Be a Team Player: Thoughtful Writing Prompts for Elementary Students

The ability to be a team player is one of the most valuable skills we can nurture in our students. Whether they’re working in groups, playing sport at lunchtime or simply trying to navigate the classroom dynamic, students are constantly placed in situations where skills like collaboration, communication and respect are paramount.

To help your students explore what it takes to be a team player, Teach Starter has created this set of 16 open-ended writing prompts. Each prompt is designed to encourage reflection on what teamwork and sportsmanship look like in the real world. 

Example Prompt: Describe a time when you were able to achieve something truly special with others, thanks to great teamwork. What attributes of the team (e.g. cooperation, trust, patience) led to this positive outcome? 

The resource focuses on four key themes:

• Courage and Determination
• Teamwork and Leadership
• Resilience and Overcoming Fear
• Sportsmanship

Using these prompts will enable your students to develop and strengthen their writing skills while also thinking deeply about their own choices and behaviors in team situations.

Explore the Traits of a Good Team Member

Teachers are experts at squeezing maximum value out of a resource, and these task cards were created with exactly that in mind! Here are some ideas for using these task cards to explore the traits of a good team member beyond writing:

1. Class Discussions – Use the prompts as conversation starters to explore students’ experiences of what it takes to be a great team player.
2. Role Play and Drama – Encourage students to act out short scenes based on the writing prompts, helping them delve deeper into what great sportsmanship looks like.
3. Accompanying Artwork – Once students have completed their writing, have them create an artwork to accompany and complement their text.

Because each prompt is open-ended, teachers can adapt them for literacy, wellbeing, PE or even leadership programs.

Download to Teach About Being a Team Player

This resource can be downloaded as a full-color PDF or editable Google Slides file. Use the Download button above to select your preferred file format.

Print the cards on cardstock to increase the durability of the resource. Place the cards together in a large envelope or ziplock bag for safekeeping.

Further Explore What Makes a Good Team Player

Click below to access more teacher-created, curriculum-aligned resources to use when exploring teamwork and sportsmanship with your students.

teaching resource

Headbands Game-Back to School Icebreakers

Print a fun forehead game for students to get to know each other on the first day of school.

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Team Building Games – Upper Grades

Encourage communication and cooperation with this set of 10 team-building games.

teaching resource

Teamwork Poster

A poster to encourage your class to work together as a team.