Definition of Cooperation for 4 - 7 year olds: Cooperation happens when two or more people help each other to make something good happen. It can also apply to animals or parts of a whole that need each other and work together. An example of this is the human body – all the parts work together to make you healthy.
In a nutshell: Together we can do more.
Summary: Six blind men are challenged to approach and touch an elephant and describe what it is. Because none of them had any idea of the nature of an elephant and each had approached the creature from different angles, their conclusions about it contradict one another. It’s only when the Prince explains the different parts of the elephant and how they fit together to make the whole animal, that they realize they had all been both right and wrong! If only they had put all the pieces together in a peaceful discussion.
Lesson Plan Objectives:
- Teachers introduce some cooperative games for students to play.
- Students compare and contrast cooperative games versus competitive games using a T-chart, advantages and disadvantages and differences in how players feel after the game.
Guiding questions:
- Share about each man’s experience touching different parts of the elephant. Why did they argue about what they discovered?
- What happened to help them stop fighting?
- Is there anything they could have done to prevent the argument?
- Do you think the blind men were surprised after they examined the elephant together? Why or why not?
- Have you ever been surprised when you discovered you were wrong about something? What happened?
- Retell the story as if the blind men never found out about the elephant. How would it have ended?
- Can you describe a time when you argued with someone? Can you share about how that made you feel? Was there something each of you could have done differently so it didn’t turn into an argument?
- Share about a time when you were part of a team, or worked with someone else to make something good happen. How did that make you feel?
- Can you think of anything you do at home to help out the rest of your family?
- Can you think of any movies or stories you’ve read that are about teamwork and cooperation?
