Active Learning: Thinking Interdependently

Students will learn to work as a team as they create their own soccer ball with this activity from Habits of Mind Animations.

Materials Needed:

• Soccer ball pieces

• Crayons or colored pencils

• Scissors

• Small staplers

• Staples

Preparation:

• Make copies of the soccer ball template page (4 pages per one ball).

• Gather the needed materials in an appropriate area.

Steps to Success:

1. Put students in groups of 5 or 6.

2. Give each group 4 soccer ball template pages.

3. Have them help each other cut out each soccer ball piece. There should be 12 black pentagons and 20 white hexagons.

4. Then, have each student write their name on a white hexagon piece. On all leftover white pieces, have the students write words or phrases about thinking interdependently (e.g., “teamwork,” “work together,” “friendship,” etc.).

5. Guide groups into folding all the tabs up on each piece so that the words and colors are in the middle between the tabs.

6. Next, instruct each group to staple a white hexagon on all sides of a black pentagon, and then staple the touching tabs on the white pieces together as well.

7. Circulate and assist as needed.

8. Have students repeat this process until the ball is complete.

9. Discuss what strategies they used to work together, to share, and to think interdependently.

Click here for your free downloadable template!