Activity 3:
No Man is an Island
 
 
Throughout the novel, the rabbits must work together to accomplish a variety of tasks. Problem-solving is a main focus as they journey to find a new warren where they can live in a democratic society and be safe. The ability to be an effective member of a group is an important trait for everyone, because no man is an island.
 

Task

To identify the traits of an effective group member and apply those to a variety of problem-solving tasks.

Process and Resources

  1. Brainstorm different times in the students' lives where they have had to work in groups to get something accomplished.
  2. In a small group, depict visually the structure of an effective group. Present to the class.
  3. Brainstorm a list of traits of an effective group member.
  4. Go to http://phylogeny.arizona.edu/aed/aed301/scale.htm and take a short personality inventory.
  5. Journal where you are in the personality inventory and what improvements you could make to become a more effective group member.
  6. As a small group, go to http://phylogeny.arizona.edu/aed/aed301/roles.htm and read the various roles that members take on when in group situation.
  7. As a group, take a piece of tagboard and write down 10 of the roles. Then select various rabbits from the novel and write their name beside the role that each rabbits plays. Include traits of each rabbit to show how it fits the role.
  8. In your journal, write the various roles that you have played in group situations.
  9. Extra fun: Build a straw structure that is as tall as the teacher, has a free-standing base, and can be picked up and moved around.
  10. After completing the straw structure, go to http://phylogeny.arizona.edu/aed/aed301/stages.htm and as a group read the various stages in group development. Decide which stage their group is. Discuss as a class.
  11. In your journals, answer the following questions: On a scale of 1-5, did team members share a sense of purpse, was each team member willing to work toward achieving that purpose, was productivity heightened by encouraging an atmosphere of cooperation, were the talents of the individuals used, was a difference of opinion encouraged?
  12. After journaling, discuss the results as a class.
  13. Another activity for fun: promote group effectivness at http://teachervision.com/article/0.1120.15-6685.00.html. This web site gives directions for building an edible bridge. As a group, plan how they will accomplish the task - from compiling the materials needed to building a plan. Some good website for related information: http://www.commkey.net/daniel/bbtour1.htm or http://www.goldengate.org/Walk/Walk.html or http://www.ce.ufl.edu/activities/trusslab/trussndx.html.
  14. Build the bridge and have judges to evaluate which group's bridge was the best. Also, an observer could be assigned to watch each group and check for the various roles played and the stages of group development. That way a detached observer could evaluate the group's effectiveness.

Project Guidelines

Use the following guidelines for completing your project:

  • Use the web pages to help find information as to what makes effective group members. Also, be honest when journaling so the students can see growth as an effective member. Each group would probably need an I-Book to look up the information on group effectiveness.

Conclusion

Contact a member of the working force ( a parent, neighbor, etc) and interview them about their use of group effectiveness skills on their job. As a class, compile a list of questions that you will want to ask the person and report back to class. Maybe even making a brochure on how to be an effective group member using the information from the above projects and their interviews to help write the brochure.

   
Teacher Resources
Student Resources
Developed by Kris Smyth, 4/00