Building Trust with Team Challenges

Stephanie Samuels

Tier 1

Lesson Plan

Building Trust with Team Challenges

Develop collaboration and trust

This lesson focuses on building trust and collaboration among students through engaging team-building activities. These activities are designed to help students develop key interpersonal skills, such as communication, cooperation, and empathy, while strengthening their bonds with each other. By participating in these challenges, students will learn the importance of trust and teamwork in achieving common goals.

Audience

Grades 6-8 Students

Time

35 minutes

Approach

Develop collaboration and trust

Materials

Blindfolds, Rope, Hula hoops, Printable Cards: Team Challenges, and Discussion Questions: Trust and Teamwork

Step 1

Introduction

5 minutes

Welcome students and introduce the lesson's focus on trust and teamwork.
Briefly discuss the importance of trust in team settings.
Explain that they will participate in fun activities to build these skills.

Step 2

Activity 1: Trust Walk

10 minutes

Pair students and provide one blindfold per pair.
One student wears the blindfold while the other guides them through an obstacle course using only verbal instructions.
Switch roles halfway through the activity.

Step 3

Activity 2: Human Knot

10 minutes

Have students stand in a circle and hold hands with two different people across the circle.
Without letting go, students must untangle themselves to form a circle again.
Encourage communication and teamwork to solve the challenge.

Step 4

Activity 3: Hula Hoop Pass

5 minutes

Form a circle with students holding hands.
Place a hula hoop over one student's arm.
Without letting go of hands, students must pass the hula hoop around the circle.
Time the activity and encourage students to improve their time with each attempt.

Step 5

Closure and Debrief

5 minutes

Gather students and discuss what they learned about trust and teamwork.
Use the Discussion Questions: Trust and Teamwork to guide the conversation.
Encourage students to share their experiences and insights from the activities.

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Worksheet

Team Challenges

These printable cards provide instructions for each team-building activity, ensuring students understand the rules and objectives.

Trust Walk: Guide your partner through an obstacle course using only verbal instructions.

Human Knot: Work together to untangle the group without letting go of hands.

Hula Hoop Pass: Pass the hula hoop around the circle without breaking the chain of hands.

Discussion

Trust and Teamwork

This discussion will help students reflect on their experiences during the team challenges and understand the importance of trust and teamwork.

What was the most challenging part of the activities?

Encourage students to think about specific moments where they felt challenged and how they overcame those challenges.

How did you feel when you had to trust your partner during the Trust Walk?

Discuss the emotions involved in relying on others and how it affects teamwork.

What strategies did your team use to solve the Human Knot?

Highlight the importance of communication and collaboration in problem-solving.

How can the skills learned today be applied in other areas of your life?

Encourage students to think about real-life situations where trust and teamwork are essential.