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Teamwork Turbo

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Zhannur Salkenova

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Teamwork Turbo Lesson Plan

Students will strengthen teamwork, communication, and empathy through collaborative challenges, group problem-solving, and reflective journaling over a 60-minute session.

Extending the warm-up into a full lesson deepens skill practice, fosters self-awareness, and solidifies positive peer interactions in varied contexts.

Audience

3rd Grade Class

Time

60 minutes

Approach

Active teamwork tasks with reflection

Materials

  • Quick Team Challenge Slides, - Bridge Building Activity Guide, - Journals or Reflection Sheets, - Pencils, - Timer or Stopwatch, - Soft Ball or Beanbag, - Open Classroom Space, and - 10 Cups or Blocks per Team

Prep

Prepare for Teamwork Turbo 60-Minute Lesson

15 minutes

  • Review Quick Team Challenge Slides
  • Print and prep Bridge Building Activity Guide handouts
  • Make copies of Journals or Reflection Sheets
  • Test Timer or Stopwatch
  • Gather 10 Cups or Blocks per Team, Soft Ball or Beanbag, Pencils
  • Clear open space in the classroom

Step 1

Introduction & SEL Connection

5 minutes

  • Gather students and explain today’s focus on teamwork, communication, and empathy
  • Connect to SEL standards: Collaboration, Communication, Self-Awareness
  • Share objective: complete challenges, build together, and reflect on strategies
  • Differentiation: provide visual cues, sentence stems, mixed-ability teams
  • Assessment: observe roles, communication styles, and cooperation

Step 2

Human Knot Icebreaker

5 minutes

  • Lead the Human Knot Icebreaker
  • Encourage students to talk through each untangle step
  • Debrief: “How did communication help?” and “What strategies worked?”

Step 3

Quick Team Challenges

15 minutes

  • Divide into teams of 4–5
  • Use Quick Team Challenge Slides for 1-minute challenges
  • Rotate through at least five challenges; cheer and support one another
  • Teacher circulates with prompts: “How can you improve your passes?” or “Who will lead your shape?”

Step 4

Bridge Building Task

15 minutes

  • Introduce the Bridge Building Activity Guide
  • Teams plan and build a free-standing bridge using cups/blocks across two desks
  • Emphasize role assignment, planning, and testing stability
  • Teacher prompts: “Who’s our engineer?” “How will you test weight?”
  • Test bridges and celebrate creative designs

Step 5

Pass-the-Compliment Circle

5 minutes

  • Form a circle and pass the Soft Ball or Beanbag
  • On catching, give a specific compliment to the person on the right
  • Model first and use prompts for those who need support
  • Debrief: “How did it feel to give and receive?”

Step 6

Reflection Journaling

10 minutes

  • Distribute Journals or Reflection Sheets and Pencils
  • Prompt: “Describe a moment your team worked well. What could improve?”
  • Encourage honest reflection and next-step planning
  • Teacher circulates to support and collect notes

Step 7

Share & Wrap-Up

5 minutes

  • Invite volunteers to share journal insights
  • Ask: “What teamwork strategy will you use tomorrow?”
  • Summarize key takeaways: communication, cooperation, empathy
  • Collect journals for formative assessment and encourage continued practice
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Slide Deck

Quick Team Challenges

• Teams of 4–5 students
• 1 minute per challenge
• Complete as many challenges as you can
• Cheer on other teams!

Welcome students and explain the rules: each team will complete 1-minute challenges as fast as possible, focusing on teamwork, communication, and fun. Encourage cheering and positive support.

Challenge 1: Pass & Count

  1. Line up teammates shoulder-to-shoulder
  2. Pass the ball down the line and back
  3. Count each pass out loud
  4. Restart if dropped

Prompt students to call out pass counts and remind them: no dropping! If ball hits the floor, restart quickly. Aim for clear communication.

Challenge 2: Human Shapes

  1. Teams spread out
  2. On “Go,” form the shape shown on the slide (e.g., star, square)
  3. Everyone must touch at least one teammate
  4. Hold shape until timer beeps

Demonstrate forming a simple shape (e.g., triangle) with three volunteers. Remind teams to use eye contact and clear directions.

Challenge 3: Tower Sprint

  1. Each team gets 10 cups or blocks
  2. Build the tallest free-standing tower in 1 minute
  3. No extra supports allowed
  4. Measure height when time’s up

Encourage teams to plan their strategy quickly before building. Emphasize balance and communication while stacking.

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Warm Up

Human Knot Icebreaker

Time: 5 minutes
Materials: Open classroom space

Steps

  1. Form a Circle
    • Have students stand shoulder-to-shoulder in a tight circle.
    • Ask them to face inward, leaving about an arm’s-length gap between each person.
  2. Grab Hands
    • Instruct each student to reach across the circle with their right hand and grab someone else’s right hand.
    • Then reach across with their left hand and grab a different classmate’s left hand.
    • Ensure nobody is holding hands with a direct neighbor—this creates the “knot.”
  3. Untangle Together
    • Challenge the class to untangle the knot without letting go of hands.
    • Encourage them to talk through each step: “Let’s duck under,” “Step to the left,” etc.
    • They can twist, turn, and step over arms, but hands must stay connected.
  4. Complete the Circle & Debrief
    • Once untangled, aim to end in a single circle (or smaller linked loops).
    • Gather students and ask: “What helped your team solve the puzzle?”
    • Reinforce the role of communication, listening, and patience.

Facilitation Tips

• Remind students to keep knees slightly bent and to watch their step—this helps prevent trips.
• If the group gets stuck, pause the timer and prompt questions: “What if we try going under?” “Who needs to move first?”
• Praise clear communication: “I like how Mia told us to step right!”
• Emphasize empathy: If someone feels uncomfortable, let them change hands or choose a different partner.
• Keep energy positive: Celebrate progress, even partial untangles.

Using this icebreaker warms up bodies and minds, sets a cooperative tone, and kick-starts your Social Skills Sprint with teamwork front and center!

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Game

Pass-the-Compliment Circle

Time: 4 minutes
Materials: Soft ball or beanbag, open space to form a circle

Steps

  1. Have students stand in a circle, shoulder-to-shoulder.
  2. Explain that when someone catches the ball, they should give a sincere compliment to the person on their right before passing the ball on.
  3. Start by tossing the ball to a volunteer—once they catch it, they offer their compliment, then toss to the next student.
  4. Continue until every student has both given and received a compliment and the ball has made one full circuit.

Possible Compliment Prompts

• “I appreciate how you help your friends when…”
• “You always make me smile when you…”
• “I like the way you…”
• “Thank you for…”

Facilitation Tips

  • Encourage specific language rather than generic praise (e.g., “You listened so well when…”).
  • Model a compliment first to set the tone.
  • Remind students to make eye contact and use a friendly tone.
  • If someone struggles to think of a compliment, prompt them with one of the example stems.
  • Keep the energy positive—celebrate each compliment with a clap or cheer.

Reflection

  • After the circle, ask: “How did it feel to give a compliment?” and “How did it feel to receive one?”
  • Invite a few students to share one compliment they received and why it made them feel good.
  • Emphasize that giving genuine compliments helps build a supportive classroom community.
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