Team Tower Challenge

Write the question “What makes a person a good team member?” on the board or on a large chart paper. Use a learning strategy, such as a Think-Pair-Share to structure and support student discussion. After pairs have discussed, have partners share their thoughts with the class.

As students share their ideas, record the brainstormed list of words, qualities and descriptors of good team members.

Language

Put the recorded ideas in an accessible location.

Discussions

Discussion prompts can include:

• “What does a good team member do?”
• "What good teams do you know of?”
• “What is an example of a good team member?”
• “How do animals like honey bees or wolves work as a team?”

Provide students with a copy of Being Part of the Team reproducible [Google doc] [Word doc] [PDF] and have them complete Part 1.

Language

Students can refer to the recorded ideas or add words of their own to their reproducibles. Alternatively, have students record the three words that best describe them as team members as an audio or video recording.

Explain that in this activity the class is going to be using teamwork skills to overcome a challenge.

There are four parts to the challenge and each team member will take turns leading the team. 

Each team will have the following supplies:

• 6 cups (or other objects)
• 1 elastic band
• 1 pipe cleaner (or similar object) per student

Safety

Use non-latex elastic bands. 

There are four levels of difficulty in this challenge.

Level 1 Challenge

Students start with the cups right side up. They create a tower by stacking the cups within each other upside down. Each team member can use only one finger to help move the cups into position.

Level 2 Challenge

Students start with the cups upside down. They create a pyramid in which the cups are upside down. Team members cannot touch cups with their hands. They also can use only the supplies provided.

Level 3 Challenge

Students start with the cups right side up. They create a pyramid in which the cups are right side up. Team members cannot touch cups with their hands. They also can use only the supplies provided.

Level 4 Challenge

Students start with the cups upside down. Their goal is to build the tallest cup tower possible.

The challenges are also outlined on the Team Tower Challenge Activity Card reproducible [Google doc] [Word doc] [PDF].

When questions are answered and expectations reviewed, have one member of each group come get their supplies. 

Idea

Show students what the finished product will look like for each of the levels.

Idea

If time is a factor, create the cup-stacking-tool for students in advance.

Idea

This video provides ideas for ways to differentiate this activity. Students with motor skill challenges could give instructions to a partner. They could also do all of the challenges using hands or other adaptive devices.

Idea

Remind students that this is not a race and it doesn’t matter what they complete. The goal is to exhibit good teamwork skills.

Idea

Before students begin, review what can be used/not used in this challenge. Review the behavioural expectations (i.e., noise levels, use of elastic bands, etc.).

During the challenge, have students explore the forces that are acting on each of the pyramids/towers they are building.

Provide students with a copy of Forces on Cup Towers reproducible [Google doc] [Word doc] [PDF],

Have students make sketches of each of the four structures they built. They will then use one colour of marker or pencil crayon to draw arrows indicating the direction and location of internal forces and another colour to draw arrows for external forces.

Below is a student sample;

Discussions

Discussion prompts could include:

• “What are the internal and external forces involved in building the pyramid/tower?”
• “Which forces helped you build the structure? Which forces made it hard to build the structure?
• “In which direction is the force acting?”

Idea

Students who need help with writing could be provided with cut outs of arrows with labels. They could move them around and then glue them on the drawing. If done online, these could be provided for students digitally.

Discussions

Discussion prompts can include:

• “What worked in this activity? What was challenging?”
• “What teamwork skills were demonstrated by your team members?“ (refer to list from beginning of class)

Refine and clarify the original brainstorm list of the characteristics of a good team member.

Have students refer back to their Being Part of the Team Exit Slip reproducible [Google doc] [Word doc] [PDF] and, individually, answer Part 2, in which they describe how they could be better team members based on what happened during the activity.

Discussions

Discussion prompts could include:

• “What team roles do you think you were good at?”
• “Which team roles do you think you were not as good at?
• “As a team leader, what did your team members do that helped you perform your role? What could have been improved?”

Have students brainstorm examples of careers or workplaces in which a team approach is used.

Students could list the types of teamwork skills individuals in these careers or workplaces would need.

Idea

• You may want to spark student ideas by showing them images of workplaces, such as from the Construction worker photo collection.

Connections

There are many real life careers and workplaces where people work in teams. Sometimes teams are longstanding and at other times they change depending on the problem and the skills needed. Some examples include: a team of engineers, technicians and skilled trades workers building a bridge; doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals in an operating room; the different skilled trades required to build a house; computer programmers creating a new piece of software.