Lesson Plan
Teacher Guide Mindset
Students will identify fixed versus growth mindset statements, sort common myths and facts, and reframe two negative self-talk examples into growth-oriented thoughts.
This lesson builds resilience by helping students recognize and shift limiting beliefs, encouraging persistence and a positive approach to challenges.
Audience
9th Grade Students
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Interactive examples, sorting game, guided reframing, and reflection
Prep
Preparation
5 minutes
- Print or load the Slides Growth Mindset Lab
- Prepare the Myth or Fact Mindset Cards
- Make copies of the Reframe That Thought Sheet and Mindset Pledge Reflection
- Queue the Do Now Rate Your Grit on the board
- Review the Exit Ticket One Reframe
Step 1
Do Now: Rate Your Grit
5 minutes
- Project the Do Now Rate Your Grit on the board
- Students individually rate themselves on perseverance statements
- Use responses as a formative assessment to gauge initial mindsets
- Differentiation: Provide sentence stems for students who need support
Step 2
Teach: Fixed vs. Growth Mindset
7 minutes
- Use Slides Growth Mindset Lab to define fixed vs. growth mindsets with examples
- Share a personal anecdote to illustrate a mindset shift
- Elicit examples from students and discuss
- Assessment: Thumbs-up/thumbs-down check for understanding
- Differentiation: Display visual cues and summaries for reinforcement
Step 3
Game: Myth or Fact Mindset Card Sort
8 minutes
- Distribute Myth or Fact Mindset Cards to pairs
- Students sort cards into “Myth” or “Fact” categories
- Encourage discussion and justification of choices
- Circulate to monitor and address misconceptions
- Differentiation: Pair higher- and lower-skilled students together
Step 4
Guided Practice: Reframe Negative Self-Talk
6 minutes
- Hand out Reframe That Thought Sheet
- Model reframing a negative statement into a growth-oriented thought
- Students individually reframe two negative self-talk examples
- Partner-share to provide feedback
- Assessment: Collect sheets to review reframed statements
- Differentiation: Provide example starters on the board
Step 5
Reflect & Exit Tickets
4 minutes
- Students complete the Mindset Pledge Reflection journal entry
- Then answer the Exit Ticket One Reframe prompt by reframing a new negative thought
- Collect exit tickets for quick assessment of understanding
- Differentiation: Offer verbal reflection option for ELL students
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Slide Deck
Growth Mindset Lab
9th Grade • 30-minute lesson
Brain Is A Muscle: Exploring Your Fixed vs. Growth Mindset
Welcome everyone! Today we’ll dive into how your brain is like a muscle—you can strengthen it with effort. Introduce the title and objectives.
Fixed vs. Growth Mindset
• Fixed Mindset:
– Belief that talents and intelligence are static
– “I either can do it or I can’t.”
• Growth Mindset:
– Belief that abilities develop through effort and strategies
– “I haven’t mastered it yet.”
Define the two mindsets. Ask students to give examples from their own experience.
Growth Mindset in Action
• Thomas Edison: turned failures into learning steps
• J.K. Rowling: persisted after multiple rejections
• Your Turn: Name someone (or yourself) who improved through perseverance.
Share the Thomas Edison story: 1,000 failed attempts before creating a working light bulb. Invite a quick student example of someone who improved over time.
Think-Pair-Share: Spot the Mindset
Read each statement. Decide: Fixed or Growth?
- “I’m just not good at math.”
- “I enjoy challenges even when they’re hard.”
- “If I fail, I’m a failure.”
- “Mistakes help me learn.”
Explain Think-Pair-Share: students think individually, discuss with a partner, then we debrief as a class.
Myth or Fact?
We’ll sort statements into “Myth” or “Fact.”
Myth Examples:
• “Only natural geniuses succeed.”
• “You either have it or you don’t.”
Fact Examples:
• “Effort and good strategies improve skills.”
• “Struggling builds stronger brains.”
Introduce the card sort game. Explain that myths hold us back, while facts support growth.
Reframe Your Self-Talk
Negative Thought:
• “I’ll never understand this.”
Growth Reframe:
• “I can’t understand this yet, but I can try a new approach.”
Now you: Pick two negative thoughts and reframe them.
Model reframing the first negative thought on the board. Then direct students to their Reframe That Thought Sheet.
Next Steps: Mindset Pledge
Reflect and Write:
• What challenge will you tackle this week with a growth mindset?
• Make a personal promise to yourself.
Encourage students to set a real goal for the week. Remind them they’ll share this on their Mindset Pledge Reflection.
Warm Up
Do Now: Rate Your Grit
Welcome! Reflect on how you tackle challenges by rating each of the following statements. Use this scale:
1 = Strongly Disagree • 2 = Disagree • 3 = Neutral • 4 = Agree • 5 = Strongly Agree
- "I stick with a difficult task until I finish it." ______
- "When I fail, I try a new strategy to improve." ______
- "I set a goal and work steadily toward achieving it." ______
- "Even if I make mistakes, I keep going." ______
- "I enjoy challenging tasks that push me out of my comfort zone." ______
Quick Reflection (2 minutes)
Which statement did you rate lowest? Why do you think that is, and what small step could you take to improve in that area?
Game
Myth or Fact Mindset Cards
Use these 12 cards to play the card sort game. Students will decide whether each statement is a Myth (limiting belief) or a Fact (growth mindset truth). Print and cut each card. Distribute cards to pairs and have them sort into "Myth" or "Fact" piles, discussing their reasoning.
Cards:
Myths:
- "Only natural geniuses succeed."
- "You either have it or you don’t."
- "Making mistakes means you’re bad at something."
- "Intelligence is fixed at birth."
- "If it’s hard, you’re not good at it."
- "People are either smart or they’re not."
Facts:
7. "Effort and good strategies improve skills."
8. "Struggling builds stronger brains."
9. "Learning from mistakes helps us grow."
10. "Challenges push you to learn."
11. "Practice leads to improvement."
12. "Intelligence can be developed over time."
Worksheet
Reframe That Thought Sheet
Instructions
Use the example below to guide you. Reframe each negative self-talk statement into a growth-oriented statement.
| Negative Thought | Growth Reframe |
|---|---|
| Example: “I’ll never understand this.” | “I can’t understand this yet, but I can try new strategies and practice to improve.” |
- Negative Thought: “I’ll never understand this material.”Growth Reframe:
- Negative Thought: “I’m not good at this subject.”Growth Reframe:
Journal
Mindset Pledge Reflection
Use this space to commit to a growth mindset and plan concrete actions for the week ahead. Reflect deeply and write in full sentences.
1. Describe a recent challenge you faced in school or in your personal life. What made it difficult?
2. What growth mindset strategies or ideas from today’s lesson will you apply to this challenge? (For example: embracing mistakes, trying new strategies, asking for feedback, etc.)
3. Set a specific goal for this week using a growth mindset approach. Be precise. (For example: “I will practice solving two new math problems every day.”)
4. Write your personal pledge: “I promise to ______________ by _______________.” Then explain how you will hold yourself accountable for keeping that promise.
5. What obstacles or setbacks might you encounter as you work toward your goal? How will you overcome them using a growth mindset?
6. How will you recognize and celebrate your progress and growth throughout the week?
Cool Down
Exit Ticket: Reframe a New Negative Thought
Quickly transform a limiting belief into a growth mindset statement before you go!
- Original Negative Thought:
- Growth Mindset Reframe:
Be prepared to share one of these reframes with the class tomorrow.