note to advanced memory students.: If you know Mnemonic's link/phonetic system (which I'll cover in upcoming blogs) I'm sure you've noticed that I've placed "Noah" in today's Bill of Rights memory story and "tea" in yesterdays. The reason why is I don't want people to have to go back and start over if they decide to use the Link system later on. Which I hope they will.]

On Monday, Jan. 18th, we're going to do -ac-. -ac- is a very popular word root that has been used to create numerous word parts. Consequently, it too has at least eight meanings but we're going to breeze through it and the Bill of Right's third amendment.

High Speed Memory Techniques for Medical Terminology