Lesson Plan
Cooperation Jam Lesson Plan
Students will recognize and practice cooperation by exploring how the birds work together in Three Little Birds and by participating in a group charades activity and a cooperative circle game.
Cooperation skills support positive peer relationships and effective teamwork. This lesson uses storytelling and playful interaction to help first graders see and enact working together.
Audience
First Grade Students
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Story, group charades, and cooperative game.
Materials
- Three Little Birds By Lisa Mullady, - Cooperation Jam Slide Deck, and - Soft Feather Or Lightweight Pass-Around Item
Prep
Teacher Preparation
10 minutes
- Ensure access to the Cooperation Jam Slide Deck
- Have the physical book Three Little Birds By Lisa Mullady ready
- Locate a soft feather or lightweight pass-around item for the game
- Review all slides and discussion prompts
- Prepare small-group assignments for cooperation charades (one per group)
- Test any audio tools for the slide deck
Step 1
Introduction
2 minutes
- Gather students on the carpet and introduce today's focus: cooperation
- Activate prior knowledge: ask students, "What does it mean to cooperate?"
- Explain that they’ll see how three birds work together in today’s story
Step 2
Read Aloud
8 minutes
- Read Three Little Birds By Lisa Mullady, advancing through images in the slide deck
- Pause at key moments (e.g., when birds share food or help each other) to point out examples of cooperation
Step 3
Discussion
5 minutes
- Display discussion prompts on slide:
- "How did the birds in the story cooperate?"
- "Why do you think working together helped them?"
- Call on volunteers to share answers
- Emphasize and verbally summarize examples of helping, sharing, and teamwork
Step 4
Interactive Activity
8 minutes
- Divide students into small groups of 4
- Assign each group one example of cooperation from Three Little Birds (e.g., sharing seeds, building the nest, helping a friend)
- Give groups 2 minutes to plan a silent skit showing their cooperation moment
- Have each group perform while the class watches and guesses the action
- After each presentation, ask: “Which cooperation action did you see? Why is this teamwork important?”
Step 5
Cooperative Game
7 minutes
- Explain the ‘Pass the Feather’ game: students sit in a circle and gently pass the feather while music plays
- When the music stops, the student holding the feather shares one way they can help a friend or classmate
- Restart the music and repeat 4–5 times so multiple students participate
- Praise examples of cooperation and reinforce positive teamwork behaviors
Slide Deck
Cooperation Jam
Welcome to Cooperation Jam!
Today we’ll explore cooperation with Three Little Birds by Lisa Mullady.
Welcome students to the lesson. Introduce yourself and say: “Today we’re going to have a Cooperation Jam! We’ll read a story about three little birds and see ways they work together.”
What Is Cooperation?
“Cooperation” means working together to help each other.
Activate prior knowledge. Ask: "What does it mean to cooperate?" Invite 2–3 volunteers to share. Then say: “Cooperation means working together to help each other.”
Read Aloud: Three Little Birds
Follow along as we read the story.
Listen for ways the birds work together!
Read the story aloud, advancing slides with each page image. Pause at moments when birds share food or help each other. Say: “Listen for ways the birds cooperate.”
Discussion
How did the birds cooperate?
Why was working together important?
Display this slide. Read each prompt aloud and call on volunteers to respond. Summarize their answers: helping, sharing, teamwork.
Interactive Activity: Group Charades
- Form groups of 4
- Plan a silent skit of your assigned cooperation scene
- Perform for the class while classmates guess the action
- After each skit, discuss why teamwork helped
Divide students into small groups of 4. Assign each group one example of cooperation from Three Little Birds (e.g., sharing seeds, building a nest, helping a friend). Give groups 2 minutes to plan a silent skit showing their cooperation moment. Have each group perform while the class watches and guesses the action. After each performance, ask: “Which cooperation action did you see? Why is this teamwork important?”
Cooperative Game: Pass the Feather
- Sit in a circle and pass the feather while music plays.
- When the music stops, share one way you can help a friend.
Explain the game rules. Start music, have students pass the feather gently. When the music stops, student holding the feather shares one way to help a friend. Repeat 4–5 times.
Great Job!
You showed great cooperation today!
Keep helping and sharing with friends.
Praise students: “You did a great job cooperating today!” Summarize key examples from read aloud, discussion, and activities. Encourage them to keep practicing cooperation.
Discussion
Bird Talk Discussion
Use this facilitation guide during the “Discussion” slide in the Cooperation Jam Slide Deck to deepen students’ understanding of cooperation in Three Little Birds.
Objective
Students will practice speaking and listening skills as they identify examples of cooperation in the story and connect them to their own experiences.
Structure & Timing (5 minutes)
- Display the slide titled Discussion.
- Read each question aloud and invite 2–3 volunteers to respond.
- Summarize and reinforce key points verbally after each question.
Discussion Prompts
- How did the birds cooperate?
• Follow-up: “Which bird helped first? What did it do?”
• Tip: If students struggle, point to a specific slide image (e.g., birds sharing seeds). - Why was working together important for the birds?
• Follow-up: “What do you think would have happened if they tried to do it all by themselves?”
• Tip: Encourage thinking about problem-solving and being safe. - When do you cooperate with friends at school or home?
• Follow-up: “Can someone share a time you helped a friend?”
• Tip: Model an example: “Yesterday I saw two friends share crayons so they could color faster.” - What are other ways we can cooperate as a class today?
• Follow-up: “How can we help each other clean up or get ready for recess?”
Facilitation Tips
- Wait time: After asking, count to five silently to give all students a chance to think.
- Turn-taking: Use a talking stick or “feather” to show whose turn it is.
- Revoicing: If a student gives a short answer, repeat it and add details:
“So you’re saying the birds shared food—that’s helping, which is cooperation.” - Positive reinforcement: Praise contributions: “Great example!” or “I love how you remembered that detail.”
Connection to Next Activity
After the discussion, transition by saying:
“Now that we know how the birds helped each other, let’s show what cooperation looks like in our Bird Cooperation Sort activity!”
Game
Pass the Feather Game Facilitation Sheet
Use this guide to run the Pass the Feather game as part of your Cooperation Jam lesson. It stands alone if you need a quick reference or want to share with a co-teacher.
Objective
Students will:
- Practice taking turns and listening respectfully
- Share real-life examples of cooperation
- Build confidence speaking in front of peers
Materials
- A soft feather or lightweight, safe object to pass
- Music source (classroom playlist, phone, computer)
- Speaker or device to play/stop music
Timing
Total: 7 minutes
- Explanation & setup: 1 minute
- Game rounds: 5–6 rounds (about 6 minutes)
- Wrap-up praise: 30 seconds
Setup
- Have students sit in a loose circle on the carpet.
- Place the feather in your hand and stand or sit where you can see all students.
- Cue your music but keep it paused for now.
Instructions
- Explain Rules (1 min)
- Say: “We’re going to pass this feather around while music plays. When I stop the music, whoever is holding the feather will share one way they can help a friend or classmate. Then we’ll keep going until everyone has a turn!”
- Model one example yourself: “I can help a friend by sharing my crayons when they don’t have any.”
- Play & Pass (6 rounds)
- Start the music.
- Students gently pass the feather to their neighbor (choose direction: left/right).
- After 10–15 seconds, pause the music.
- Invite the student holding the feather to share one way to cooperate.
(Wait time of 3–5 seconds for thinking.) - Thank the student for sharing.
- Restart the music and repeat until 5–6 students have participated or time is up.
- Wrap-Up (30 sec)
- Praise the whole class: “Great job cooperating and listening! You gave wonderful ideas on how to help each other.”
- Link back to the story: “Just like our three little birds, we helped each other by sharing our thoughts and listening.”
Differentiation & Tips
- IEPs/504s:
• Seat students with processing needs closer to you.
• Provide a visual cue (e.g., a picture of a feather) to show whose turn it is. - Language Supports:
• Have key sentence stems visible: “I can help by ___.”
• Offer prompts in both English and students’ home languages if needed. - Behavior Management:
• Use a soft talking signal (e.g., finger to lips) to quiet the group before pausing music.
• Reinforce gentle passing: remind students to use two hands if necessary. - Extensions:
• For advanced groups, ask the student to give a brief example of when or why they’d do that helping action.
• Add a follow-up question: “How do you think your friend feels when you help?”
By using Pass the Feather, you give students a memorable, interactive way to reflect on cooperation, listen to one another, and build community—all without any writing required!