Humans are social animals. This means we work together in groups to achieve goals that benefit everyone. From building skyscrapers to delivering packages to remote island nations, modern life requires that people cooperate with one another. However, people are also motivated by self-interest, which often stands as an obstacle to effective cooperation. This module explores the concept of cooperation and the processes that both help and hinder it.

The attached file is a short essay that can be read in one sitting that explains the things that sometimes prevent cooperation from happening and provides advice for how to overcome them. The essay is aimed at advanced high school students, college students, and anyone else who is interested in fostering cooperation in any setting. The author, Lee Cronk (Rutgers University, anthropology) is an expert on cooperation. Much of what is contained in this essay is distilled from this book that he co-authored:Cronk, Lee, and Beth L. Leech. 2013. Meeting at Grand Central: Understanding the Social and Evolutionary Roots of Cooperation. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Overview:This unit is presented as a series of cooperation, team buidling, and problem solving learning tasks. Learning tasks should begin as partner to partner, and progress to small group, large group, and finally, whole class. Standards 4 and Standards 5 are addessed in this unit. Teachers are encouraged to select the learning tasks that best fit their teaching style and students’ needs. Learning Tasks can be implemented across grade levels using different extensions and refinements.  Modifications and accomodations specific to your learners are strongly recommended. The National Standards and Grade Level Outcomes in this unit are referenced from the "National Standards & Grade Level outcomes for K-12 Physical Education," book.  

Overview:This unit is presented as a series of cooperation, team buidling, and problem solving learning tasks. Learning tasks should begin as partner to partner, and progress to small group, large group, and finally, whole class. Standards 4 and Standards 5 are addessed in this unit. Teachers are encouraged to select the learning tasks that best fit their teaching style and students’ needs. Learning Tasks can be implemented across grade levels using different extensions and refinements.  Modifications and accomodations specific to your learners are strongly recommended. The National Standards and Grade Level Outcomes in this unit are referenced from the "National Standards & Grade Level outcomes for K-12 Physical Education," book. SHAPE America Standards: Standard 4. The physically literate individual exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others.Standard 5. The physically literate individual recognizes the value of physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression and/or social interaction.SHAPE Grade-Level Outcomes:KindergartenFollows directions in group settings (e.g., safe behaviors, following rules, taking turns). (S4.E1.K)Acknowledges responsibility for behavior when prompted. (S4.E2.K)Follows instruction and directions when prompted. (S4.E3.K)Shares equipment and space with others. (S4.E4.K)Follows teacher directions for safe participation and proper use of equipment with minimal reminders. (S4.E6.K)Acknowledges that some physical activities are challenging/difficult. (S2.E2.K)First GradeAccepts personal responsibility by using equipment and space appropriately. (S4.E1.1)Follows the rules and parameters of the learning environment. (S4.E2.1)Responds appropriately to general feedback from the teacher. (S4.E3.1)Works independently with others in a variety of class environments (e.g., small and large groups). (S4.E4.1)Exhibits the established protocols for class activities. (S4.E5.1)Follows teacher directions for safe participation and proper use of equipment without teacher reminders. (S4.E6.1)Recognizes that challenge in physical activity can lead to success (S5. E2.1)Describes positive feelings that result from participating in physical activities (S5. E3. 1a)Second GradeWorks independently with others in partner environments. (S4.E4.2)Recognizes the role of rules and etiquette in teacher-designed physical activities. (S4.E5.2)Works independently and safely in physical education. (S4.E6.2a)Works safely with physical education equipment. (S4.E6.2b)Compares physical activities that bring confidence and challenge. (S5.E2.1)Third GradeExhibits personal responsibility in teacher-directed activities. (S4.E1.3)Works independently for extended periods of time. (S4.E2.3)Accepts and implements specific corrective feedback from the teacher. (S4.E3.3)Works cooperatively with others. (S4.E4.3a)Praises others for their success in movement performance. (S4.E4.3b)Recognizes the role of rules and etiquette in physical activity with peers. (S4.E5.3)Works independently and safely in physical activity settings. (S4.E6.3)Reflects on the reasons for enjoying selected physical activities (S5. E3. 3)Describes the positive social interactions that come when engaged with others in physical activity. (S5.E4.3)Fourth GradeExhibits responsible behavior in independent group situations. (S4.E1.4)Reflects on personal social behavior in physical activity. (S4.E2.4)Listens respectfully to corrective feedback from others (e.g., peers, adults). (S4.E3.4)Praises the movement performance of others both more skilled and less skilled. (S4.E4.4a)Exhibits etiquette and adherence to rules in a variety of physical activities. (S4.E5.4)Works safely with peers and equipment in physical activity settings. (S4.E6.4)Rates the enjoyment of participating in challenging and mastered physical activities (S5. E2. 4)Describes and compares the positive social interactions when engaged in partner, small-group and large-group physical activities. (S5.E4.4)Fifth GradeEngages in physical activity with responsible interpersonal behavior (e.g., peer to peer, student to teacher, student to referee). (S4.E1.5)Participates with responsible personal behavior in a variety of physical activity contexts, environments and facilities. (S4.E2.5a)Exhibits respect for self with appropriate behavior while engaging in physical activity. (S4.E2.5b)Gives corrective feedback respectfully to peers. (S4.E3.5)Accepts,recognizes and actively involves others with both higher and lower skill abilities into physical activities and group projects. (S4.E4.5)Applies safety principles with age appropriate physical activities. (S4.E6.5)SHAPE America - Society of Health and Physical Educators. National Standards & Grade-Level Outcomes for K-12 Physical Education. Human Kinetics Publishers, 2014, www.shapeamerica.org/standards/pe/upload/Grade-Level-Outcomes-for-K-12-Physical-Education.pdf.Image source:  "Colorful Cooperation" by OpenClipart-Vectors / 27439 images from Pixabay.com at https://pixabay.com/en/circle-colorful-cooperation-1300241/ 

Overview:This unit is presented as a series of cooperation, team buidling, and problem solving learning tasks. Learning tasks should begin as partner to partner, and progress to small group, large group, and finally, whole class. Standards 4 and Standards 5 are addessed in this unit. Teachers are encouraged to select the learning tasks that best fit their teaching style and students’ needs. Learning Tasks can be implemented across grade levels using different extensions and refinements.  Modifications and accomodations specific to your learners are strongly recommended. 

People often act to benefit other people, and these acts are examples of prosocial behavior. Such behaviors may come in many guises: helping an individual in need; sharing personal resources; volunteering time, effort, and expertise; cooperating with others to achieve some common goals. The focus of this module is on helping—prosocial acts in dyadic situations in which one person is in need and another provides the necessary assistance to eliminate the other’s need. Although people are often in need, help is not always given. Why not? The decision of whether or not to help is not as simple and straightforward as it might seem, and many factors need to be considered by those who might help. In this module, we will try to understand how the decision to help is made by answering the question: Who helps when and why?

This textbook introduces readers to the idea of cooperation and mutualism. Cooperatives and mutuals are participatory organizations in which members participate in control and governance, receive economic benefits through patronage refunds or net income, and become owners through equity. These mutual-benefit organizations exist alongside non-profit organizations and investor-benefit organizations through the global economy.

Spikeball is a game that can be played on beaches, college campuses, city parks, anywhere you have room! Here we will practice some basic ball handling techniques and cooperative activity to build the skills necessary to play Spikeball.

This open access book applies for the first time emerging concepts of socioeconomics to analyse an economic sector, namely agriculture. It considers the rational choices of all actors in the system (just as agricultural economists do) and their cultural preferences and constraints (just as rural sociologists do). Socioeconomic concepts are subsequently used to structure agricultural issues with regard to the three governance mechanisms (hierarchy, markets, and cooperation), and different agricultural systems are presented and compared. The book will be of interest to social scientists with various backgrounds, and seeks to break down the barriers of single-disciplinary thinking.

In this activity, learners use cooperation and logical thinking to find solutions to network problems on the playground. Learners act both as computer routers, figuring out with each other how to effectively get data to the place it's being sent, and as the actual data, because the learners travel various edges of a network to get to their destination or "home" point. Learners use geometry skills to determine the most efficient routes in the network.

Contact between Native and non-native people forever changed the landscape of North America. European exploration drove many changes to the Northwest, including trade, exploration.This is the teacher guide companion to The State We're In: Washington (Grade 3-5 Edition) Chapter 2. The resource is designed to engage students with a launch activity, focused notes, and a focused inquiry.

Interview with Dr Sven Young- Co-ordinator of the Capacity Building in Postgraduate Surgical Training and Research in Malawi.

The video shows how to build competency locally to strengthen specific cadres of human resources for health, and how universities can work together to retain and train surgeons.