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Growth Mindset Unleashed

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Lesson Plan

Mindset Power-Up Lesson

Students will define growth mindset and fixed mindset, identify characteristics of each, and learn strategies to apply a growth mindset to challenges.

Fostering a growth mindset helps students develop resilience, embrace challenges, and understand that effort leads to skill development, which is crucial for lifelong learning and personal growth.

Audience

3rd Grade Class

Time

45 minutes

Approach

Interactive discussion, engaging presentation, and practical application through activities.

Materials

Whiteboard or projector, Brains Can Grow Presentation, Challenge Accepted! Activity, and From 'I Can't' to 'I Can Try' Worksheet

Prep

Prepare Materials

15 minutes

Step 1

Introduction: What's Your Mindset?

10 minutes

  • Begin by asking students what they think

Step 2

Brains Can Grow Presentation

15 minutes

  • Present the Brains Can Grow Presentation.
    * Go through each slide, explaining the difference between a fixed and growth mindset with clear examples.
    * Encourage students to share their own experiences or ideas related to the concepts.

Step 3

Challenge Accepted! Activity

10 minutes

  • Distribute index cards or slips of paper for the Challenge Accepted! Activity.
    * Ask students to write down a small challenge they've faced or are currently facing (e.g., learning a new skill, a tricky math problem, trying a new sport).
    * Have them identify if their initial reaction was more fixed or growth mindset.
    * In small groups, have students share their challenge and brainstorm growth mindset approaches to overcome it.

Step 4

From 'I Can't' to 'I Can Try' Worksheet

8 minutes

  • Distribute the From 'I Can't' to 'I Can Try' Worksheet.
    * Instruct students to complete the worksheet, transforming fixed mindset statements into growth mindset statements.
    * Circulate the room to provide support and answer questions.

Step 5

Wrap-Up: Mindset Superpowers

2 minutes

  • Bring the class back together.
    * Ask a few students to share one thing they learned about growth mindset.
    * Emphasize that practicing a growth mindset is like building a muscle – the more they use it, the stronger it gets.
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Slide Deck

Your Amazing Brain!

Did you know your brain is like a muscle?

The more you use it, the stronger it gets!

Welcome students and introduce the idea of how our brains work.

Fixed Mindset: "I Can't!"

Believing your abilities are set in stone.

  • "I'm not good at math."
  • "This is too hard for me."
  • "I give up!"

Feeling stuck and not wanting to try new things.

Explain what a fixed mindset is with simple language and examples. Emphasize the 'stuck' feeling.

Growth Mindset: "I Can Try!"

Believing your abilities can grow with effort.

  • "Math is tricky, but I can learn!"
  • "This is challenging, but I won't give up!"
  • "Mistakes help me learn!"

Always ready to learn and improve!

Explain what a growth mindset is, focusing on effort and learning from mistakes. Give encouraging examples.

Fixed vs. Growth: Spot the Difference!

Fixed Mindset Sayings:

  • "I'm just not smart enough."
  • "Why bother? It's too hard."

Growth Mindset Sayings:

  • "I'll keep practicing until I get it."
  • "What can I learn from this mistake?"
  • "I can improve if I try harder!"

Provide clear examples of statements reflecting each mindset. Ask students to identify which is which.

The Power of "Yet"

If you say, "I can't do it!" try adding YET.

"I can't do it YET!"

This shows you believe you can learn and grow!

Introduce the idea of 'yet' as a powerful growth mindset word. Discuss how it changes perspective.

Brain Builders!

Every time you try something new or work hard on a challenge:

  • Your brain makes new connections!
  • It gets stronger and smarter!

Just like lifting weights makes your muscles stronger!

Explain how effort and practice make our brains stronger. Compare it to physical exercise.

Unleash Your Growth Mindset!

Remember:

  • Your brain can grow!
  • Effort makes you smarter!
  • Mistakes are chances to learn!
  • Always say "I can't do it YET!"

Let's keep growing our amazing brains!

Summarize the key takeaways and encourage students to practice their growth mindset. Transition to the activity.

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Activity

Challenge Accepted! Activity

Objective: To identify a personal challenge and brainstorm growth mindset strategies to approach it.

Instructions:

  1. Think of a Challenge (5 minutes):

    • On your index card/slip of paper, write down one small challenge you have faced, or are currently facing. This could be anything from learning a new skill (like riding a bike or a tricky video game level), a difficult school assignment (like a math problem or a writing task), or even a personal goal (like being more patient).
    • Examples: "Learning to tie my shoes," "Understanding long division," "Drawing a perfect circle."






  2. My Initial Mindset (3 minutes):

    • Next to your challenge, write down your very first thought or feeling about it. Was it a fixed mindset thought (like "I can't do this!") or a growth mindset thought (like "This will be tough, but I can learn!")?



  3. Group Share and Brainstorm (10 minutes):

    • In your small groups, take turns sharing your challenge and your initial mindset.
    • As a group, help each other brainstorm growth mindset ways to approach the challenge. How can you turn any fixed mindset thoughts into growth mindset thoughts? Think about:
      • What steps can you take?
      • Who can you ask for help?
      • What can you learn from mistakes?
      • What would "I can't do it YET" look like?











Example:

Challenge: Learning to play a new song on the piano.

Initial Mindset: "This is too fast, I'll never be able to play it right!" (Fixed Mindset)

Growth Mindset Ideas:

  • Break the song into smaller, slower parts.
  • Practice each hand separately.
  • Ask my piano teacher for tips.
  • Listen to the song many times to hear how it sounds.
  • Remember that mistakes are how I learn and improve! I can't play it perfectly YET, but I will get there with practice!
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Worksheet

From 'I Can't' to 'I Can Try' Worksheet

Name: ________________________
Date: ________________________

Instructions:

Read each statement below. These are all examples of a fixed mindset. Your job is to rewrite each one to show a growth mindset! Remember to think about effort, learning, and the power of "yet"!

  1. Fixed Mindset: "I can't draw. My pictures never look good."
    Growth Mindset:






  2. Fixed Mindset: "This math problem is too hard. I'm just not smart enough for it."
    Growth Mindset:






  3. Fixed Mindset: "I got a bad grade on my test. I guess I'll never be good at this subject."
    Growth Mindset:






  4. Fixed Mindset: "I made a mistake in the game, and now we lost. I'm terrible at this."
    Growth Mindset:






  5. Fixed Mindset: "My friend can do that trick easily. I'll never be as good as them."
    Growth Mindset:






Challenge Question:

Think about something you find challenging right now. How can you use a growth mindset to approach it? Write down your challenge and a growth mindset plan.

My Challenge:






My Growth Mindset Plan:











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