Strategy
Where Would I Be If…?
Give descriptive clues to help children practice inference of familiar places and settings.
This activity has been revised and was originally created by Charlotte Cushman and published in the Perkins Activity and Resource Guide (1st edition, 1992). The second edition is available for purchase.
For students who learn primarily through rote memorization, it helps to practice analyzing information to draw appropriate conclusions. This activity works on that, as well as answering “where” questions, all of which increases language comprehension skills. Lessons include Concept Development, English Language Arts, Social Skills and Independent Living Skills.
None required
Ask students to tell you where you would be if…
- I lay down with my head on the pillow and pulled the covers up around me. (in bed)
- I sat down at the table to eat my lunch. (in the dining room or cafeteria)
- I put my bathing suit on and felt the sand between my toes. (at the beach)
- I stood at the sink to brush my teeth and wash my face. (in the bathroom)
- Someone listened to my chest with a stethoscope and asked me to open my mouth and say “ahhh.” (at the doctor’s office)
- I opened the door, turned the key and started the engine. (in a car)
- I put my dirty clothes in the machine, added detergent, put coins in the slots and turned it on. (at the Laundromat)
- I tried on a few pairs of shoes and said, “I’ll take those in a size six, please.” (at a shoe store)
- The waitress asked, “What can I get for you today?” I said, “Please bring me a cheeseburger, French fries and a large soda.” (at a restaurant)
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I stopped my car and said, “Please fill it up.” (at the gas station)
- This activity can be geared toward many different levels by changing the complexity of the situations described.
- Ask the students to describe other situations for their classmates to guess.
- Give students a specific “mystery route” describing a familiar destination in school or at home: “What room would we find if we went out of the classroom, turned left and went up the stairs?”
Hint: Have students practice following directions on mobility routes around school and in the community.
