Kindergarten - Collaboration

Here are some activities to create a "culture of collaboration" in your classroom:

• With students, identify a behavior or behaviors that might improve teamwork -- for example, "disagree respectfully" or "build on each other's ideas". Co-create a definition with students and post it in the classroom.
  • Give students the opportunity to critically observe, label, and discuss the new behaviors in an objective and academic way. Young students should be able to name the behaviors in their own words.
  • Ask students to reflect on their own development and growth regarding the new behaviors.
• Start the year with team-building activities, such as games and get-to-know-you conversations. Make sure to include design or construction challenges, that incorporate and develop specific behaviors such as inviting new ideas from teammates or building on another person's ideas. Include targeted reflection or another post-activity discussion to reflect on such questions as
  • What did your team do well? How are you successful?
  • Did your team have challenges? What were they? How did you solve them?
  • When did someone in your team help another member of the team?
  • How did you contribute to your team's success?
  • Did your team meet its goals? How do you know?

• Practice how to make a decision by consensus using and engaging topics such as "What should we have for a snack after school?"

• Discuss or co-create a collaboration rubric so students understand what good and not-so-good teamwork looks like, and ask students to use the rubric at check-ins to reflect on how they're doing.

(adapted from Project Based Learning Handbook by PBL Works pg. 114)

• Organize and participate in planning cooperative play activities with several peers who are different from me. (GP)
• Negotiate with others and use words to respond and explain how to solve a conflict, or take action when someone is unfair. (GP)

• Contribute actively to class and group discussions, asking questions, responding appropriately, and providing useful feedback. (ELD)
• Demonstrate knowledge of content and communicate information through oral presentations, collaborative conversations, and multimedia. (ELD) (NGSS)

• Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups; Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others and taking turns speaking about the topics and texts under discussion), Continue a conversation through multiple exchanges. (CCSS) (C3)
• Compare their own point of view with others’ perspectives and use listening, consensus-building, and voting procedures to make decisions and take action. (C3) (GP)
• Explain how all people, not just official leaders, play important roles in a community and work to make decisions,  accomplish common tasks, establish responsibilities and fulfill roles. (C3)

These skills are taken from the kindergarten standards found within the - Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, College Career and Civic Life Framework for Social Studies, ELD Framework, and SFUSD Graduate Profile.