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A Lesson in the Importance of Teamwork. Export Lesson as PDF | Save As Favorite
A Lesson in the Importance of Teamwork. Grade: Grade 4
Subject: English Language Arts
Created by: Matthew Broskie
Lesson Length: 2 hours
Keywords/Tags: teamwork
Lesson Description: In this lesson, the teacher will read, "The Football Team" to the class. Students will then reread the story and complete vocabulary, discussion, and writing activities related to it to show comprehension and knowledge. This lesson will enhance their reading, vocabulary, and writing skills. It will also give them a chance to share personal experiences about the value of teamwork and helping others.
Common Core Standards Covered with This Lesson
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.4: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.3a: Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.4c: Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1c: Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases (e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition).
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
 
     
     
 
Lesson Content: Reading
Instructions: Please read the following reading passage as many times as needed (aloud and silent) before starting to go through other lesson pages. Understanding the content of this passage is very important since the lesson activities will be all about this content. Feel free to print the passage if needed.

The Football Team

A team is a group of people with a common goal. A school’s football team has two goals. One goal is to win. That is what the team wants to do. The other goal is to build character. Character is what a person values, how a person relates to others. That is why schools have football teams. They want to help students build good values. 

There are many character traits that a football player can develop. One is leadership. The quarterback of the team is a leader. The quarterback makes choices—which play to make, who will get the ball. The quarterback has a big job. The quarterback has to inspire the players to work together. If they are losing, the quarterback has to work even harder, to give the players hope they still can win. 

There is another leader, too. The leader of the defensive group. When the defensive group is playing, that means the team may lose points. So the leader has to keep the team members working together to stop that. 

Each team member builds character. They learn to cooperate. They learn to make good decisions. They work hard. They practice every day. They learn to follow the rules. If a team member does not follow the rules, the entire team suffers. 

Each team member has a position. Each position is part of winning. No one player has the ability to win the game for the team. Only if the team works together does a team win. 
People often say, “There is no I in TEAM.” 

Whether the team wins or loses, at the end of the game they congratulate the other team. That is called sportsmanship. While they fight to win during the game, it is just a game. They cannot be angry with the other team. If they are, they’ll hear from their coach. 

The coach makes sure the team reaches the school’s goal. The coach cares about the whole team. The coach gives each player advice. When the team wins, everyone celebrates. And the coach is glad. But after the season is over, the coach is still happy. The coach gets to see the players as they go to school every day. The character they have built is part of their success in school, too. 

Some coaches say that if you go into a classroom at their school you’ll be able to tell the players. It is not that they are bigger than the other students. It is the ones who are helping other students work. Teamwork is part of their lives. 
 
     
     
 
Task 1: Vocabulary Activity (40 points)
Instructions: Please complete the following vocabulary activity by choosing the correct meaning of each word selected from the passage and use of each word correctly in a sentence.
Vocabulary Questions
Word/Phrase: Cooperate | Tier: 2 | Points: 10
Q1 When referring to the team members our author says, "They learn to cooperate." What does the word "cooperate" mean in this sentence?
A. work alone
B. understand
C. work together *
D. disagree
Which one of the sentences below uses the word "cooperate" correctly?
A. Cooperate that computer to turn it on.
B. The team cooperated to win the game. *
C. The construction worker cooperates machinery.
D. Come cooperate my homework.
Word/Phrase: Sportsmanship | Tier: 3 | Points: 10
Q2 The author in our story says, "Whether the team wins or loses, at the end of the game they congratulate the other team. That is called sportsmanship. While they fight to win during the game, it is just a game. They cannot be angry with the other team." What does the word "sportsmanship" mean in this paragraph?
A. playing the best
B. winning the game
C. treating the other team poorly
D. treating everyone who played nicely *
Which one of the sentences below uses the word "sportsmanship" correctly?
A. The losing team showed good sportsmanship when they went out and congratulated the opposing team for winning. *
B. The sportsmanship told the team the next play.
C. Looking at the sportsmanship told the teams the score at the end of the game.
D. I saw a game of sportsmanship on TV today.
Word/Phrase: Character | Tier: 2 | Points: 10
Q3 Our author says, " A school’s football team has two goals. One goal is to win. That is what the team wants to do. The other goal is to build character." What does the word "character" mean in this sentence?
A. a person in a story
B. the qualities of a person *
C. a part of a book
D. a letter or symbol
Which one of the sentences bellow uses the word "character" correctly?
A. He is the main character of our story.
B. Turn to character five of your textbook.
C. The characters were written on the page beautifully.
D. She has good character and will do the right thing. *
Word/Phrase: Quarterback | Tier: 3 | Points: 10
Q4 The author says, "The quarterback of the team is a leader." What does "quarterback" mean in this sentence?
A. the person who performs a coin toss
B. the person who is owed money
C. the person who directs the team on offense *
D. the back of a quarter
Which one of the sentences below uses the word "quarterback" correctly?
A. He gave me my quarterback after he borrowed it for a scratch off prize ticket.
B. The quarterback is engraved with the picture of an eagle.
C. He hiked a quarterback down the trail.
D. The quarterback told us the next play in our game. *
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.4, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.3a, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.4.4c,
 
     
     
 
Task 2: Discussion Activity (30 points)
Instructions: This discussion forum will have questions for students to respond. Read the posted questions, and respond to each. Students are responsible for posting one initial and and two peer responses for each topic.
  Topic Title Replies
Message What are some good character traits?
Our author says that, "Character is what a person values, how a person relates to others." What are some values you would describe as providing good character?
Sent on: Oct 5, 2017 by: Matthew Broskie		 0
Message Have you ever been on a team before?
As our author says, "A team is a group of people with a common goal." Have you ever been on a team before? If so, what team and what was your teams goal? (This does not apply only to sports. Other examples could be group projects or even family.)
Sent on: Oct 5, 2017 by: Matthew Broskie		 0
Message What does "There is no I in TEAM" mean?
Our author says, "People often say, there is no I in Team." Many of us will have heard the phrase before. In your own words, what does this popular phrase mean?
Sent on: Oct 5, 2017 by: Matthew Broskie		 0
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.1c, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3,
 
     
     
 
Task 3: Writing Activity (30 points)
Instructions: In the reading our author says, "Some coaches say that if you go into a classroom at their school you’ll be able to tell the players. It is not that they are bigger than the other students. It is the ones who are helping other students work. Teamwork is part of their lives." Recall a time that you used teamwork as part of your everday life to help someone else or recieved help from someone else. Write a short story about that time, it must be at least 200 words.
Standards Covered with This Lesson Activity: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.3, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.4,
 
     

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