Conversation wheel

I use a few different versions of a conversation wheel for many of my friendship groups. It is a great way to help students with beginning, joining and ending conversations. It also supports the importance of being flexible and not taking over a conversation with only things you want to talk about. Its a fun way to teach basic conversation skills and social thinking strategies. I have used this strategy in two ways. The first version I made out of construction paper and put a topic inside each of the sleeves. 

The second version is the same concept without the wheel. I use the spinner from "Life" and write 10 topics up on my white board. Students start a conversation on the topic that they land on. After a few minutes of conversation, direct the student who started the conversation to end it using strategies the group has practiced. It is also important to help students recognize when conversations easily change from topic to topic naturally. During the course of your group sessions, it might be necessary to help students see that when the conversation stops because they have run out of things to say, this is when a new topic of conversation starts. For the purpose of this activity, that would mean the next student spins the spinner and the activity continues.