Forgetting curve

High school (ages 12+)
Thinking & Learning

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/forgetting-curve

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the core hypothesis?Memory retention declines over time in the absence of reinforcement
2. What is the empirical origin?Hermann Ebbinghaus's studies on memory decay in 1885
3. Why do we forget things so fast after learning?New memories fade quickly if we don't look at them again. The brain’s connections get weaker unless we practice remembering them.
4. How fast can we forget something new?About half of what we learn can be gone within an hour, and two‑thirds can be gone by the next day.

Forgetting Curve: A graphical representation illustrating the exponential decrease in memory recall over time.
Transience: The natural decay of memory traces due to the passage of time and lack of retrieval.
Memory Strength: The durability and accessibility of a memory trace in the brain.
Active Recall: The process of retrieving information from memory without external cues.