Lesson Idea | Collaboration - Teamwork is Fun!

This Grade 1 collaboration lesson encourages children to learn how to successfully work together as team players to accomplish a shared goal, though it can be adapted for grades K–6. The learning goals include helping students express their ideas clearly, analyze a story to understand the meaning of collaboration, and reflect on strategies for effective teamwork. To begin, the teacher introduces the concept by writing “collaboration” on the board, asking students to share their thoughts, and leading a discussion on the importance of teamwork. A read-aloud of The Crayon by Simon Rickerty follows, with questions about the story’s problem, the characters’ communication, and how they solved their conflict. Next, the teacher presents an activity where two students must silently build different assigned objects, demonstrating the challenges of poor communication, before explaining why collaboration is essential. The main group activity involves students working in teams of 3–5 to build a bridge strong enough to hold 10 toy cars using provided materials (popsicle sticks, straws, tape, etc.), with a set time limit. To conclude, students document their work by taking photos of their bridges, posting them in Spaces, and reflecting on prompts such as how well their group collaborated, what they could improve, and whether they achieved their goal.