Can You Embrace the Struggle?

For Schools

Lesson Plan

Struggle Embrace Outline

Students will learn that challenges help them grow, practice using growth mindset language when facing hard math problems, and apply reframing strategies through a fun warm-up and story activity.

This lesson fosters resilience and positive attitudes toward math. By teaching growth mindset language, students build confidence in their ability to learn, improving engagement and persistence in future academic tasks.

Audience

1st Grade Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, game, and story-based reflection.

Materials

Struggle Is Strength Slides, * Challenge Charades Warm-Up Cards, and * Struggle Storytime Activity Sheet

Prep

Prepare Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Challenge Charades Warm-Up

5 minutes

  • Explain that students will act out a “hard” or “tricky” situation without words.
  • Students take turns selecting a card from Challenge Charades Warm-Up Cards and acting it out.
  • Class guesses the scenario and practices saying a growth mindset phrase like “I can learn from this!” to reframe the struggle as a chance to grow.

Step 2

Discuss Growth Mindset

5 minutes

  • Display the first two slides of Struggle Is Strength Slides.
  • Slide 1 defines what a struggle is; Slide 2 shows real-life examples (tying shoes, solving a puzzle).
  • Ask students: “How do you feel when something is hard?” Guide them to see that feeling stuck means it’s a chance to learn.

Step 3

Struggle Storytime

15 minutes

  • Read a short story where a character faces a challenge (use the prompt on the Struggle Storytime Activity Sheet).
  • Pause at key moments; ask: “What could they say to keep trying?”
  • Students work in pairs to complete two reframing sentences on their activity sheet, e.g. “I can get better if I keep practicing.”

Step 4

Share and Reflect

5 minutes

  • Invite volunteers to share their reframed sentences with the class.
  • Provide praise for effort and use of growth mindset language.
  • Quick thumbs-up/thumbs-down check: “Do you feel more ready to see struggles as learning chances?” Gather a show of hands.
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Slide Deck

Struggle Is Strength

Learning and growing from challenges.

Welcome everyone! Today we’re going to learn how struggles can make us stronger. Let’s get ready to embrace challenges!

What Is a Struggle?

• When something feels hard or tricky to do.

Explain that a struggle is when something feels hard or tricky. Ask: “Can you think of a time when tying your shoes felt tough?”

Examples of Struggles

• Tying shoes
• Solving a new puzzle
• Figuring out a math problem

Show pictures or act out each example. Invite kids to share if they’ve felt that way.

Growth Mindset Phrases

• “I can learn from this!”
• “I will keep trying!”
• “Mistakes help me grow!”

Read each phrase aloud and have students repeat. Encourage big, strong voices.

Time to Practice

Use your Struggle Storytime Activity Sheet to read the story and fill in how you can reframe each struggle.

Tell students they’ll use their activity sheet next. Remind them of the phrases.

Great Job!

Remember: Every struggle helps your brain grow stronger!

Congratulate the class on their hard work. Remind them: struggles make our brains stronger.

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Warm Up

Challenge Charades Warm-Up Cards

Teacher Instructions:

  • Explain that students will act out a “hard” or “tricky” situation without using words.
  • Distribute one charade card to each student.
  • Students take turns silently acting out their challenge while classmates guess.
  • Once guessed, ask the class to say a growth mindset phrase (e.g., “I can learn from this!”) to reframe the struggle as a learning opportunity.

Charade Cards (cut and shuffle before class):

  1. Tying your shoes when the laces are tangled
  2. Zipping up a sticky zipper on your jacket
  3. Fitting the last piece of a tricky puzzle
  4. Writing your name very neatly for the first time
  5. Solving a hard math problem with blocks
  6. Trying to tie hair with a small hairband
  7. Tying your boot laces in a double knot
  8. Making bunny ears to tie your shoelaces
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lenny

Activity

Struggle Storytime Activity Sheet

Story:
Mia wanted to build a tall block tower, but every time she added a new block, the tower wobbled and fell down. Mia felt frustrated and said, “I can’t do this!”
She took a deep breath, remembered some growth mindset phrases, and tried again. The next time, she built the tower more carefully. It still fell once, but Mia smiled and kept going.

Think and Write:

  1. When Mia’s tower fell the first time, she could have said:_“I can __________________________.”





  2. After trying again and making her tower stronger, she could say:_“I will __________________________.”





Pair Share:
Turn to your partner. Take turns reading your sentences aloud. Give each other a thumbs-up for using strong growth mindset words!

lenny
lenny