Spatial Requirements: Regular classroom setup: little or no space required
Activity Type: Object lesson
Grades: K-12
Group Size: 2 or more
Time: 5-7 minutes

Introduction: Part of lifting the weight is putting our time and effort into team goals that benefit everyone.  This activity will demonstrate that working together for a positive goal is always more effective than working against each other. 

Materials:

• Timer
• 1 POP TART or other prize for each student

Activity:

Choose two volunteers of equal size and strength to come to the front of the group.  Have them face each other, then reach out with their right arms and grab the right arm of the other volunteer.  Place the candy bar or prize on a table or other surface behind both volunteers. Tell them that they will be given seven seconds, and their challenge is to reach their prize within that time.  When you have them begin, it is likely that they will resist and pull on each other, trying to reach their own prize. Quite often neither participant reaches the prize within the given time.

Processing the Experience:

• What was difficult about this activity?
• Why weren’t you able to reach your prize?
• What would it take for both of you to get your prize?
• Do you think if you worked together you could both be winners?  

Have the volunteers try the same activity one more time, this time working as a team.  They will very likely make it to both prizes within the seven seconds.

• How is working as team more effective than working alone?
• What are some examples in life of times where working together would be more beneficial than working alone?