Boyd K. Packer, a noted educator, said, “...students, generally speaking, are more interested in what they know about than in those things they don’t know about.” Linking abstract concepts with concrete objects improves the learning success rate. Visual objects interject life into subjects and help students retain information. Christ masterfully used objects and symbols to make his teachings real and pertinent—hens, sheep, wheat, tares, house, sand, water—all simple objects with which his students were very familiar. Ideas can come from objects familiar to you and your students.
   Once, while trying to increase student accountability, I likened learners to a calf--a familiar object.  Sitting on the podium was a calf bottle and a calf feeding tube. I said, “There are three ways to feed a calf. One is for the calf to suck from his mother—an udder-butt-er. This type of calf is a go-getter, aggressive, energetic, and strong. He follows his mother everywhere to get something to eat. I’ve seen calves suck while their mother’s graze and doggedly come back for more when their mothers kicked and butted them. These calves are not easily sidetracked—even when manure is dropped on their heads. Nothing stops an udder-butter from eating. These calves thrive.”
   Picking up the calf bottle, I continued, “Another way to feed a calf is by bottle. A bottle fed calf will grow, though he is often stunted because he only eats twice a day. A bottle-fed calf bawls and waits for his milk, then eagerly and easily gulps it. These calves grow, but they don’t thrive like an udder-butter.” 
   Next, I held up the feeding tube and demonstrated feeding a calf with it, “The third way to feed a calf is through a tube. By forcing this tube down a calf’s throat, the milk drops into his stomach. The calf usually lies there during the process; he is too weak and sick to care. These calves do not thrive. The flies crawl all around their eyes and nose and they don’t even blink. “Tubers” are hard to keep alive and if they are fed this way longer than a few days, they usually don’t make it. A tuber doesn’t have to do one thing for his food; he just lays there.”
   Finally, I asked the question, “What kind of a learner are you? Udder-butter? Bottle fed? Tuber? How eagerly do you want fed knowledge? Do you seek learning on your own, wait for someone to bring it, or does it have to be forced down you?”  By using a familiary object, the lesson on student accountability was taught without a lecture or grade-reduction threat.
   Objects are not always predictable!  One time I hoped to effectively present “Teaching through Objects” at a conference. I opened the presentation by explaining that 70% of the things I said would be forgotten within one hour unless an experience or something memorable happened to which they could attach the presented information. Then, I very loosely quoted a thought expressed by Boyd K. Packer, my interpretation being “It isn’t enough that we understand. It isn’t enough that we remember. We must apply information for it to be of any worth.” To reinforce Mr. Packer’s concept with an object lesson, I went to the presentation dressed in old sweats—grease marks and food were splattered on my sweat top and my sweat pants were slit at the ankles. I didn’t wear shoes, socks, glasses or earrings, but explained, “I understood I was to dress nice for this presentation. The conference committee made this clear to all presenters. I even remembered I was to dress nicely for classes” and pulled out my skirt, blouse, shoes, earrings, and glasses from a box. “But, because I didn’t bother to apply what I knew, it didn’t do any good.” Next—using covert junior-high, girl locker room techniques—I began to apply my clothes. I pulled the skirt on over my sweatpants, and then leaned over to pull my sweat pants out from under the skirt. I didn’t realize the two waistbands were tangled and as I pulled my sweat pants down, off came my skirt too. I stood shocked in front of the class in my underwear. This was not how I had rehearsed it! I hurriedly pulled something up, looked at the clock and, with dread, saw 50+ minutes remaining with these strangers.  I laughed and then laughed more and said, “I’m certain you will remember more than 70% of this class in an hour!” Then continued with the lesson outlined.  Later when I received the class evaluation, one evaluator said, “Excellent show, not just tell!” I highly doubt the conference committee understood the depth of her comments and I have not used this object lesson since!
   Object lessons have the potential to be memorable! Give them a chance to bring life to your lessons.