Lesson Plan
Cooperation: Team Up!
Pre-Kindergarten students will understand what cooperation means and practice cooperating with others during a shared activity.
Cooperation helps us work together, solve problems, and make friends, making activities more fun and successful.
Audience
Pre-Kindergarten
Time
15 minutes
Approach
Storytime followed by a hands-on cooperative game.
Materials
Prep
Gather Materials & Set Up Space
5 minutes
Review the Cooperation: Team Up! Lesson Plan, The Helping Hands Story, and Cooperation Chain Game materials.
Find a clear, open space in the classroom for students to move and play the game safely.
Step 1
Introduction: What is Cooperation?
2 minutes
Begin by asking students: "What does it mean to work together?" or "Have you ever helped a friend with something?"
Explain that cooperation is when we work together as a team to do something important or fun.
Step 2
Reading Time: The Helping Hands Story
5 minutes
Introduce The Helping Hands Story: "Today, we're going to read a story about some friends who learn all about helping each other to get something done."
Step 3
Story Discussion: How Did They Cooperate?
3 minutes
After reading, ask questions like: "How did the characters in the story work together?" "What happened because they cooperated?" "What might have happened if they didn't cooperate?"
Emphasize the positive outcomes of working together, like achieving goals and making everyone feel happy.
Step 4
Game Time: Cooperation Chain Game
5 minutes
Introduce the Cooperation Chain Game: "Now, let's practice cooperating together with a fun game!"
Lead the students in playing the game, continually reminding them to communicate and work as a team.
Reading
The Helping Hands Story
Once upon a time, in a sunny jungle, lived a little lion named Leo. Leo loved to build big, strong forts. One day, he wanted to build the biggest, strongest fort ever! He tried to lift a heavy log all by himself. "Grrr... this is too heavy!" he grumbled, pushing and pulling, but the log wouldn't budge.
His friend, Mia the Monkey, swung by. "What are you doing, Leo?" she chirped. Leo sighed. "I want to build a fort, but it's too hard alone!" Mia smiled. "I can help! I'm good at climbing high to gather soft, big leaves for the roof!"
Soon, Gus the Giraffe walked over, munching on some tall branches. Seeing Leo and Mia working, Gus offered, "I can use my long neck to reach the highest, sturdiest branches for the walls!" Leo's face lit up!
Then, Pip the Penguin waddled up, carrying a smooth, round stone. "I can find lots of strong, flat stones to make a super-strong foundation for your fort!" he squeaked.
So, the friends all worked together. Mia gathered leaves, Gus found branches, and Pip collected stones. Leo directed where everything should go, making sure it was all put together just right. They talked, they laughed, and they shared their ideas.
Before they knew it, they had built the most amazing, biggest, strongest fort in the whole jungle! It had soft leaves for a roof, sturdy branches for walls, and a solid stone base. Leo jumped for joy! "This is wonderful! I couldn't have done it without all of your helping hands!"
From that day on, Leo and his friends knew that when they cooperated and worked together, they could build anything, solve any problem, and have the most fun!
Game
Cooperation Chain Game
Objective: Students will work together as a team, using communication and coordination, to move an object or complete a simple physical challenge without breaking their "cooperation chain."
Materials: A soft ball, beanbag, or a hula hoop (optional).
Instructions:
## Step 1: Form a Cooperation Chain
Have all students stand in a circle or a line, holding hands. Explain that this is their special "cooperation chain" and it's very important not to let go unless the game says so.
## Step 2: The Wiggle Pass
* Explain that you're going to pass a "wiggle" down the chain. The teacher starts by gently wiggling one finger or thumb.
* The student next to the teacher feels the wiggle and passes it to the next person by wiggling their finger/thumb.
* The goal is to pass the wiggle all the way around the circle or down the line without anyone letting go of hands.
* If the chain breaks, gently put it back together and try again!
## Step 3: Pass the Object (Optional, if using materials)
* If you have a soft ball or beanbag, have students stand a little closer together, still holding hands.
* The challenge is to pass the object around the circle using only their shoulders or elbows, without dropping it and without letting go of hands. They will need to carefully tilt and move to help their friends.
* For a hula hoop, students can try to step through the hula hoop and pass it to the next person while still holding hands, requiring everyone to move in sync.
## Step 4: Reflect and Celebrate
After playing, ask students:
* "What made it easy to work together in our cooperation chain?"
* "What was tricky, and how did you help each other?"
* "How did it feel when we all worked as a team?"
Celebrate their teamwork and remind them that working together makes things more fun and helps everyone succeed!