Grade Level:              3^rd & 4^th Grade

Topic:                     Cooperation

Materials:               Pictures of teams and groups

“The Blackboard Blues” story (enough copies for class)

                             “More to think about” questions, cut into strips (enough for groups of 5)

Objectives:             1. Students will be able to identify what cooperation and teamwork are and what it

                             means to each of them

                             2. Students will work together on a problem-solving task

3. Students will practice brainstorming

Activities:               1. Introduction

Show the class the pictures of teams and groups.  Have students to identify what all of these pictures have in common.  Ask if anyone has ever been a part of a group or team.  Are there any other times they have been asked to work together (at home or at school)?  Can someone define cooperation?  Does cooperating make things easier or more difficult?  Why should we cooperate?

                             2. Story

Read the short story “The Blackboard Blues”.  Tell students to just to listen to the story and think about what they would do if this problem happened to them. 

                             3. Group Brainstorming

                             Have students count off so they are in groups of five.  Give each group a copy of the story and a thought question strip.  Tell the students to take 10-15 minutes to discuss their thoughts on the question they have been given and to the question at the end of the story.  Remind students that there is no right answer for their question and that everyone should have a chance to speak in the group.    

                             4. Discussion

                             Regroup the class.  Have a representative from each group read their question aloud and then tell the rest of the class what their group came up with in response to that question.  Allow students to explore each others’ questions and answers, if appropriate.  Discuss how it felt to work in a group and cooperate.  If time allows, take a few responses to the question in the story, “If you were Mark, and you had to choose, what would you do?  Why?” 

                             5. Conclusion

                             Remind students that cooperation isn't always easy and sometimes we have to work at being good at cooperating.  Challenge students to be good cooperators. Thank students for being so cooperative in class today.