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Growth Mindset Garden

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Lesson Plan

Watering My Brain

Students will understand the core concepts of fixed and growth mindsets and identify personal examples of each. Students will begin to reframe challenges as opportunities for growth.

Developing a growth mindset empowers students to tackle academic and personal challenges with resilience and optimism, leading to greater perseverance and achievement.

Audience

9th Grade Group

Time

65 minutes

Approach

Through discussion, self-reflection, and activities, students will explore mindset concepts.

Materials

Prep

Review Materials and Prepare Room

15 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: What's Your Brain Saying?

10 minutes

  • Begin by asking students: "When you face something really difficult, what's the first thing your brain often tells you?" Allow for a few responses.
  • Introduce the idea that our thoughts about challenges can shape how we deal with them.

Step 2

Introduction to Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

15 minutes

  • Present the Fixed vs. Growth Mindset Slide Deck.
  • Explain the key differences between a fixed mindset (believing abilities are static) and a growth mindset (believing abilities can be developed through effort).
  • Use examples relevant to 9th graders (e.g., struggling with a math problem, learning a new sport, trying out for a play).

Step 3

Discussion: Challenges & Opportunities

15 minutes

  • Facilitate the Challenges & Opportunities Discussion.
  • Guide students to share examples of challenges they've faced and how they initially reacted. Prompt them to consider how a growth mindset might change their perspective.
  • Emphasize that mistakes are learning opportunities.

Step 4

Journaling: My 'Yet' Moments

15 minutes

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Slide Deck

Welcome to the Growth Mindset Garden!

Today, we're going to explore how our brains grow, just like plants in a garden. 🌱

We'll learn about two different 'mindsets' and how they affect our learning and lives!

Welcome students and briefly introduce the topic of mindsets. Ask them to think about how they approach challenges.

Fixed Mindset: The "I Can't" Voice

Imagine your brain is a rock. It's solid, and its shape never changes.

Someone with a Fixed Mindset believes:

  • My intelligence and talents are fixed.
  • If I struggle, it means I'm not smart enough.
  • I avoid challenges to prevent looking bad.
  • Mistakes are failures and should be hidden.

Introduce the concept of a 'fixed mindset.' Explain that people with this mindset believe their abilities are set in stone.

Growth Mindset: The "I Can Learn!" Voice

Now, imagine your brain is a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets!

Someone with a Growth Mindset believes:

  • My abilities can grow and improve with effort.
  • Challenges are opportunities to learn.
  • Mistakes are valuable feedback, not failures.
  • Effort and hard work are key to success.

Introduce the 'growth mindset.' Emphasize that intelligence and abilities can grow with effort and learning.

Challenges: Obstacles or Opportunities?

How do you see challenges?

  • Fixed Mindset: "This is too hard. I'm going to give up." 🚫
  • Growth Mindset: "This is tough, but I can try different strategies and learn!" 💪

What are some challenges you've faced recently? How did you react?

Discuss how challenges are viewed differently by each mindset. Encourage students to think about examples from their own lives.

The Power of "YET"

When you say, "I can't do it," try adding the word "YET."

  • "I can't solve this math problem... YET!"
  • "I'm not good at playing the guitar... YET!"

"Yet" means you're on a journey of learning and improvement!

Explain the concept of 'yet' as a powerful growth mindset word. It signifies potential and ongoing learning.

Water Your Brain, Watch It Grow!

Just like a garden needs water and care to grow, your brain needs a Growth Mindset to flourish.

  • Embrace challenges.
  • Learn from mistakes.
  • Keep pushing yourself to learn new things.

Let's cultivate our Growth Mindset Garden!

Conclude by reiterating the main idea. Encourage students to actively cultivate their growth mindset.

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Discussion

Challenges & Opportunities: A Growth Mindset Discussion

Welcome to our discussion on how we see challenges! Today, we're going to share our experiences and learn from each other.

Discussion Guidelines:

  • Listen respectfully to others.
  • Share your thoughts openly and honestly.
  • It's okay to have different perspectives.
  • Focus on how we can learn and grow.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Think about a time you faced a challenge in school, with friends, or in a hobby. Describe the challenge and your initial thoughts and feelings.





  2. When you first encounter a difficult task, do you usually think, "I can't do this," or "How can I figure this out?" Explain why.





  3. Can you recall a time when you struggled with something, but through effort and persistence, you eventually succeeded or improved? What did you learn from that experience?










  4. How might changing your initial thought from "I can't" to "I can't yet" impact your approach to a challenge?





  5. What are some strategies we can use to help ourselves and others maintain a growth mindset when facing difficulties?










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Journal

My 'Yet' Moments Journal

Sometimes, we feel stuck and think we can't do something. But the powerful word 'YET' reminds us that we are always learning and growing!

Use this journal to reflect on challenges you face and how you can approach them with a growth mindset by adding 'YET' to your thoughts.

Prompt 1: A Current Challenge

What is something you are currently struggling with or find difficult? It could be in school, a hobby, a sport, or even a social situation.













Prompt 2: The "Fixed" Thought

When you think about this challenge, what are some of the negative or limiting thoughts that come to mind? (e.g., "I'm not smart enough," "I'll never get this,")







Prompt 3: Adding "YET"!

Now, rephrase each of those negative thoughts by adding the word "YET" to the end. How does it change the feeling or outlook?

  • Example: "I'm not good at math" becomes "I'm not good at math... YET!"












Prompt 4: Your Growth Action

What is one small step you can take this week to work towards overcoming this challenge, knowing that you are on a journey of growth? Be specific!













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Activity

Reframe the Failure: Turning Setbacks into Stepping Stones

Sometimes, things don't go as planned, and it feels like a "failure." But with a growth mindset, we can reframe these moments as powerful learning opportunities!

Instructions:

  1. Think of a recent "failure" or setback: This could be anything that didn't go the way you hoped, big or small. Describe it in the space below.












  2. Initial Reaction (Fixed Mindset): How did you initially feel and think about this setback? What "fixed mindset" thoughts might have popped into your head? (e.g., "I'm not good at this," "Why bother?")







  3. Growth Mindset Reframe: Now, let's look at it through a growth mindset lens. How can you reframe this "failure" as a learning opportunity or a stepping stone to improvement?

    • What did you learn from this experience?
    • What could you do differently next time?
    • What new strategy or approach could you try?













  4. Action Plan: Based on your growth mindset reframe, what is one concrete action you will take to apply what you've learned or approach a similar situation differently in the future?







Share Out (Optional):

If you feel comfortable, share your "Reframe the Failure" with a partner or the group. Hearing how others reframe their setbacks can be inspiring!

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Lesson Plan

Watering My Brain

Students will identify the characteristics of fixed and growth mindsets and apply growth mindset principles to personal challenges, enabling them to embrace learning and improve.

Fostering a growth mindset empowers students to overcome obstacles, learn from setbacks, and believe in their capacity for continuous improvement, leading to greater resilience and academic success.

Audience

9th Grade Group

Time

65 minutes

Approach

This lesson uses interactive discussion, reflective journaling, and a practical reframing activity to engage students with growth mindset principles.

Materials

Fixed vs. Growth Mindset, Challenges & Opportunities, My 'Yet' Moments, and Reframe the Failure

Prep

Review Materials & Set Up

15 minutes

Step 1

Introduction: What's Your Brain's Vibe?

10 minutes

  • Begin by asking students what they think 'mindset' means. Facilitate a brief discussion.
    - Introduce the concept of a 'Growth Mindset Garden' – explaining that our brains are like gardens, and what we 'water' (our thoughts) helps them grow or stay fixed.
    - Briefly introduce the day's objective using the Fixed vs. Growth Mindset slide deck (Slide 1).

Step 2

Fixed vs. Growth: Understanding the Roots

15 minutes

  • Present the Fixed vs. Growth Mindset slide deck (Slides 2-5).
    - Discuss the key differences between fixed and growth mindsets using relatable examples.
    - Encourage students to share their initial thoughts or experiences with either mindset, prompting them with questions like, 'Can you think of a time you might have had a fixed mindset about something?'

Step 3

Challenges & Opportunities: Group Discussion

15 minutes

  • Transition to the Challenges & Opportunities discussion.
    - Divide students into smaller groups if preferred, or facilitate as a whole group.
    - Present scenarios or ask open-ended questions about challenges they face and how different mindsets might approach them. (e.g., 'You struggled on a math test. A fixed mindset person might say X, but a growth mindset person might say Y.')
    - Guide them to identify how challenges can be seen as opportunities for growth.

Step 4

My 'Yet' Moments: Journaling for Growth

15 minutes

  • Distribute the My 'Yet' Moments journal.
    - Explain the power of 'yet' in developing a growth mindset (e.g., 'I can't do it... yet!').
    - Instruct students to reflect and write about a personal challenge they are currently facing or have faced, and how they can reframe it with a 'yet' perspective.
    - Provide quiet time for individual reflection and writing.

Step 5

Reframe the Failure: Activity

8 minutes

  • Introduce the Reframe the Failure activity.
    - Ask students to pick one 'failure' or challenge they wrote about in their journal and brainstorm at least two ways they could 'reframe' it into a learning opportunity.
    - Have a few students share their reframed thoughts with the group.
    - Emphasize that every mistake is a chance to learn and grow.

Step 6

Wrap-Up: Watering Our Brains Daily

2 minutes

  • Conclude by reiterating that developing a growth mindset is an ongoing process.
    - Encourage students to actively 'water their brains' by seeking challenges, learning from mistakes, and using the power of 'yet' in their daily lives.
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Slide Deck

Your Brain: A Garden?

How do your thoughts help you grow?

Just like a garden needs water to grow, our brains grow with our thoughts!

Today, we're planting seeds for a Growth Mindset!

Welcome students and introduce the topic of mindsets. Explain that today we'll be exploring how our thoughts about our abilities can impact our learning and growth.

What's a Mindset?

Your mindset is how you think about yourself and your abilities.

It's like a pair of glasses that colors how you see challenges and mistakes.

There are two main types of mindsets: Fixed and Growth.

Introduce the idea that there are different ways people think about their intelligence and abilities.

The Fixed Mindset

"I'm just not good at it."

Belief: My intelligence and talents are set in stone. I can't really change them.

When facing a challenge: Give up easily, avoid difficult tasks.

When making a mistake: Feel discouraged, believe it proves they aren't smart.

Effort: See effort as a sign of weakness; if you're truly smart, you shouldn't need to try hard.

Explain the fixed mindset. Give examples of what someone with a fixed mindset might say or believe.

The Growth Mindset

"I can learn anything I set my mind to!"

Belief: My intelligence and talents can grow and develop through hard work and dedication.

When facing a challenge: Embrace it as an opportunity to learn.

When making a mistake: See it as feedback, a chance to improve.

Effort: Believe effort is the path to mastery and growth.

Explain the growth mindset. Give examples of what someone with a growth mindset might say or believe.

Which Mindset Are You Watering?

One mindset limits your potential, the other helps you bloom!

It's not about being one or the other all the time, but understanding how to shift towards growth.

Think about: Where do you feel more 'fixed'? Where do you feel more 'growth'?

Summarize the key differences and emphasize the benefits of a growth mindset. Ask students to think about which mindset they tend to have in different situations.

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