Instruct students to stand side by side in two facing lines. Ask them to extend both arms and point their index fingers. Lay a long, thin piece of tubing across their fingers. Give the group time to shift into comfortable positions and level the tube. Tell students to lower the tube to the ground without dropping it.
Arrange students in groups of three or four. Instruct them to find five things -- unrelated to school -- they all have in common and write them on a large sheet of paper. Their lists could include items such as favorite foods, movies they’ve seen or places they’ve visited. Each group shares the list with the entire class. They realize through discussion that the group members have a lot in common.
Direct students to stand in a circle. Use a small ball to toss around the circle. This activity works well at the start of the school year when students are getting to know each other. Begin by saying, “I’m Mrs. Smith. Here you go, Bill,” and toss the ball to Bill. Bill says, “I’m Bill. Here you go, Mario,” and tosses the ball to Mario. After each student has received a ball toss, start round two. Tell students they must remember who they tossed to last time and repeat the same procedure. On the third round, tell them to go faster. This time, after three or four tosses, add another ball. Add a third and fourth ball, as students work together to keep the balls moving.
This activity works well at the start of the school year when students don’t yet know their classmates. They are typically uncomfortable talking about themselves at this point. Arrange students in pairs and have them interview each other. Ask them to include concerns about the upcoming school year. Partners reveal what they learned about each other in their interviews. Hearing about their classmates’ backgrounds and anxieties helps students realize they are not alone, but part of a group that is working together.
Arrange students into groups of four and tell them to find an open space -- you need a large area for this activity. Provide pieces of cloth for students to use as blindfolds. After they put on their blindfolds, set a long piece of rope in each group’s space. Tell students to find the object you placed near them and work together to form it into a square. When students think they’ve accomplished this task, let them take off their blindfolds and view their squares.
Place students in groups of four. Give the groups four problems related to the subject you are teaching. They work together, helping each other solve the problems. Designate a place in the classroom for students to record their answers -- each student in the group must record one answer; however, the solution must be a group consensus.
Arrange students in groups of three or four. They discuss the responsibilities of cooperative group members, such as acceptable behavior and how work gets done. Have the groups share the outcome of their discussions. They will have similar responses. Assign each group a responsibility -- such as listening to other members -- to role play. Emphasize that it’s important to understand how group behavior should look.