Supporting Teamwork: Elementary School Learners

For elementary school learners, there are a variety of activities with which you can engage to help support a child develop greater teamwork skills. Read on to learn more about how you can incorporate teamwork-related activities with your learners.

Thinking About Teamwork (‘I’)

Kid President’s Pep Talk

We wholeheartedly believe that some of the most inspirational learning opportunities happen when young children see themselves reflected in what they are learning. Kid President, an inspirational young person memorialized in time through their YouTube videos, can act as a catalyst for learning. For example, using the following pep talk about teamwork, invite your learners to think about the central message in the video as it relates to teamwork.

Following the video, invite learners to reflect on how they can work together as a team and make every day better for each other. They might write or sketch their reflection. You might also consider doing this as a whole class activity and create a co-constructed list or anchor chart that you will later post in your classroom to serve as a reminder of the contract they made. To enhance accountability, consider having each learner sign the contract.

TED Talks

TED Talks are a great teaching tool where your learners can begin thinking about their understanding of teamwork, including the skills required to be part of a team. Try introducing the concept of teamwork using Marc Durant-Bender’s (2014) talk about the power of teamwork.

Discuss the beach ball activity that Marc uses to visually represent  the importance of people working together as a team. Invite learners to brainstorm tasks that they can only accomplish with the help of others. Extend this discussion by inquiring about what we can learn from teamwork and the role communication plays when working with others, including the pitfalls of miscommunication. RocketKids’ (2020) video 4 Things We Learn From Teamwork and Katherine Hampsten’s (2016) video How Miscommunication Happens (And How To Avoid It) can support your discussion.

Relationship-Building

Our research revealed the importance of relationship-building as a cornerstone of developing teamwork skills. As an educator, you can help learners develop healthy relationships with their peers, as well as with you. For example, facilitate discussions in your classroom about what makes a good friend and name the different qualities. Moreover, consider how you can normalize conflict and how learners can work through moments of disagreement.

Literature can also be a great teaching tool when it comes to supporting these conversations. Click through the slides below to learn about some of our favourite picture books that support relationship-building.

Feeling Teamwork (‘We’)

Games

Games can be a great way learn teamwork skills. For example, one of the most well-known games that aids in the growth and improvement of team-building abilities is called the human knot. In this game, participants work together to untangle themselves without breaking their hold of another team member’s hands. The following instructions can be used to guide smaller groups.

1. Stand shoulder-to-shoulder to form a circle.
2. Put your left hand into the middle of the circle and grab the hand of someone across from you.
3. Now put your right hand into the middle of the circle and grab a different group member’s hand.
4. Work together to untangle the knot without letting go of any group member’s hand.

The human knot game helps players strengthen their bonds, communication skills, and interpersonal skills. Check out this video for a real-life example of the human knot.

Collaborative Writing

Learners need many opportunities to work together and collaborative writing can provide that opportunity. Working in small groups, invite learners to brainstorm the skills they need to work together including how to deal with conflict.

To scaffold this skill, make sure you have both modeled and explicitly taught conflict management skills in class. Bring the class back to discuss what teamwork looks, sounds, and feels like and create a collaborative anchor chart that can be used during writing time. Cassie Dahl (2023) offers a great example of what you might discuss with your class. 

Next, invite groups to write a story or a play together. Each group member contributes a section or a character, and must work together to create a cohesive narrative. Pair this activity with the picture book Chester by Mélanie Watt to help them learn how to co-write in a respectful and collaborative way. Use an exit ticket to invite learners to reflect on their contributions to the group, noting their areas of strength and/or need for improvement.

Practicing Teamwork (‘Us’)

Classroom Activism

How can you help learners act in ways that earns and demonstrates trust, utilizes the diverse skills of the group, and moves toward a common goal? We believe that classroom activism offers opportunities for learners to practice teamwork skills, as well as the other changemaking competencies. For example, you might assign teams to work on decorating their classroom or school environment by creating collaborative murals, organizing a school garden, or designing a positive message display.

Learners have the power to make real social change, and a collective project can help remind them of this. Encourage them to work together to research social issues they are passionate about such as lack of affordable housing. Or maybe they work together to write or lobby local politicians, create a social media campaign, or establish a kickstarter fund.

By working together to improve their shared space, learners develop a sense of ownership, pride, and teamwork within their school community and beyond.

Team Sports

Team sports can be a great opportunity to practice and strengthen their teamwork skills. For example, you might consider organizing a friendly sports tournament where learners form teams and compete against each other in various sports or games. To be successful, ensure you set the ground rules for fair play, how to be a ‘good sport,’ and what it means to work together to achieve a common goal. Emphasize the importance of collaboration and respect for teammates and opponents over winning.

Community Service Projects

Engage children in hands-on community service projects. For example, find opportunities for them to organize a fundraising event, create care packages for community organizations, or participate in a neighbourhood clean-up initiative. These activities teach responsibility, empathy, and the value of giving back to the community.