Continuing the series on character education this month I am exploring various ideas and activities related to teamwork and cooperative skills. This activity is excellent because the success of the team is based on how effectively each of the members communicates with one another.
Teachers should get a hold of building blocks or connecting cubes. Start by building a structure with connecting cubes. Place it in a box. Break the children up into teams of three and give each team a box of connecting cubes. One person on the team will be the observer, another will be the messenger, and the last one will be the builder. The observers on each team stand at the front of the room and are able to view the hidden structure. The builder sits in the back of the room with the connecting cubes and awaits news from the messenger on how to build the hidden structure. The messenger relays messages from the observer to the builder about how the structure is put together. The goal for the team is to arrive at a structure that looks exactly like the structure in the box.
Once each team has assigned its roles set a timer for fifteen minutes. The observer will pass along instructions to the messenger who will then run them back to the builder. The messenger will return to the observer for more directions. If the builder has any questions for the observer, then he must ask his questions via the messenger.
When the timer sounds, reveal the structure to the entire class and allow them to compare their structures to the original. How close did each team get? The teacher should finish this activity with a discussion. What made this easy for some? What was challenging about this activity? What if the messenger didn't do his part in the task? How did teamwork play a part in your success or lack of success with this activity?
By focusing on the teamwork aspect of this activity children will relate their success to how well the functioned together as a team. Note that this is not a competition between various teams. Children are never working against each other in the classroom if the goal is to build a unified and respectful community.
Enjoy.
