The More We Work Together

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SWBAT recognize and sing about VERBS that define actions that we do together with our friends.

Big Idea

Working together helps us to achieve more than we can alone!

Prepare the Learner

15 minutes

Activate Prior Knowledge

This is the fifth lesson in a series of fourteen.

 We review yesterday’s lesson using the sort categories “Gathered”, “Hunteg”, and “Planted” and photos.  Have students create some sentences with the sort pictures:

      is          (Corn is planted),


      are          (Berries are gathered)


___hunted/gathered/planted           (Wampanoag hunted turkey.)/ (Pilgrims gathered acorns.)


I place the small words (is, are) in the pocket chart and  use the pictures to create sentences:Blueberries are gathered.


This supports student reading and usage of the sight words in meaningful context.

Interact with the text/concept

45 minutes

Shared Reading through song


Display the song The More We Get Together song or use the pocket chart  sentence strips, creating the same words from each verse. In the pocket chart, I interchange the different bold words into each verse displayed on the document.   I color-code those words (plant, cook, friends, etc.) The only different words in the song are in the refrain at the end – sung slowly.



As I read each verse, I use shared reading strategies and model for students: 

  • Encourage students to read high frequency words in text.
  • Note one to one correspondence when reading as well as spacing, etc.
  • Point out content vocabulary and how the illustrations match the words. Use step-aside explanations for unfamiliar words, if any.



After we have read the song, we sing the song to the tune “The More We Get Together”. I have my students should stand and pantomime the actions to cement understanding of the verbs. I want the kids to understand that verbs are action words.  Pantomiming the words helps build that understanding.  They can stand next to a partner and pretend to work together on each activity. 






Extend Understanding

20 minutes

Working Together Art


In this collaborative art project, 2 students will trace each other’s hand – one in brown and one tan. Then they will decide what their hands will be doing together.  It can be something from the book or something they do together in real life.                                     



Tracing and cutting hands

 I show students an example of the finished product.   I usually assign partners to make sure the time is spent productively, but you could also let the students choose their partners.

 Each student will need one brown and one tan colored piece of small construction paper and a larger piece of white construction paper.

 I model how to trace a student's hand, as students will be tracing each other's hands in pairs.  I call up a student and say: When you put your hand on the paper, spread your fingers open a little bit so your partner can trace around your fingers.  Show me "spread your fingers."  I model how to open my fingers a little bit and students hold their hands in the air to show me they understand.  

I continue: Watch now how Gabriel and I work together to trace each other's hands.  First, I will trace Gabriel's hand and then he will trace mine!  I model for students how to trace around Gabriel's fingers and hand.  I go very slowly so students will also trace slowly.  This can be a difficult skill for students, which is why I model it twice.  After I trace Gabriel's hand, I put my hand on the paper and let them watch Gabriel trace my hand.  I offer corrective feedback if necessary.  I then model how to carefully cut out my hand.  



How do we work together?

We review what ways the Wampanoag and Pilgrims worked together (I refer to the song and the text from the ABC book). I brainstorm with students what types of things they could draw that their 2 hands are working together to achieve a goal. (Example: playing a game, cleaning the classroom,  etc.)

I give students their paper and partners and students go to their desks to trace their hands and glue the hands linking together.

The partners collaborate together to determine what their two hands did together. After they have come up with their idea, they will help each other draw the action above their glued hands.

When they are done, the students leave their hands on their desk so the glue can dry and join me again on the floor.



Writing connection 

I have students  write a sentence  about what their ‘together’ picture represents.  I say: Now we are going to write a sentence to go with our picture.   Let's read what my hands did together on my example: "We do puzzles together."   

I continue: You will be writing a sentence now to tell about your picture.  I want you to go back to your seats and think about what you are going to write.  When you and your partner have decided on a sentence that tells me "We ____ together."  raise your hand.  After you tell me your sentence, I will give you and your partner a paper to write your sentence on.  After you write, glue your sentence on your picture.


As students are brainstorming, I wait for hands to be raised so they can verbalize their sentence to me.  I do this to expedite the actual writing.  It also allows me to offer language support where necessary.  When students can tell me what they are writing, I give students a piece of writing paper for them to write and glue.