Cooperation Warm Up: What Does it Mean to Work Together?

Instructions: Think about the word "cooperation" or "working together."

1. What comes to your mind when you hear these words?
2. Can you think of a time when you saw people cooperating? What were they doing?
   
   
   

Share your ideas with a partner or the class!

The Ant and the Grasshopper (Adapted)

In a sunny field, lived a busy Ant and a carefree Grasshopper. All summer long, the Ant worked hard, collecting grains of wheat and corn and storing them in his cozy underground home. He knew that winter was coming, and food would be scarce.

"Why are you working so hard?" chirped the Grasshopper, lounging in the sun and strumming his fiddle. "Come, enjoy the beautiful weather with me! There's plenty of time for work later."

The Ant, wiping his brow, replied, "I am storing food for the winter. You should do the same, dear Grasshopper, or you will surely go hungry when the cold winds blow."

But the Grasshopper just laughed. "Winter is far away! I'll sing and play all summer, and worry about food another day." And so, he continued to sing, dance, and eat whatever he found easily.

Summer faded into autumn, and autumn turned to winter. The ground became covered in snow, and the trees were bare. The Grasshopper, now cold and starving, had no food. He shivered in the cold, wishing he had listened to the Ant.

He remembered the Ant's full pantry and, feeling very weak, he hobbled to the Ant's door and knocked softly. "Please, kind Ant," he pleaded, "I am hungry and cold. Do you have any food to spare?"

The Ant, warm and well-fed, opened his door. He looked at the shivering Grasshopper. "You sang and played all summer," the Ant said gently, "while I worked to prepare. If only we had worked together, or if you had prepared for yourself, this wouldn't be happening."

However, the Ant had a good heart. He understood that sometimes friends need help, even if they made different choices. He shared some of his food with the Grasshopper, teaching him the importance of planning and working together. From that day on, the Grasshopper learned a valuable lesson about responsibility and how much easier life can be when we cooperate and prepare for the future.

Cooperation Discussion Prompts

After reading "The Ant and the Grasshopper," let's discuss some important ideas about cooperation.

1. In the story, how did the Ant and the Grasshopper show (or not show) cooperation?
   
   
   
2. What do you think would have happened if the Ant and the Grasshopper had cooperated and worked together to gather food?
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Can you think of a time when you had to cooperate with others to achieve something? What was it?
   
   
   
   
   
   
4. What are some challenges or difficulties that can come up when people try to cooperate?
   
   
   
5. What are some of the best parts about cooperating with friends, family, or classmates? Why is it important to learn how to cooperate?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Team Tower Challenge!

Your Mission: Work with your team to build the tallest freestanding tower possible using only the provided materials!

Materials per Team (3-4 students):

• 10 sheets of paper
• 1 small roll of masking tape

Instructions:

1. Work together: As a team, plan how you will use your materials to build a strong and tall tower.
2. Share ideas: Everyone should have a chance to share their ideas. Listen to each other!
3. Construct: Start building your tower. You can fold, roll, or cut the paper, and use tape to connect pieces. Remember, the tower must stand on its own!
4. Problem-Solve: If your tower isn't working, talk with your team to figure out what to change.
5. Measure: Once time is up, we will measure the height of each team's tower.

Cooperation Tips:

• Communicate: Talk clearly about your plan and what each person is doing.
• Support: Help your teammates if they need it.
• Compromise: Sometimes, you might need to combine ideas or agree on a different approach.
• Encourage: Give positive feedback to your teammates!

Good luck, future architects! May the best cooperative team win! (And remember, everyone wins when you learn to work together!)

Cooperative Story Circle

Goal: To create a fun and imaginative story together, demonstrating how cooperation can build something amazing!

Instructions:

1. Everyone sits in a circle.
2. The teacher will start the story with one sentence, for example: "Once upon a time, a tiny squirrel found a giant acorn."
3. Going around the circle, each student adds one new sentence to continue the story.
4. Listen carefully to what the person before you said so your sentence makes sense with the rest of the story.
5. The goal is to work together to build a complete, creative, and coherent story, one sentence at a time.

Tips for Cooperation:

• Listen actively: Pay attention to the last sentence spoken.
• Build on ideas: Try to add something that fits and moves the story forward.
• Be patient: Wait for your turn and let everyone contribute.
• Have fun! The more creative and cooperative we are, the more exciting our story will be!

Cooperation Cool Down: Reflect and Share

Take a moment to think about everything we discussed and did today about cooperation.

On your own paper or in your journal, write down:

What is one new thing you learned or realized about cooperation today? It could be about why it's important, how to do it well, or a personal thought you had.

If you'd like, be ready to share your reflection with the class!