Ask students if they have heard of Aesop’s fables. Tell them that a fable is a story that teaches some type of moral, or lesson, in life. Explain that you are going to read a short fable to them, and they will need to guess what the lesson or moral is. Read the following fable:

“A Lion used to prowl about a field in which Four Oxen used to dwell. Many a time he tried to attack them; but whenever he came near, they turned their tails to one another, so that whichever way he approached them he was met by the horns of one of them. At last, however, they fell a-quarreling among themselves, and each went off to pasture alone in a separate corner of the field. Then the Lion attacked them one by one and soon made an end of all four.”

Ask if anyone knows what the lesson in this fable is and discuss. Then, tell students that today they will learn about cooperation and working together as a team. In the case of the Oxen in the fable, they could have survived against the Lion if they stood united. Because they argued and refused to get along, they each were picked off one by one.

Lead a class discussion about behaviors that promote teamwork and cooperation. Ask the students, “What activities do you and your classmates do that require teamwork and cooperation?” (Examples may include team sports, clubs, study groups, class projects.) Record students’ responses on a chart or a board. Then ask students, “What jobs do you think require good teamwork and cooperation?” Record these responses on a chart or a board as well.

As a class, come up with important skills to remember when working as a team so that the team can be successful and write them on a chart or board. (For example, “When we work with others, it is really important that we are good listeners.”)

Tell students that they are going to get the opportunity to practice their teamwork skills. Divide the class into pairs and tell students that they will be drawing an elephant together. However, they cannot speak to their partner, and both partners must hold the pencil while drawing. (One can hold the pencil at the top, and the other can hold it at the bottom.) Partners will be given two minutes to draw their elephant. Once the timer has started, monitor the pairs, making note of the pairs who use the teamwork skills that were reviewed earlier. Have students share their drawings.

Have students reflect on the previous activity. Ask the following questions to spark discussion: “What skills did you and your partner have to use to get the task completed? What were some problems that came up in your pairs, and what did you do to work through them?” Then, remind students that it’s not always easy working together in teams. However, sometimes in life, it is most beneficial for people to work in teams in order to accomplish a common goal. It is important to always remember to treat all team members with respect.