This is a lesson plan that can carry you through the year with focus on associations. Depending on the population you are working with, you can use either written text or pictures. You can also adapt this plan three different ways: You can create a bulletin board for your speech room, make individual papers for students, or make your masterpiece on an easel. Don't worry, I won't keep you in suspense anymore, here is the plan...,
Since we head back to school in August here in Illinois, I will begin with a summer theme in my speech room, especially since it still REALLY feels like summer here! First, make a yellow circle and write in the middle, "Things that make me think of summer." Then, cut up to 10-15 strips of paper to make the rays for the sun or wait until your sessions and have kids cut the paper. Finally, you can have some pictures on hand that correlate to the topic and have students take turns pulling these from a hat to affix around the sun. Otherwise, you can brainstorm associations with the group and write down answers on rays. Some associative words my son helped me come up with for this task include: pool, beach, lake, water, hot, heat, ice cream, sunscreen, vacation, and swim.
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| Created 10/1/2012 |
Repeat this lesson in the fall using a tree with different colored leaves for association words: colors, windy, apples, pumpkins, football, leaves, Halloween, Thanksgiving, hayrides, and scarecrow.
In the winter, use snowflakes for association words and form these into a giant snowball. Some suggested terms are: cold, ice, snow, coats, hot chocolate, holidays, snowman, sledding, ice skating, and boots.
Finally, in the spring, you can create a giant center to a flower and write these words on petals and stems: warm, crisp, rainy, bloom, flowers, green, jackets, growth, new, and muddy.
