Activities & Lessons

Grades 3–5 Daily Reading Activities: Teamwork

3 Min Read
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Teamwork means working together to help each other. If you are apart of a team, you need to be able to share ideas and listen to one another. Below are five reading activities and lessons that explore the great things that can happen when we work together.
 

Day 1 activity

Let’s watch: Dolphin Dinner
 

Watch the video Dolphin Dinner to see how dolphins work together as a team to get their food.
 

Discuss the video

What do the underwater dolphins do to the anchovies while the surface dolphins are splashing? How does this help the team?

Let’s read: The Longest Shortcut
 

When Dionne’s father is injured, Dionne and his friends face spending the night outside in the cold, dark mountains. Will they know what to do to stay safe?

Download The Longest Shortcut
 

 

Quiz
 

How much do you know about The Longest Shortcut? Take the quiz.

Check your answers to the quiz. How did you do?

Family support

Use this learning guide to walk your child through the lesson. Explore additional review & extend activities together.


Day 2 activity

Let’s reread: The Longest Shortcut
 

When Dionne’s father is injured, Dionne and his friends face spending the night outside in the cold, dark mountains. Will they know what to do to stay safe?

Download The Longest Shortcut
 

 

Take it further

Choose an activity to extend the fun.

Project: Draw a map

  • Make a creative map that shows the friends’ adventurous shortcut.
  • Include details such as the Jones’s home and Lake Elwood, the “parking lot” main highway, and Mr. Jones’s shortcut.
  • Use symbols to show the locations of important places or events, including the rescue site. Include a key so readers know what the symbols mean.
  • Give your map a title and display it.

Vocabulary & language: Analyze verbs

  • Scan the text for words that tell how characters speak, such as yelled, laughed, agreed, gasped, and cried.
  • Make a list of the verbs you find. Organize them from softest to loudest or gentlest to most forceful.

Family support

Use this learning guide to walk your child through the lesson. Explore additional review & extend activities together.


Day 3 activity

Let’s read: Dora's Time to Shine
 

Dora loves soccer and her team. When she is sidelined with an injury, Dora learns about the World Cup and dreams of playing in the famous soccer competition. But will she be able to recover from her injury and lead her team to victory?

Download Dora's Time to Shine
 

 

Quiz

How much do you know about Dora’s Time to Shine? Take the quiz.

Then, check your answers to the quiz. How did you do?

Family support

Use this learning guide to walk your child through the lesson. Explore additional review & extend activities together.


Day 4 activity

Let’s reread: Dora's Time to Shine
 

Dora loves soccer and her team. When she is sidelined with an injury, Dora learns about the World Cup and dreams of playing in the famous soccer competition. But will she be able to recover from her injury and lead her team to victory?

Download Dora's Time to Shine
 

 

Take it further

Choose an activity to extend the fun.

Response writing: Write about teamwork

  • Write about teamwork and why it is important.
  • Why is it important for teammates to work together? How does working together help a team win? Express your thoughts in a paragraph.

Project: Make a sign

  • Make a sign to show your support for Dora’s team, the Tornadoes. What message do you want to send?
  • Print the words in large letters so the sign is easy to read.
  • Display your sign.

Family support

Use this learning guide to walk your child through the lesson. Explore additional Review & Extend activities together.


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Find more language arts activities for Grades 3-5

This blog, originally published in 2020, has been updated for 2025.

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