Team Work – Mine Field

This is a lesson that I love to do near testing time as it allows students to move around and take a brain break during a time of stress and pressure. Students definitely love this game and I hope that it helps our students to rely on one another and improve their group work skills.

Lesson Title: Team work – Mine Field

Grade(s): K-5

ASCA Standards:

• PS:A1.9 Demonstrate cooperative behavior in groups
• PS:A2.6 Use effective communications skills

Learning Objectives:

• Students will be able to identify positive teamwork/group work skills
• Students will be able to participate as a productive team member

Materials:

• Objects to use in minefield game – cones, balls, etc.
• Several blindfolds

Lesson:

Before class, place objects (you can borrow balls or cones from P.E.) throughout a designated area. Place the items so that it will be a bit difficult for students to navigate around with their eyes close.

Introduce the activity: Today we will be playing a game called mine field. In this game, we will break into teams. Each team will be attempting to beat the other teams in a race. Teammates will be taking turns walking through this area without knocking into the items placed here. The tricky part will be that you are navigating this area with your eyes closed! The first person on your team will be on the other end of the area and will be helping you find your way through the obstacle course. The person guiding the next member on their team cannot touch them to guide them but can use words. For example: take a step forwards, walk to the right, stop, walk the opposite way. If the person runs into something, they go back and go to the end of the line. Once someone on you team makes it across, they become the new leader who guides the next classmate in line. The first person who lead but didn’t get to walk will go to the end of the line. The rest of the people who cross will stay on the other side and wait for the rest of their team to make it across successfully.

After each member of a team completes this obstacle course successfully, announce that they won! You may allow other teams to complete their obstacle course, so everyone has a turn.

Discussion:

• What skills did you need to help your team win this game?
  • Patience
  • Teamwork
  • Positive attitude (not to get frustrated by teammates)
• What happened if your team didn’t have good teamwork skills when you were trying to cross the course?
  • We would run into things and have to start over
  • We would lose
• What are qualities of good teamwork?
  • Listening and respect the ideas of others
  • Speaking kindly to others
  • Encouraging others
  • Flexibility
  • Reliable, responsible, committed (don’t give up, you’ll let the team down)
• What are some behaviors or attitudes that hurt teamwork?
  • When someone tries to do it all by themselves
  • When we don’t listen to the ideas of others
  • When we put down others, dismiss their ideas, or exclude them
  • When someone doesn’t participate
• Some people prefer to work as a group, while others prefer to work independently? What are some of the pros and cons of group work?
  • Pros: You can get more work done faster, the project may be better because it has had the input of multiple people, you may enjoy the time you had working with others more, etc.
  • Cons: You may get in disagreements, you may not agree with what the group decided to do, you may think better alone, etc.
• What are some other times that we need good teamwork?
  • At school (completing work)
  • At work (we may someday work on teams with people)
  • At home (completing chores as a family)
  • In our communities (to complete projects, clean up our community, raise funds, etc.)

If time permits, you can allow students to share times they have demonstrated good teamwork or people that they look up to because of their good teamworking skills.