Fluency Cadavers

I currently have four students with a stuttering disorder on my caseload. One is in first grade, and the others are in second and third. They each have speech on their own this year. One-on-one therapy, for all four! All of the kids are in different classes, and that is just how the schedule worked out. It is really nice having 30minutes every week for each of them, plus I think they like having the undivided attention. 

The older three have been working on a project for a few weeks to learn about speech helpers. The idea is that when they can name and understand what part of their body is affected by a stuttering moment, it aides in teaching them how to use fluency enhancing strategies. This is our first unit of the year, and we will move onto strategies next week.

As described in previous posts, Halloween crafts during therapy is in full swing in the speech room. My fluency kids made a cadaver to add to the scary decorations. The cadaver, of course, was a means to an end to teach about speech helpers. I combined a lot of ideas from a lot of sources. I have a few documents to share with you as well through Google Docs. Here are the steps to the project!

We started with the mouth. I found this version here. I enlarged it to show the detail and allow room for the marshmallow teeth and balloon tongue. 

I bought pink balloons and the students filled them with marshmallows for the tongue. The marshmallows gave it a soft and squishy texture, sorta like a real tongue. Next, after the student cut out the mouth, I cut a slit in the paper to attach the tongue with tape on the back.

Next, marshmallow teeth were added, and a few eaten. I mean really, I couldn't expect them to just glue them! This is where I saw this idea, although there are many different versions on Pinterest.

An old lipstick was used to enhance the lips. This lipstick will never touch my lips again and forever live with my fluency supplies!

With the inside of the mouth done, it was time to make a side-view of the cadaver. I found this paper version here. More lipstick and marshmallows, as well as a pink balloon, were used for the additional body parts. The nose is made a plastic pencil sharpener that I had in my prize box. I think I got them from Target.

The students cut out the lungs, that I found here, and glued them to the chart. Bubble wrap was added next, to represent the alveoli, which were painted pink with watercolors. Here is where I got that idea. I was surprised that the watercolors stayed on so well. I attached the bubble wrap with a stapler.

Rolled up pink paper was used for the trachea and bronchi. The vocal folds/cords is a dry tortellini glued to the top of the airway. 

 

Now for brains! They are ramen noodles painted pink, and then hot-glued onto the page. Easy and realistic.

The final step was adding labels to each speech helper, as well as the description of how we speak. I got help with this from here and here. I have a copy of my version of the labels and "How we Speak" statement for you: here and here.

Here is the cadaver in all of it's gross glory!

This was a lot of work, both for me and the students. I spent a lot of time collecting items, formulating my ideas, trouble shooting, and creating parts of the project. But, it was worth it! I am so proud of these kiddos.