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Teamwork Rocks

Sam

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Teamwork Rocks Plan

Students will build and reflect on collaboration skills by completing a Marshmallow Tower challenge and a group puzzle, then debriefing teamwork strategies to strengthen communication and trust.

Teamwork underpins academic and life success. This lesson helps 8th graders practice real-life collaboration, fostering clear communication, role awareness, and mutual trust.

Audience

8th Grade Students

Time

50 minutes

Approach

Hands-on challenges plus guided reflection

Materials

  • Together We Achieve Slides, - Mini Marshmallows, - Dry Spaghetti Sticks, - Roll of Masking Tape, - Timer or Stopwatch, - Mystery Puzzle Collaboration Materials, - Debrief: What Made Us Click? Discussion Guide, and - High-Five Highlights Cue Cards

Prep

Prepare Materials & Review Slides

10 minutes

  • Print or have ready Mystery Puzzle Collaboration Materials
  • Print or prepare High-Five Highlights Cue Cards
  • Review Together We Achieve Slides
  • Gather mini marshmallows, dry spaghetti sticks, and masking tape
  • Ensure timer or stopwatch is functioning

Step 1

Introduction & Objectives

5 minutes

  • Display Together We Achieve Slides
  • State session goals: strengthen communication, cooperation, and trust
  • Briefly outline today’s activities: Marshmallow Tower Race, Mystery Puzzle Collaboration, debrief, and cool-down
  • Link each task to CASEL’s collaboration competencies

Step 2

Warm-up: Marshmallow Tower Race

10 minutes

  • Divide students into teams of 4
  • Provide each team with 20 spaghetti sticks, 20 mini marshmallows, and tape
  • Instruct them to plan then build the tallest free-standing tower in 8 minutes
  • Start the timer; circulate to observe communication and planning
  • After time is up, measure towers and celebrate all efforts

Step 3

Main Activity: Mystery Puzzle Collaboration

20 minutes

  • Form new groups of 4–5 students
  • Distribute Mystery Puzzle Collaboration Materials
  • Assign each student a role: facilitator, recorder, communicator, builder, etc.
  • Challenge groups to solve the puzzle together within 15 minutes
  • Encourage clear role handoffs, active listening, and joint problem-solving

Step 4

Discussion: Debrief: What Made Us Click?

10 minutes

  • Use Debrief: What Made Us Click? Discussion Guide
  • Prompt students to share: What worked? What communication strategies helped?
  • Highlight connections to trust-building and role clarity
  • Discuss how these skills apply in and out of the classroom

Step 5

Cool-down: High-Five Highlights

5 minutes

  • Hand out High-Five Highlights Cue Cards
  • Ask each student to write one positive takeaway or shout-out for a peer
  • Students exchange cards and share a high-five
  • Conclude with a quick round of applause for collaborative effort
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Slide Deck

Teamwork Rocks! Collaboration in Action

Build your communication, trust, and cooperation skills through two exciting hands-on challenges and a group discussion.

Welcome students! Introduce the module as a fun, fast-paced way to build teamwork skills. Highlight that today’s session will focus on communication, cooperation, and trust through hands-on challenges.

Learning Objectives & Agenda

Objectives:
• Strengthen clear communication
• Practice role clarity and shared responsibility
• Build trust and support among peers

Agenda (50 min):

  1. Marshmallow Tower Race (10 min)
  2. Mystery Puzzle Collaboration (20 min)
  3. Debrief: What Made Us Click? (10 min)
  4. High-Five Highlights Cool-down (5 min)

Walk through each objective and agenda item. Emphasize how every activity ties back to CASEL’s collaboration competencies.

CASEL Collaboration Competencies

• Effective Communication: sharing ideas clearly
• Active Listening: hearing others’ thoughts
• Shared Responsibility: dividing tasks and roles
• Trust & Support: believing in teammates

Briefly define each competency and invite students to look for these skills in action during activities.

Warm-up: Marshmallow Tower Race

Materials (per team):

  • 20 dry spaghetti sticks
  • 20 mini marshmallows
  • Roll of masking tape
    Time: 8 minutes to build the tallest free-standing tower
    Instructions:
  1. Plan as a team for 2 minutes.
  2. Build for 6 minutes.
  3. Measure tower height and celebrate every team.

Explain the rules, materials, and time limit. Encourage teams to plan before building and to reflect on how they communicate.

Main Activity: Mystery Puzzle Collaboration

Materials:

  • Mystery Puzzle Collaboration Materials
    Time: 15 minutes to solve
    Roles (one per student): facilitator, recorder, communicator, builder, timekeeper
    Instructions:
  1. Assign roles and review the puzzle.
  2. Collaborate to solve within 15 minutes.
  3. Use clear hand-offs and active listening.

Introduce roles clearly and assign them to students. Remind teams to rotate leadership if time allows.

Discussion: What Made Us Click?

Use the Debrief: What Made Us Click? Discussion Guide

Discussion Prompts:
• What strategies helped your team succeed?
• How did roles improve communication?
• When did you feel most supported?

Guide the discussion, prompting volunteers to share examples. Highlight how skills from activities map to real-world teamwork.

Cool-down: High-Five Highlights

Materials:

  • High-Five Highlights Cue Cards

Instructions:

  1. Write a positive takeaway or shout-out for a peer.
  2. Exchange cards and share a high-five.
  3. End with a round of applause for our teamwork!

Explain how to use the cue cards. Close with positivity and reinforce that teamwork is a skill to practice every day.

lenny

Warm Up

Marshmallow Tower Race Handout

Objective

Build the tallest free-standing tower using marshmallows and spaghetti while practicing clear communication, planning, and role sharing.

Materials (per team)

  • 20 dry spaghetti sticks
  • 20 mini marshmallows
  • Roll of masking tape
  • Timer or stopwatch

Instructions

  1. Form teams of 4 students.
  2. Plan your tower design together for 2 minutes. Decide who will build, measure, and communicate.
  3. Build for 6 minutes. Use all materials to create the tallest free-standing structure.
  4. When time is up, stop building. Measure your tower height from base to top.
  5. Celebrate every team’s effort and record your final height.

Reflection Questions

  1. What was your team’s initial plan for the tower?






  2. Which communication or collaboration strategy helped your team the most?






  3. What challenges did you face while building, and how did you overcome them?






  4. If you did this again, what would you do differently?






  5. How did working as a team affect your final tower stability?






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lenny

Activity

Mystery Puzzle Collaboration Handout

Objective

Work together to assemble a challenging puzzle by sharing information, describing pieces clearly, and coordinating tasks to complete the picture within the time limit.

Materials (per group)

  • 1 puzzle image cut into 20–25 pieces and divided into 5 envelopes (labeled A–E)
  • Role cards: Facilitator, Recorder, Communicator, Builder, Timekeeper
  • Timer or stopwatch
  • Workspace (table or floor space)

Setup

  1. Before class, place each set of puzzle pieces into its envelope and label them A, B, C, D, and E.
  2. Shuffle envelopes so each student receives one random packet of puzzle pieces.
  3. Prepare role cards for each group.

Roles & Responsibilities

  • Facilitator: Guides the process, ensures everyone speaks, and checks progress.
  • Communicator: Describes your envelope’s puzzle pieces in detail (shape, color, edge patterns).
  • Builder: Fits pieces together based on descriptions and hands-on arrangement.
  • Recorder: Notes each strategy used and records breakthroughs or challenges.
  • Timekeeper: Monitors the 15-minute limit, gives periodic time updates.

Instructions (15 minutes)

  1. Form groups of 4–5 and distribute envelopes and role cards.
  2. Facilitator reads the objective aloud.
  3. At “Go,” Communicators open their envelopes and describe pieces without showing them.
  4. Builder listens and fits pieces based on descriptions.
  5. Recorder jots down which communication strategies were most effective.
  6. After 7 minutes, rotate roles clockwise (optional).
  7. Continue assembling until the puzzle is complete or time expires.
  8. When finished, note your completion time and review the assembled image.

Reflection Questions (for Debrief)

  1. Which communication strategy helped your team most when describing shapes or colors?






  2. How did rotating roles (if used) affect your approach and teamwork?






  3. What challenges did you face when pieces didn’t fit as expected, and how did you overcome them?






  4. In what ways did trust and active listening play a role in completing the puzzle?






  5. If you had more time, what additional strategies would you try?






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Discussion

Debrief: What Made Us Click?

Purpose

Guide students to reflect on their teamwork during the Marshmallow Tower Race and Mystery Puzzle Collaboration. Connect experiences to CASEL’s collaboration competencies: communication, active listening, shared responsibility, and trust.

Teacher Preparation

  • Gather students in a circle or seated so everyone can see each other.
  • Display a timer or clock to manage discussion time (suggested: 8–10 minutes).
  • Keep High-Five Highlights Cue Cards on hand for closing.

Discussion Structure

  1. Opening (1–2 min)
    • Remind students of today’s objectives: clear communication, role clarity, trust.
    • Explain that sharing insights helps everyone learn new strategies.

  2. Core Prompts (5–6 min)
    Ask each question, allow 2–3 volunteers to respond, and use follow-ups to deepen thinking.

1. What was your team’s first step when starting each challenge?

  • Follow-up: Who spoke up first, and how did that shape your approach?






2. Which communication strategies helped your team work smoothly?

  • Prompt examples: clear instructions, asking clarifying questions, summarizing ideas.
  • Follow-up: Can you share a specific moment when this strategy paid off?






3. How did role clarity (e.g., facilitator, builder, communicator) impact your teamwork?

  • Follow-up: If roles shifted, how did that change the dynamic?






4. When did you feel most supported or trusted by your peers?

  • Follow-up: What actions helped build that trust?






5. What challenges did your team face, and how did you overcome them together?

  • Follow-up: Which CASEL competency did you rely on most in that moment?






  1. Connecting to Real Life (1–2 min)
    • Ask: How can you use these collaboration skills in other classes, clubs, or at home?
    • Encourage students to name one action they’ll try next time they work in a team.






  2. Cool-down & Celebration (1–2 min)
    • Distribute High-Five Highlights Cue Cards.
    • Have students write a positive takeaway or shout-out for a classmate’s teamwork skill.
    • Exchange cards and end with a round of applause and high-fives for everyone.

Note to Teacher: Keep the discussion lively and positive. Celebrate all contributions, model active listening by paraphrasing student responses, and reinforce that effective teamwork is a practice we build over time.

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Cool Down

High-Five Highlights Cue Card

Use this card to share a positive shout-out for a teammate’s collaboration skills!

To: ____________________________



From: __________________________



Skill Observed (circle one): Communication Active Listening Shared Responsibility Trust



What I admired most about your teamwork today:







Keep building on these strengths and celebrate what makes teamwork shine!

lenny
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