What it is and why it works

I created a teaching style called “associative

learning.” I use it in every subject, but it works
especially well with Medical Terminology.

It’s easy for the teacher….simply read the slide

and NOTHING else! The images and the word
associations create a neural association in the
brain the students learn the words without
even trying. It’s fun and it’s effective.
 i c al
M e d g y
n o l o
m i

SAMPLE
Te r

PowerPoint Copyright©2013Chris Grayling.

All Rights Reserved.
 7. erythr-
I see “Earth”
Much of the Earth is red
 epi-
I see e pie
There’s an
“e” upon
or over
the pie
 epi- = upon, over

epidemic – upon the people

epidermis – upon the skin
epidural - on or over the dura mater….
n. An injection into the epidural
space of the spine
 per-
Like a cat’s purr

The purr can be

felt through
the cat’s body

per- = through
 sub- = below, under

A sub goes
below
or
under
the
water.
tack
tack helps the horse run
rapid or fast
tachy- = rapid, fast
 7. myc/o
I see “my co” (my company)

I have a lot of fun guys working

at my company
FUN GUYS!
myc/o = fun guys
= fungus
 9. pil/o
I see pillow
Bet there’s some
hair on
that
pillow!
 Bulla bull
Running from
the bull…
…will give you
a large
blister…

a BULLA
 anthrac/o
ant + race
Why are the ants racing?
They’re racing to get out
of the coal mine
anthrac/o = coal
 anthrax – so named because
the appearance of the bacterial
infection resembles a burning coal
 pulmon/o
pulmon

I see PLUM
plums look like lungs

pulmon/o = lung
• 23 PowerPoints, each varying in length. Many
slides have hyperlinks to cool YouTube videos
• 20 Word Searches (printable)

• 14 sets of 30 different full color Bingo cards

(each Bingo game covers current chapter plus
review)
• 20 sets of 3 alternate exams (different order)
 Instructions
WordSearches

There is a WordSearch puzzle for every chapter. Doing the WordSearch

introduces each word part to the student and creates the initial recognition of
the terms in their brain. I do not define the terms in the WordSearch. If I have
a video on the current body system, I show that first.

Some Puzzles contain review words as well as the new chapter terms. I give
the WordSearch at the beginning of every chapter. You can print them or
email mail them to the students individually and let them complete them
online (by using the Highlighting Tool on the PDF viewing menu). This is what
I do because I have a “green” classroom! I sometimes allow the students to
work with a partner to complete the WordSearches. The second day, I show a
video on the organ system presented that chapter. On the third day I present
the PowerPoint.
PowerPoints
Every monitor display is slightly different. These slides have been formatted to
display properly on every size monitor or projection screen. However, colors may
appear differently than originally intended. The one slide where this may be
significant is the cyano- slide in the Color Prefixes set. If it displays a little “off” in
your classroom, you can show your students some other examples. (Just tell
them cyano- is the color of traditional hospital scrubs).

Before presenting each of the PowerPoint chapters, go through it once yourself.

Before showing it to your students, tell them this: “I will be teaching you Medical
Terms by associating them with pictures. It is very important that you do not talk
or shout out anything during the PowerPoint, because I will be creating an
association in your brain with each term and each picture. You do not have to
take notes, you just have to listen and look at the pictures. Your brain will make
the association for you automatically and if someone shouts something out (even
if it’s a funny comment), it will destroy the association I am trying to make in
your brain. If you think of a different picture that would work better for a term,
please share that with me after class.”
I repeat this at the beginning of every PowerPoint. Cont……….
Once the students see how you are teaching, they will be totally silent
and you will be shocked! I walk around the room and read the slides. I
do not say anything else (very important!) except what is on the slide; the
fewer words spoken provide a deeper association in the brain with the
words chosen to be associated with each picture.

Once I have presented the PowerPoint, I start at the beginning again and
show them the initial slide for each term. I tell them to take 3-5 seconds
before shouting out the answer. You will be amazed at the retention. : )

The first PowerPoint (Fundamentals) is bland, but every other

presentation is fun and exciting. There are some ‘cute’ photos (animals
or plants) added to the Fundamentals PowerPoint (and occasionally in
others) to keep the students’ attention. I do not test on Fundamentals
because the students will see all the rules in use as the class progresses.
Cont…….
Great effort was taken to ensure that all photos and
images are copyright free.

Embedded on most of the PowerPoint chapters, are

hyperlinks to YouTube videos. The videos relate to the
medical term on the slide and involve either science,
history, a medical procedure or just something really
cool. : ) Unless otherwise noted on the slide, the videos
are under 3-4 min in length. Double click on the box that
says “Video” and you will automatically be taken to the
video on YouTube. (You will have to go back to the
PowerPoint yourself).
Cont…….
BINGO
The day following the PowerPoint is game day. I
have created 30 different Bingo cards for every
chapter (except Fundamentals). Label the clues
before you play. (The clues are the 1” squares
with pictures on them). On the back of each
clue, I write the medical term (towards the top
of the little square) and the definition on the
bottom. The first time we play, I call out the
medical term. After half the class period, we
switch to the definition.
EXAMS
I use an internet-based testing program called
EasyTestMaker.com and my students take all their exams
online. This website currently does not have the capability
to share exams, so I have enclosed the written tests in this
program. I created 2 alternate versions of each exam, so
you have 3 different versions of the exact same exam for
every chapter. With very few exceptions, the exams
contain matching questions (ie, not multiple choice or fill-
in). I find this type of exam is best for Medical Terminology.

Enjoy! I’ve taken the –algia out of teaching Medical

Terminology! : )