Lesson #1

Grade 5
45 minutes

Theme: Individual performance and the necessity of teamwork

Materials: Newspaper articles (3) about Julian Wera, butcher paper, markers, small pieces of paper (size of a quarter)

Goal: Students will learn that, even though a person wants to succeed as an individual, he or she still needs help from others.

Objectives: Students will work together to accomplish a task (picking up scraps of paper).
Students will come up with a definition for teamwork and create a list of rules a team should follow or live by.

Procedures:

a. Introductory: Have small (about the size of a quarter) scraps of paper placed on the floor throughout the classroom before class starts. Make sure students notice the mess as they are entering.

b. Developmental:

1. Ask for a volunteer. If nobody wants to, the teacher will take on
the role. (<1 minute)
2. Tell the students that this mess needs to be picked up and have the volunteer start to pick up the scraps of paper. (<1 minute)
3. After a few seconds the volunteer is told to stop and return to his or her seat. (<1 minute)
4. How long do the students think it would take for this one volunteer to pick up all the scrap pieces of paper? (1 minute)
*A long time, about 5 minutes, accept almost any answer
5. Now have the whole class get off their chairs and pick up the paper.
They will throw the pieces into the recycling bin. (2 minutes)
6. Have the children discuss the difference (1 person versus multiple
people helping) (1 minute)
*It went much faster, easier with more people
7. How does this activity relate to groups and teams? (1 minute)
*People need to work together, there aren’t any one-man baseball teams, there’s no “I” in “team”
8. Previous to today’s lesson, famous baseball players have been
mentioned, but would they be so famous without their teammates? (1 minute)
*Example: Nolan Ryan- amazing pitcher, but without a great catcher and fielders to back him up, would he have been so great?
9. Ask the students if they’ve heard of Babe Ruth or Lou Gehrig. How
about Julian Wera? He is a man from Winona who’s actually played on the Yankees with Ruth and Gehrig. Show the students the newspaper articles. “Wera Named in World’s Series Player List; Friends Hope He Gets Chance to ‘Show His Stuff’”, “Julian Wera Gives Autographed Baseballs to Home Town Friends”, and “Ex-Winonan, pro baseball player dies”. This man was pretty famous when he came back to Winona and it looks like he didn’t forget about his hometown. Would he have gone so far without the support of his family and friends? How about his old teammates? (6 minutes)
10. Now that the students have a pretty good idea what it means to work as a team, split them up into groups (about four students per group). Give each group a sheet of butcher paper and markers. (2 minutes)
11. Each group will define teamwork (what they think it means). Then they will come up with a list of rules/guidelines a team should follow in order to get along and be successful. If they are unsure of what to write, ask them how they are getting this task done right now. Write these directions on the board so students will know what they’re doing. (18 minutes)
*Talking together, listening, helping each other (ways in which they're accomplishing this task)
*The team list they’re coming up with may pertain to sports, but that isn’t required.

c. Culminating: Each group will share with the whole class what they came up with (rules/guidelines for a team). Make a large list on the board and compare. (12 minutes)


Assessments: Check on the students while they are in their groups and see if they understand what it means to work as a team (by their actions and what is being recorded). Listen to their lists of rules and guidelines teams should follow and live by.
*Work together, Listen, Communication, Acceptance (of differences and uniqueness), Loyalty, Support (‘cheering’ one another on), Honesty