English

Oral Language 3.2, 4.2, 5.3

Reading/Literature 3.5, 3.7, 4.5, 4.6, 5.5, 5.7

Writing 3.10, 4.7, 5.8

History and Social Science

History 3.1, 3.2, 3.3

Civics 3.11

Virginia Studies VS.4, VS.5, VS.6, VS.7, VS.8

U.S. History to 1877 USI.3, USI.4, USI.5

ES.4: Characteristics of leaders

ES.6: Role of environment in the process of leadership

Historical Cooperation

This activity focuses on instances of cooperation—as opposed to conflict—between groups in a variety of time periods and the factors that made the cooperation possible.

Steps to Complete the Activity

• Divide the class into groups. Assign each group a historical time and place to search. (Examples may include Ancient Greece or Rome, the Virginia colony, or other periods in the grade-level course of study.)
• Have each group research the assigned period and discover five examples of cooperation among the people of the time (within or among historical groups). Examples may include economic cooperation (money from France to support the American Revolution), political cooperation (the Constitutional Convention), and social cooperation (the Underground Railroad).
• Have students present their information through oral and written reports, models, or other displays.

Discussion

• How did you find examples of cooperation?
• What characteristics did the leaders have that made cooperation possible?
• What are some modern examples of cooperation among groups, and how are they similar to or different from the historical examples?

Resources

History texts, references, access to Internet

Kreidler, William J. Creative Conflict Resolution: More Than 200 Activities for Keeping Peace in the Classroom K-6. Glenview, IL: Good Year Books, 1984.