Team Building Lesson Plan
Topic
Team Building
Overview and Purpose
The Center for Children and Technology, in their Adventures in Supercomputing 19931994 Evaluation, found that "the size of the group a student worked in, and the sex of the
students in that group, are important factors in the type of project work a student is able
to accomplish in AiS." Furthermore, "groups of two or three students, and particularly
all-female or mixed-sex groups, were most likely to achieve the integration of content
understanding and mastery of computational strategies…."
This module provides the participants with methods to help their students develop the
interpersonal skills necessary for successful team membership.
Requirements
Class Time
Total time for activity -- 45-60 minutes
Presentation to group -- 20 minutes
Lab time -- 20-40 minutes
Materials
Instructor's station with computer and projector
Computer lab for online activities
Handouts for activities
Personality Types
Characteristics of a penny
Sub-arctic survival
Or other team building activities
Objectives
Upon completion of this lesson a participant will be able to:
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Explain the benefits of multiple perspectives and diverse skills in solving real
world problems;
Explain the benefits of teamwork as well as the problems of teamwork;
Teach students conflict resolution techniques;
Teach students to divide work among themselves;
Teach students the reasons to be responsible and constructive ways to hold each
other accountable;
Motivate students to work collaboratively.
Background Material and Resources
Vocabulary:
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Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) - a detailed test to measure psychological
type developed by Katharine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers.
Myers-Briggs Four Dimensions of Personality Type:
Extraversion (E) -----|----- Introversion (I)
Sensing (S)
-----|----- Intuition (N)
Thinking (T)
-----|----- Feeling (F)
Judging (J)
-----|----- Perceiving (P)
Yields 16 personality types (all the possible combinations of the four dimensions)
Extraverts -- focus their attention and energy on the world outside of themselves;
need to experience world to understand it
Introverts -- focus their attention and energy on the world inside of themselves;
need to understand world before experiencing it
Sensors -- concentrate on what can be seen, heard, felt, smelled and tasted; focus
on what is real and concrete
Intuitives -- interested in meanings, relationships, and possibilities based on facts;
focus on implications and inferences
Thinkers -- prefer decisions that make sense logically; make decisions by
analyzing and weighing the evidence
Feelers -- make decisions on how much they care or what they feel is right; view
themselves as empathetic and compassionate
Judgers -- seek to regulate and control life; like to have issues resolved
Perceivers -- seek to understand life rather than controlling it; like to stay open to
all kinds of possibilities
Conflict Resolution: According to The Team Book by Peter R. Scholtes, Brian L. Joiner
and Barbara Streibel), people or teams try to deal with conflict in the following manner:
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Avoiding Conflict – you must avoid both the issues likely to lead to conflict and
the people with whom you are likely to conflict with. Based on a belief that
easier to avoid conflict than face it.
Smooth the conflict – minimizing conflict so that group relationships aren’t
strained. Belief that discussing conflicts damages relationships rather than
strengthens them. Sacrifices personal opinions and goals out of fear of losing the
relationship. Tactics include:
o Denying that there is a problem
o Smoothing over the issue or problem
o Changing the topic or focus
o Ignoring the feelings that you have about the issue or problem
Forcing the conflict – attempts to overpower others and force them to accept your
position. Personal opinions and goals are very important and relationships with
others are less important. Competitive win-lose approach
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Tactics include:
o Attacking others’ ideas
o Using expertise, position or experience to overpower others
Compromising – tries to get others to give up some of what they want in
exchange for giving up some of what you want. Everyone gives up something
and everyone gains something. Can be lose-lose strategy because no one achieves
their goals. Underlying assumption: everyone should accept less than they want
because that is the best that they can hope for. (Should be tried after problem
solving hasn’t worked)
Problem Solving – Win-win approach. Personal goals and group relationships are
highly valued. Purpose to find a path forward that meets everyone’s goals and
preserves group relationships.
Resources
On line Textbook, Unit 3 Team Development
Scholtes, Peter R., Joiner, Brian L., Streibel, Barbara J., The Team Handbook, Oriel
Incorporated, Madison, Wisconsin, August 1999, pp 6-1-7-23.
Tieger, Paul D. & Barron-Tieger, Barbara, Do What You Are, Little, Brown &
Company, Boston, 1995, pp 3-30.
http://www.trainingplus.com/team.html
http://www.keirsey.com/cgi-bin/keirsey/newkts.cgi
http://social.chass.ncsu.edu/covington/group.htm
Activities/Procedures
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Participants complete one of the teambuilding activities such as "Characteristics
of a Penny" or the Sub-Arctic Survival to illustrate why teams are important
Guided Discussion with PowerPoint slides and student project video to explain
concepts and provide human interest stories as illustrative examples
(teambuilding.ppt)
Time permitting, participants take an online personality test such as the Keirsey
Temperment Sorter at http://keirsey.com/cgi-bin/keirsey/newkts.cgi. Discussion
in the PowerPoint presentation following this test should focus on the different
attitudes, perspectives and skills that individuals bring to a team environment.
Participants role play representative conflict situations & Discuss (Coordinator
role plays teacher intervention)
Resources/References
Scholtes, Peter R., Joiner, Brian L., Streibel, Barbara J., The Team Handbook, Oriel
Incorporated, Madison, Wisconsin, August 1999, pp 6-1-7-23.
Tieger, Paul D. & Barron-Tieger, Barbara, Do What You Are, Little, Brown &
Company, Boston, 1995, pp 3-30.
The AiS Online Textbook, Unit 3, Team Development,
http://www.krellinst.org/AiS/textbook/unit3/teamdev3.1.html
Teaching Strategies
Guide Discussion focusing on:
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Team life cycle (forming, storming, norming, performing) with specific
appropriate examples;
Elements of successful teams (relate to Project Development lesson plan);
Definition of team problems and intervention strategies;
Participation in teambuilding exercises
Thought provoking questions (and answers)
What problems would you anticipate with student teamwork in your school? (discuss and
post before giving “answers from other groups.”)
How can you recognize poor teamwork early?
How can a poor team sometimes produce good technical results?
Why would you want to avoid that?
National Math and/or Science Standards Met
Professional Development Standards
NSES: Professional Development Standard D: Teachers of science communities of
science learners that reflect the intellectual rigor of scientific inquiry and the attitudes
and social values conducive to science learning. In doing this teachers:
Component
How it is addressed and met
Nurture collaboration among
students
 Activities are designed to give
participants the skills need to work
together
 Role playing activities will help
participates develop the skills needed
to deal with situations that arise while
working in teams, such as conflict
resolution
Structure and facilitate ongoing
formal and informal discussion
based on a shared understanding
of rules of scientific discourse
Team building activities will be
selected to highlight the need for
constructive communication between
team members
Cross Curricular Connections
Language Arts - Communication Skills
Social Studies - Team Building
Assessment/Evaluation Techniques
Objective Evaluation Method
Objective
Explain the benefits of multiple
perspectives and diverse skills in
solving real world problems
Evaluation Method
Ask them to discuss several case
studies of AiS projects
Explain the problems of
Discussion responses (could be
teamwork and the inevitability of done in a written test)
conflict
Teach students conflict resolution Role playing performance and
techniques
subsequent discussion
Teach students to divide work
among themselves
Develop scoring rubrics for group
projects that identify individual
contributions to the final project
Develop individual scoring rubrics
Teach students the reasons to be
for group projects that let the
responsible and constructive ways
students assess their contributions
to hold each other accountable
to the group
Evaluate and diagnose team
performance separate from
individual performance
See above
Motivate students to work
collaboratively
Extensions/Follow-Up
Visit schools and talk to members of the student teams
Talk to students at Expo and focus questions on gathering information about their team
experience
Analysis of Lesson and Plan
After the lesson has been taught you may have suggestions or questions. This section
provides a place to voice the questions, additions, and suggestions. Nothing will go here
until reflection after teaching the lesson. Then the suggestions and additions may be
added to the lesson plan.