There’s a good reason that group projects are so common in our academic life, and become something that almost all of us are extremely familiar with. Working in conjunction with others to achieve a common goal teaches us many invaluable skills that will prove useful in almost all walks of life. Science fairs, group projects and group presentations are just some of the assignments given during school and university to help encourage team building and prepare us for a life beyond education. Many jobs require an efficient team in order to achieve results and school is a crucial starting place for developing the capacity to do so.
Group projects teach children how to work together to solve problems. By breaking down potentially complex or extensive tasks into separate logical parts and steps, young people are exposed to the benefits of working with multiple people as part of a team. It encourages communication skills as successfully conveying ideas will be integral for success. Each team member must be given an equal role and children should learn that sometimes they must compromise on their own ideas for the good of the group. Starting at an early age is the best way to ensure young people are fully prepared for the reality of a work environment.
Schools recognize the importance of teamwork and in many classes, success in group projects constitutes a significant portion of a student’s overall grade. Children must show a willingness to prioritize the group over themselves, develop ideas cooperatively and present in a way that incorporates every member of the group.
Working with others from a young age also teaches children how to deal with idle members who contribute very little to the group. They can learn how best to encourage and motivate such people in order for them to be as productive as possible despite their unwillingness to engage. Moreover, it simply teaches patience and how to deal with the reality that there will always be people within a group not pulling their weight.
We’ve all seen Jaws. We’ve seen how a day at the beach or a boat trip can turn from sunshine and laughter to horror in the blink of an eye. All it takes is to hear that haunting music and see the fin zig-zagging towards us. We know what lurks under the surface and what’s going to happen any… second… now. This father and son had presumably seen the same movie but decided to go out in their boat regardless. The water was a beautiful deep blue and was calm on the surface, but then they spotted something underwater - the thing that day-trippers in boats and divers fear the most.
The adult films the great white shark on his cell phone as it circles their small vessel several times, all while his son sounds audibly nervous at the beast that is just feet away from him.
“This guy is not leaving us!” says dad with a note of disbelief in his voice, as the animal won’t swim away and leave them alone, as it keeps patrolling around their boat. Close-up shots of the shark highlight just how big it is. Although there is no way of knowing for sure, a conservative estimate is that it must be at least eight feet long.
The viewer never sees into the shark’s mouth, but we know from the special effects from the Jaws franchise that what’s in there won’t be a pretty sight. It will contain teeth as jagged as broken glass and which could cut through flesh and bone with the greatest of ease.
Thankfully, the shark decided not to attack the duo and neither was hurt. But this amazing film must rank as one of the closest encounters ever captured on film by two amateurs on a day trip.