Teaching Sequence

Work through this resource material in the following sequence:

20 minutes	Part B: Team Work For Global Problem Solvers
20 minutes	Part C: Teamwork Guidelines
5 minutes	Reflection

Part A: Activating Prior Knowledge

Step 1.

Begin by explaining to students that they will work independently to complete a task. They will have two and a half minutes to complete this task - they should use the first 30 seconds to think about the task and how they will complete it, and then they should use the remaining 2 minutes to complete the task. You can project this online timer (https://www.online-stopwatch.com/countdown-timer/) where students can see it.

Ensure each student has a blank piece of paper and access to pens/pencils. Write or project the following task where students can see it (also available on the Student Worksheet):

You need to draw, colour in and label a drawing of a place you regularly visit in your neighbourhood, such as a park, pool or shopping centre.

Step 2.

Now break students into groups of four or five. Working in groups this time, students will need to complete a similar task to the one before in the same timeframe. This time they should use the first 30 seconds to discuss how they will complete the task and what each person will do to contribute. They can then use the remaining 2 minutes to work collaboratively to complete the task. You can project the online timer where students can see it.

Ensure each group has one blank piece of paper between them and access to pens/pencils. Write or project the following task where students can see it (also available on the Student Worksheet):

You need to draw, colour in and label a drawing of a part of your school, such as the playground, oval or classroom. You also need to write a short description of the drawing and create a mud-map to show where this part of the school fits in with the rest of the school.

Step 3.

Once complete, invite students to share their experiences of working independently and working as a team. Consider the following questions in your discussion:

What were the good parts about working independently?
What were the good parts about working collaboratively?
What was challenging about working independently? What did you do to overcome these challenges?
What was challenging about working collaboratively? What did you do to overcome these challenges?

Through your discussion explain to students that there are positives and challenges in both working independently and collaboratively. Many people find that working independently is good because you are in charge of the work and the outcome. But for more complex problems, being able to share skills and resources with a team can be a very positive experience. For example, someone in your team might be good at drawing while you are good at writing. Someone else might be good at public speaking and someone else at research. Between the lot of you, you can plan and deliver an amazing presentation.

In the next part of the lesson, students will explore how the Global Problem Solvers team bring their individual skills to the group.

Part B: Team Work For Global Problem Solvers

Step 1.

Share the following clip with students, explaining that it comes from the Global Problem Solvers animated series. As they watch, invite students to record anything they find interesting or important about the teamwork displayed in the clip.

(Source: https://vimeo.com/259753202)

Once complete, invite students to share what they observed in the clip, particularly anything relating to teamwork. Through your discussion lead students to the idea that each of the characters in this series has a set of qualities that they bring to the team.

Step 2.

Now watch the clip again, this time pausing at the timings below to record and discuss the qualities each character brings to the GPS team:

00:50 - Putri is a team builder. Why is this an important role?
Suggested answer: A good team will be made up of people who have a range of different skills and personal qualities. A team builder helps to identify the different skills that are needed for success.

NOTE: If necessary, explain the following to students:

Skills - a skill is something we do well that we learned to do. This could include things like coding, drawing or researching.
Personal quality - a personal quality is something we are born with. This could include something like patience, curiosity or positive thinking.
It is important to emphasise that any of us can adopt a growth mindset when it comes to our skills and qualities. This means that although some of us might be more naturally attuned to certain skills or qualities over others, all of us have the ability to expand and build on our less developed skills and qualities.

1:33 - What skills or personal qualities does Beela have? How would you explain this skill or personal quality?
Suggested answer: Digital skills. Digital skills are those that involve digital technologies, and include being able to do things like digital based coding, programming, robotics and communication.

1:59 - What skills or personal qualities does Adrien have? How would you explain this skill or personal quality?
Suggested answer: Creativity. Being creative means being able to come up with and apply new ideas, see existing things in new ways, and seeing or making new links that lead to a positive outcome.

2:22 - What skills or personal qualities does Satoshi have? How would you explain this skill or personal quality?
Suggested answer: Critical thinking. Critical thinking is the ability to “recognise or develop an argument, use evidence in support of that argument, draw reasoned conclusions, and use information to solve problems.” (Source: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-capabilities/critical-and-creative-thinking/)

2:46 - What skills or personal qualities does Kelile have? How would you explain this skill or personal quality?
Suggested answer: Social consciousness. Social consciousness can be described as having an awareness of important social issues (issues that affect people). Some examples of social issues could include homelessness, bullying or unemployment.

3:10 - What skills or personal qualities does Christina have? How would you explain this skill or personal quality?
Suggested answer: Entrepreneurial spirit. An entrepreneurial spirit is an attitude of actively looking for opportunities for change, rather than waiting for change to happen. Rather than thinking that something is just what it is, someone with an entrepreneurial spirit might look at how things could be improved, even if it means taking a risk.

Step 3.

Once complete, invite students to share their thoughts about the GPS team. This could be done using the following questions, either through class discussion or by working in pairs to answer these questions (which are also available on the Student Worksheet):

What do you find most interesting about the skills or qualities these characters bring to the team?
Do you think it’s a good thing to have a team with so many different skills and qualities? Why do you say that?
Based on their qualities and skills, what challenges do you think this team might face? Do you think this team is missing any important skills or qualities?

Students will have the chance to see how each character in this team works individually and collaboratively throughout this unit.

Part C: Teamwork Guidelines

Step 1.

Now explain to students that working as a team comes with challenges. It can be difficult agreeing on ideas, and making sure that everyone has a role to play and gets the chance to contribute. But these challenges can be planned for and can be overcome if we create a set of teamwork guidelines; in this way, everyone in the team knows what is expected of them and knows what they should be doing to ensure the success of the team’s project.

Working in pairs or small groups, invite groups to look at the following potential challenges that teams may encounter (also available on the Student Worksheet). Students need to work collaboratively to suggest one action to address each challenge.

Note: We’ve included suggested answers here, but not on the Student Worksheet.

Column A - Challenge	Column B - Action to address this challenge (suggested answers)
Everyone talking at once	Take it in turns to talk Make sure you listen to what other people are saying instead of just trying to say what you want to say
Some people talking more than others	Take it in turns to talk Make sure you listen to what other people are saying instead of just trying to say what you want to say Always check that everyone has had the chance to contribute to a shared conversation
Not being able to agree on ideas or what to do next	All major decisions need to be agreed upon as a group Make a list of major decisions and work together to decide on them together Add in extra time for checking how everyone is going
People not being sure of what they should be doing	Add in extra time for checking how everyone is going Allocate roles at the start of the project, such as manager, scribe or thinker (see suggested list of group roles here) The manager/leader can remind people what they should be doing
People not having the chance to do what they are good at	At the start of the project allow time for each team member to share what they would like to be able to do, what their strengths are - but remember that sometimes to get a project done we just need people to chip in even if it isn’t their strength or something they are particularly interested in
Some people feeling left out	Make sure everyone has the chance to contribute by allocating roles and allowing people to speak All major decisions need to be agreed upon as a group
Not being able to remember what was agreed upon	Make sure you keep notes of what decisions were made and who agreed to do what tasks The manager/leader can remind people what they should be doing
Trying to complete a task/project as a team that isn’t realistic	Before beginning a project, make sure it is realistic and that you can complete it in the allocated time frame and with the resources you have available

Step 2.

Once each group has had the chance to come up with some ideas, invite students to share with the class. Ensure the suggested answers above are included in your discussion, and encourage students to add new ideas to their own tables on the Student Worksheets.

Step 3.

Still working in groups, invite students to create a poster or A4 sized image titled ‘Teamwork Guidelines’. This should include clear tips for working in teams that can be accessed throughout the remaining GPS lessons.

Reflection

Invite students to work independently to complete the following (also available on the Student Worksheet):

What skills or qualities can I bring to a team?
How will these help a team find success?

Teacher Reflection

Take this opportunity to reflect on your own teaching:

What did you learn about your teaching practice today?
What worked well?
What didn't work so well?
What would you share?
Where to next?
How are you going to get there?

Cisco GPS - Team Building

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