Lesson Plan
Cooperation Lesson Plan
Students will define cooperation and identify at least three ways to demonstrate cooperative behaviors in group settings.
Understanding and practicing cooperation helps students work effectively with others, resolve conflicts peacefully, and achieve common goals, both in school and in their daily lives.
Audience
3rd Grade
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Through reading, discussion, and a hands-on activity, students will grasp the concept of cooperation and apply it.
Materials
Whiteboard or projector, Markers/Pens, Art supplies for activity (e.g., building blocks, craft sticks, paper cups), Cooperation Crew Reading, Talk Together! Discussion, and Build It Together Activity
Prep
Teacher Preparation
15 minutes
- Review the Cooperation Lesson Plan and all linked materials: Cooperation Crew Reading, Talk Together! Discussion, and Build It Together Activity.
- Gather art supplies for the "Build It Together" activity (e.g., a pile of building blocks, craft sticks, and paper cups for each small group).
- Prepare the whiteboard or projector for displaying discussion prompts if desired.
Step 1
Warm-Up: What Does 'Working Together' Mean?
5 minutes
- Begin by asking students what comes to mind when they hear the words "working together."
- Write their ideas on the board.
- Introduce the term "cooperation" as a special way of working together to achieve a shared goal.
Step 2
Read Aloud: Cooperation Crew Reading
10 minutes
- Distribute the Cooperation Crew Reading to students or display it on a projector.
- Read the text aloud as a class, or have students take turns reading paragraphs.
- After reading, ask students to share what they learned about cooperation from the story/text.
Step 3
Class Discussion: Talk Together!
8 minutes
- Facilitate a class discussion using the prompts from the Talk Together! Discussion.
- Encourage students to share personal experiences where they cooperated or saw cooperation in action.
- Emphasize active listening and respectful sharing.
Step 4
Group Activity: Build It Together
12 minutes
- Divide students into small groups of 3-4.
- Explain the Build It Together Activity: Each group will receive a set of art supplies and a challenge (e.g., build the tallest freestanding tower, a bridge that can hold an eraser, etc.).
- Instruct them that they must work together, sharing ideas and materials, to complete the challenge. Emphasize that success depends on everyone's contribution.
- Circulate among groups, observing their cooperation and offering gentle guidance if needed.
Step 5
Cool-Down: Cooperation Reflection
5 minutes
- Bring the class back together.
- Ask groups to briefly share their creations and discuss how they cooperated to complete the task.
- End by reinforcing the idea that cooperation makes challenging tasks easier and more fun, and helps us build stronger teams.
Reading
The Cooperation Crew
Once upon a time, in a bright and busy 3rd-grade classroom, there was a special project. Mrs. Davis, the teacher, announced, "Today, we're going to build the most amazing town square for our class! But there's a catch: you'll work in teams, and each team will build a different part of the town. We'll need a park, a library, a bakery, and a playground!"
Lily, Sam, Maya, and Ben were a team, and their job was to build the park. At first, everyone had a different idea. Lily wanted a huge slide, Sam wanted swings, Maya dreamed of a big flower garden, and Ben insisted on a soccer field.
"My idea is best!" said Sam.
"No, mine is!" argued Lily.
Mrs. Davis saw them struggling. She walked over and said, "Remember, cooperation means working together. It means listening to each other's ideas, sharing materials, and finding ways to combine your wonderful thoughts into one even better plan. When you cooperate, you make something amazing, and it feels good to achieve it as a team."
The four friends looked at each other. Lily took a deep breath. "Okay," she said, "what if we have a slide and swings? We can put them next to each other."
"And Maya," Sam added, "your flower garden can go around the playground, making it beautiful!"
Maya beamed. "And Ben, we can make a small grassy area for soccer practice!"
They started talking, sharing, and even laughing. Lily and Ben worked on the slide and swings, carefully cutting and gluing paper. Maya and Sam designed the colorful flower beds and the little soccer pitch. They helped each other when someone needed an extra pair of hands or couldn't reach a tricky spot. They even shared their colored pencils and glitter.
Soon, their park was ready! It had a fun slide, bouncy swings, a vibrant flower garden, and a neat little soccer area. It wasn't just Lily's idea or Sam's idea; it was their idea, a beautiful mix of everyone's best thoughts. When they put it next to the other teams' library, bakery, and playground, the town square looked incredible. It was a place everyone wanted to visit.
Mrs. Davis smiled. "Look what you built together, Cooperation Crew! Isn't it much better than what one person could have made alone?"
The children cheered, proud of their shared success. They learned that day that cooperation isn't just about finishing a task; it's about making the journey better and the outcome brighter for everyone.
Discussion
Talk Together! About Cooperation
Let's talk about what cooperation means and how it helps us! Share your thoughts with the class.
- In the story, what did Mrs. Davis say cooperation means?
- What happened when Lily, Sam, Maya, and Ben didn't cooperate at first?
- How did their park turn out once they started to cooperate?
- Can you think of a time when you had to cooperate with someone at school or at home? What happened?
- Why do you think cooperation is important when working on a team or with friends?
- What are some ways we can make sure everyone feels included and heard when we are cooperating?
Activity
Build It Together!
Goal: Work as a team to build the tallest freestanding tower possible using the provided materials.
Materials per Group:
- 15 craft sticks
- 10 paper cups
- 5 pieces of masking tape (pre-cut, about 6 inches each)
Instructions:
- Form your Cooperation Crew: Sit with your assigned group members.
- Plan Together: Before you start building, discuss with your team how you will use the materials. Share your ideas! How will you make your tower tall and stable? (5 minutes)
- Build with Cooperation: Work together to construct your tower. Remember to:
- Share ideas: Everyone's ideas are valuable.
- Share materials: Make sure everyone has a chance to use the craft sticks, cups, and tape.
- Listen to each other: Pay attention when your teammates are talking.
- Help each other: If someone needs help, offer a hand or a suggestion.
- Encourage each other: Celebrate small successes and help solve problems together.
- Test Your Tower: Once your team believes your tower is finished, stand back and see if it can stand on its own for at least 10 seconds. (10 minutes)
- Share Your Strategy: Be ready to tell the class how your team cooperated to build your tower and what made your team successful!
Slide Deck
Team Up! Cooperation Crew
Working together to achieve awesome things!
Welcome students and introduce the topic of cooperation with enthusiasm. Ask students to share what they think 'working together' means.
What is Cooperation?
Cooperation means working together to achieve a shared goal.
- Listening to each other's ideas
- Sharing materials and tasks
- Helping one another
- Solving problems as a team
Why is it important? It helps us achieve more, makes tasks easier, and builds stronger friendships!
Explain the definition of cooperation. Use simple language and give a quick example, like sharing toys or helping a friend with a puzzle. Highlight why it's a valuable skill.
Our Story: The Cooperation Crew
Let's read about Lily, Sam, Maya, and Ben, who learn a big lesson about working together to build an amazing park for their town square!
Introduce the story. You can ask students to recall a time they read a story about friends working together. Explain that this story will show cooperation in action.
Talk Together! Share Your Thoughts
Let's discuss the story and our own experiences with cooperation:
- What did the teacher in the story say cooperation means?
- What happened when the friends didn't cooperate?
- How did cooperating change their project?
- When have you cooperated with others?
- Why is cooperation important?
Facilitate the discussion using the prompts from the Talk Together! Discussion. Encourage all students to participate and listen respectfully to their classmates' ideas.
Activity: Build It Together!
Challenge: Build the Tallest Freestanding Tower!
Your Team Materials:
- Craft sticks
- Paper cups
- Masking tape
Remember to COOPERATE:
- Plan together first!
- Share ideas and materials.
- Listen to everyone.
- Help each other.
- Encourage your teammates!
Explain the activity clearly. Make sure students understand the goal and the materials they have. Emphasize the cooperation rules: share, listen, help, encourage. Circulate to observe and support groups.
Cooperation Reflection
Let's reflect on our activity:
- What did your team build?
- How did your team cooperate to finish the challenge?
- What was the most important part of working together?
Cooperation helps us achieve great things and makes teamwork fun!
Bring the class back together. Have each group briefly share their tower and, more importantly, how they cooperated. Reiterate the main takeaway: cooperation makes things better for everyone.