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What do Betty White, a mosquito, a self starting car, and speech and language therapy all have in common? The perfect makings of an awesome and easy inference activity! Keep reading to learn how we use Super Bowl commercials in our speech and language sessions to target inferencing and higher level language skills. Plus be sure to check out our list of inference questions for each commercial to make your Super Bowl language activity a winning touch down!
We know many of of you target inferencing and higher level language skills across grade levels. So why not make it fun while you are at it? Super Bowl commercials are the perfect buy in for those older students who need a little more persuasion or those younger kids who need a bit more enticement during your speech and language sessions and activities.
Inference Activity
There are so many great inferencing questions to pose while watching these commercials. You can pause and reflect through out each commercial plus rewatch when needed since they are so short. We love that students get to watch several short videos during one inferencing activity increasing engagement and practice!
Here is a hilarious Chevy commercial from 2012 depicting a parents’ gift giving mix-up to their new graduate. Students can determine a variety of emotions, outcomes, and more with just a one minute video. Check out the inferencing questions below for an easy, but funny language activity.
Inference Questions
- Why do you think the teenager is wearing a black robe?
- Why is the teenager blindfolded?
- What does the teenager think his parents got for him?
- Why is the teenager and all of his friends so excited?
- What did his parents actually get him?
- Who owns the yellow car?
- Why is the teenager confused when the car drives away?
Predicting Activity
Another awesome, but super effective way to use Super Bowl commercials is to target predicting. Predicting is another high level skills to support inference during your speech and language lessons and activities.
Simply pause the commercial and have your students formulate a basic prediction based on what is happening in the video. Help them identify context clues in the commercial to make a reasonable guess as to what might happen next. Guarantee their answers will put a smile on your face as well as each others!
Watch this Super Bowl commercial by Volkswagen from 2011 showing a young Darth Vader’s honing of “The Force” to help student make basic predictions. See the questions below for some inspiration!
Predicting & Inference Questions
- Who is the boy dressed up as?
- Why is he putting his hands out?
- What does he want the workout bike, dog, dryer, and baby doll to do?
- Why does the mom push the sandwich over to the boy?
- How do you think he is feeling after that?
- What do you think will happen with the car?
- Why does the dad raise his eyebrows?
- How does the boy feel at the end of the commercial?
Also Read: Why We Love Wordless Books in Speech Therapy for more inferencing ideas and activities.
Cause & Effect Activity
Another great skill to target with Super Bowl commercial is cause and effect. Identifying a reason and outcome is a perfect way to support inferencing during this activity. There are lots of commercials out there to do jut this, but we can’t help but laugh when watching this next commercial!
Watch this commercial title “Tabasco ‘Mosquito’ from 1998 showing what happens when you eat too much hot sauce. Sorry, bugs! Use the questions below to help your students determine the what and the why while watching.
Cause and Effect & Inference Questions
- Why is the man sweating?
- What can you hear in the background?
- What happens if a bug flies into a bug lamp?
- How much hot sauce did the man eat?
- What will happen to the bug after it bites the man?
- Why did the bug explode?
- Why does the man smile at the end of the commercial?
Perspective Taking Activity
Have a student that struggles to see things from a different point of view? Use a Super Bowl commercial! With over the top characters and relatable situations, commercials are an effective way to help students see things from a different angle.
Feeling hungry? Watch this funny Snickers commercial from 2010 starring Betty White as she plays football with the guys. Use the questions below the video link for an easy perspective taking plus inferencing activity.
Perspective Taking & Inference Questions
- Who is playing football?
- Why does the man call Betty White by the name of “Mike”?
- How is Betty feeling during the football game?
- What do the other players think about Betty White?
- Why does the lady bring Betty a Snickers?
- Why does the man say “better” after eating a Snickers?
- Who is the old man at the end of the commercial?
- What does the phrase “You’re not you when you’re hungry” mean?
Good Old Fashioned Humor Activity
While Super Bowl commercials can be moving or even political in nature, most of them are just down right funny. Humor is can definitely be a higher level skills and require strong inference skills to understand.
Watch this Doritos commercial from 2016 depicting some hungry dogs quest to score a delicious snack. Such a cute and funny video to target inferencing, predicting, cause and effect, perspective taking, and humor all in one activity! And besides…who doesn’t love dogs and Doritos?
Humor & Inference Questions
- What do the dogs see in the store?
- How do they try to enter the store first?
- Why does the man cross his arms?
- How do they try to enter the store second?
- Why is the man upset?
- How do they finally enter the store?
- How did they decide to dress up?
- Do you think the man recognizes the dogs at the end of the commercial?
Additional Super Bowl Commercials Links for Inferencing Activities
We couldn’t decide on just a few commercials so we had to include some of our other favorites too. The list below includes additional iconic Super Bowl commercials that will help you plan all star inferencing activities for your students!
- Where’s the Beef? – Wendy’s circa 1984
- ‘Mean’ Joe Greene – Coca-Cola circa 1979
- Larry Bird vs. Michael Jordan H-O-R-S-E – McDonald’s circa 1993
- “Smaht Pahk” – Hyundai circa 2020
- Elton John & Melanie Amaro – Pepsi circa 2012
Need a no prep speech articulation activity to pair with these awesome Super Bowl inferencing activities? Check out our Football Speech Articulation Craft for those mixed speech and language groups. Your students will love inferencing while watching commercials AND practicing target speech sounds during your next session’s joint activity!
Click the link here or the image below to score yours today!
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So there you go! We love to incorporate these short, but impactful commercials for all of the above reasons. We hope these hilarious and fun Super Bowl commercials will help plan your next inference activity without going into overtime.
Planning to try one of these videos and corresponding set of inference questions for your next speech and language session? Drop us a comment below! We would love to hear how your inferencing and higher level language activity went!
Kate & Mandy
Talking Mama Bears
