Collaboration
Collaboration is the ability to respectfully work interdependently with people of diverse backgrounds, skill-levels, and abilities in order to synthesize ideas to create a quality shared product.
The Soma Cube project in Algebra 1 develops collaboration in learners because it requires clear communication without speaking or demonstrating. Learners have to first assemble the pieces of a soma cube puzzle from blueprints with incomplete information - using algebra to find the lengths of sides that are missing in the blueprint. Then, learners solve the soma cube. Finally, learners reflect on the nature of communication by giving directions to replicate the soma cube solution. Their directions have to be good enough for another person to succeed in solving the cube. Often, learners produce multiple versions of their directions (and experiment with different directions formats) until another person can follow them easily. Ultimately, learners and their partners learn a very important element of collaboration - that it's important to be clear.