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Working Together

Collaboration in the classroom has many educational as well as life benefits. Students will identify some ways the class works together to achieve goals and then create an illustrated cut-out of some of the ways they collaborate.

Lesson Plan

Supplies Needed

Gather all the supplies needed to bring your craft ideas to life! From paints and markers to glue and scissors, our crafts section has everything to spark creativity and make every project truly special.

  • Heavy Paper
  • Tape

Steps

  • Step 1

    Collaborative learning has been shown to promote higher-level thinking skills in students, boost their confidence, and foster greater self-esteem. Have students think about ways the class works together to promote successful learning. Examples might include brainstorming ideas with one another, working collaboratively on projects, lending or seeking help when needed, respecting others' perspectives, etc.

  • Step 2

    Have students form teams to brainstorm some of the many ways the class collaborates to achieve goals. Then have the team members create paper figurines of themselves (each a standard height and cut out so they can be taped together as a chain). Each student can write one of the ways they collaborate on their figurine, for example, "Sharing Ideas," then ways to achieve it could be: "Respecting others," etc.

  • Step 3

    After the figurines are complete, the team will tape the paper cut-outs together as a chain. Display the paper chains in the classroom as a reminder of the importance of working together.

Standards

LA: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

VA: Use different media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas, experiences, and stories.

VA: Use visual structures of art to communicate ideas.

LA: Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something that is not understood.

LA: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

LA: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade level topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

LA: Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.

SS: Explore and describe similarities and differences in the ways groups, societies, and cultures address similar human needs and concerns.

SS: Identify roles as learned behavior patterns in groups situations such as student, family member, peer play group member, or club member.

SS: Analyze a particular event to identify reasons individuals might respond to it in different ways.

SS: Work independently and cooperatively to accomplish goals.

Adaptations

Have students offer peer or mentoring services to help with assignments, or to practice the art of confidential social coaching (meaning they won't share the request for help with other classmates).

Invite a guidance counselor to speak to the class about the benefits of collaborative learning.