Assignments that pair students or assign them to small groups promote teamwork in the classroom. Sample projects include playing games, drawing maps, finding answers to research questions or building things such as a puppet theater or an art diorama. Team projects, however, must define the duties for each student to create the satisfying experience of working as a team to meet a goal or finish a project, according to Edutopia. Elementary-level students have yet to develop the talents to divide team roles, and assigning separate duties for the team helps model this skill for the young participants.
A class project asks students, the teacher and parents to work as a group on a common task. Creating a class library, reading area or technology station, for example, builds teamwork by asking all involved to work together for a common goal. Some projects require student groups to compete against other classes or schools to meet a goal that benefits the class or the school community. Elementary schools sometimes motivate students by giving awards to classes collecting the largest amounts of aluminum cans and newspapers for recycling drives. Reward parties also build teamwork by allowing the students to celebrate an achievement as a larger group.
Adult teams model ways to work together for children. Parent, teacher and student teams help elementary schools in a variety of ways from planning activities to completing projects. Parents and teachers work as teams as part of formal school groups, including parent-teacher organizations, but some adults volunteer informally to help teams in the classroom or help with school projects. Teams of parents and teachers help students by painting rooms and building playgrounds and sports fields, among other projects. Some school teams of parents and teachers volunteer annually to work with students to plant trees and flower gardens on the school grounds. These activities show students how to work effectively as a team.
Elementary schools teaming with community partners also help model teamwork for students. Edutopia suggests teachers invite guests speakers, including local business leaders, into the classroom to build team partnerships focused on short- and long-term projects. Volunteer tutors, for example, can provide a team of classroom assistants to help teachers provide one-on-one reading or mathematics instruction. Such project-based learning opportunities also may include developing a community garden, school-building projects or programs with established community groups, such as libraries, hospitals or the public park service.