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Level Up!

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KasCandra Dougherty

Tier 1
For Schools

Lesson Plan

Level Up! Blueprint

Students will distinguish fixed vs. growth mindsets, engage in gamified challenges to practice effort-based strategies, and set a personal SMART goal using tracked reflections.

Cultivating a growth mindset in 6th graders builds resilience, boosts motivation, and fosters lifelong learning habits by celebrating effort and progress.

Audience

6th Grade

Time

60 minutes

Approach

Gamified challenges + reflective goal-setting

Materials

  • Achievement Quest Slides, - Growth Level-Up Quest Game, and - Progress Tracker Worksheet

Prep

Teacher Preparation

15 minutes

  • Review Achievement Quest Slides for content flow and talking points
  • Print or photocopy one Progress Tracker Worksheet per student
  • Gather tokens, badges, or digital equivalents for the Growth Level-Up Quest Game
  • Ensure projector/computer is ready for the slide deck presentation

Step 1

Warm-Up Discussion

5 minutes

  • Ask students to share a challenge they recently faced and how they responded
  • Introduce the idea of ‘mindset’ and contrast fixed (“I can’t do it”) vs. growth (“I can learn it with effort”)
  • Record key phrases on the board for visual reference

Step 2

Mini-Lesson on Mindset

10 minutes

  • Present Achievement Quest Slides covering:
    • Definitions of fixed vs. growth mindsets
    • Real-life examples illustrating each mindset
  • Ask students to identify which mindset they’ve used before and why
  • Emphasize the power of ‘yet’ and effort-based praise

Step 3

Game Introduction & Setup

5 minutes

  • Explain rules and objectives of the Growth Level-Up Quest Game
  • Demonstrate one sample challenge and how to earn tokens/badges
  • Divide students into individual or small teams and distribute game materials

Step 4

Game Play: Achievement Quest

20 minutes

  • Students complete a series of growth-aligned challenges (e.g., mini puzzles, reflection prompts, peer encouragement tasks)
  • Award tokens/badges for effort, collaboration, and creative problem-solving
  • Teacher circulates to encourage growth-oriented language and celebrate attempts

Step 5

Reflection & Goal Setting

15 minutes

  • Distribute Progress Tracker Worksheet
  • Students reflect on which challenges they found tough and what strategies helped them persevere
  • Guide students to draft one specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goal for the upcoming week
  • Encourage students to note how they’ll apply a growth mindset to that goal

Step 6

Closing & Share-Out

5 minutes

  • Invite volunteers to share their SMART goal and one growth strategy they’ll use
  • Reinforce that effort is a skill that strengthens with practice
  • Explain how students can revisit their Progress Tracker Worksheet throughout the week to monitor progress
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Slide Deck

Level Up Your Mindset!

Welcome to the Achievement Quest

• Discover the difference between Fixed and Growth mindsets
• Earn tokens and badges by embracing challenges
• Reflect, set a SMART goal, and track your growth

Let’s level up together!

Welcome students! Introduce today’s quest: leveling up your mindset by learning about fixed vs. growth mindsets. Highlight the warm peach-to-orange gradient theme (#FFDAB9→#FFC299→#FFAE73) as our ‘level-up’ color palette. Explain that today we’ll learn, play, reflect, and set goals.

Fixed vs. Growth Mindset

Fixed Mindset:
• “I can’t do this.”
• Talent alone matters
• Avoids challenges

Growth Mindset:
• “I can learn with effort.”
• Effort builds skill
• Embraces challenges

Use two columns or side-by-side visuals: one brick wall for Fixed, one growing plant for Growth. Emphasize that mindsets are beliefs about our own abilities.

Real-Life Examples

  1. Math problem is hard:
    – Fixed: “I’m just not good at math.”
    – Growth: “I’ll keep practicing until I get it.”

  2. Spelling quiz is next week:
    – Fixed: “I’ll fail anyway.”
    – Growth: “I’ll study every day to improve.”

Read each scenario aloud. Ask students to identify whether the response is fixed or growth, and invite quick thumbs-up/thumbs-down.

The Power of “Yet”

• “I can’t do it.” → “I can’t do it yet.”
• “This is too hard.” → “This is too hard yet.”

Adding “yet” shows we’re on a learning journey!

Explain that adding “yet” shows belief in future growth. Have students turn a fixed statement into a growth one by adding “yet.”

Game Time: Growth Level-Up Quest

  1. Form teams or play solo
  2. Complete challenges (puzzles, peer tasks, reflections)
  3. Earn tokens/badges for: effort, collaboration, persistence
  4. Play for 20 minutes—teacher will circulate and cheer you on!

Introduce the Growth Level-Up Quest Game. Show physical tokens or digital badges. Clarify team vs. individual play and scoring for effort and creativity.

Reflection & SMART Goal Setting

• Which challenge was toughest? Why?
• What strategy helped you persevere?

Set YOUR SMART Goal:
Specific Measurable Achievable
Relevant Time-bound

Write it on your Progress Tracker Worksheet.

Display a sample SMART goal on the board (e.g., “I will practice multiplication facts for 10 minutes every day this week.”). Remind students to use their Progress Tracker Worksheet.

Ready to Level Up!

• Share your SMART goal and growth strategy
• Celebrate your effort and progress
• Use your Progress Tracker Worksheet daily

Keep practicing—your effort is your superpower!

Invite a few volunteers to share their SMART goals and one strategy. Encourage applause for every share to reinforce effort praise. Remind students to revisit the worksheet this week.

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Game

Growth Level-Up Quest: Station Guide & Token Rewards

Students will rotate through five stations (4 minutes each) to practice growth-mindset skills. At each station, they earn tokens based on effort, collaboration, and creativity. After completing all stations, students tally tokens to unlock a Growth Badge!

Station 1: Reflection Station

• Prompt: Think of a challenge you recently faced. Write down:

  1. What made it tough?
  2. One strategy you used (or wish you had used) to keep going.

Tokens:

  • 2 tokens for a thoughtful response to both questions






Station 2: Puzzle Station

• Task: Solve the mini-puzzle provided (e.g., a logic riddle or brain teaser).
• Goal: Show persistence! If you get stuck, try a new approach or ask a peer.

Tokens:

  • 2 tokens for completing the puzzle
  • 1 extra token for explaining a second strategy you used when you were stuck






Station 3: Peer Encouragement

• Pair with a classmate. Take turns sharing one thing you find hard in school.
• Encourage each other using growth-mindset language (e.g., “You can learn it with practice!”).

Tokens:

  • 1 token for sharing honestly
  • 1 token for giving a growth-focused encouragement
  • 1 extra token if you both clap or cheer after each share!






Station 4: Creative Growth Drawing

• Draw a symbol or scene that represents your personal growth journey (e.g., a seed becoming a tree).
• Label your drawing with one growth mindset phrase (e.g., “Effort Grows Skill”).

Tokens:

  • 2 tokens for completing the drawing
  • 1 token for including a growth phrase
  • 1 bonus token for using color or extra details






Station 5: SMART Goal Corner

• Use your Progress Tracker Worksheet to write one SMART goal for this week.
• Make sure it is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Tokens:

  • 3 tokens for a complete SMART goal
  • 1 token for noting how you’ll apply a growth mindset to reach it






Earning Your Growth Badge

• Tally all tokens:

  • 0–7 tokens: Growth Starter
  • 8–12 tokens: Growth Explorer
  • 13+ tokens: Growth Champion

• Receive a badge or sticker matching your level!
• Reflect: Which station was toughest? How will you use what you learned this week?

Keep your Progress Tracker Worksheet handy to monitor how you’re applying these strategies all week long.

Ready, set, LEVEL UP!

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Worksheet

Progress Tracker Worksheet

Use this worksheet to reflect on today’s Growth Level-Up Quest and track your SMART goal progress throughout the week.

Reflection on Today’s Quest

  1. Which station challenged you the most? Why?






  1. What growth-mindset strategy helped you persevere?






  1. How did earning tokens and badges make you feel about your effort?






My SMART Goal

Specific: What exactly will you do?




Measurable: How will you track your progress?




Achievable: Why is this goal realistic for you?




Relevant: How does this goal connect to your learning?




Time-bound: When will you complete it?




My complete SMART goal:







Weekly Growth Tracker

Monday (Date: _____)

  • Strategy used:





  • Progress note:





Tuesday (Date: _____)

  • Strategy used:





  • Progress note:





Wednesday (Date: _____)

  • Strategy used:





  • Progress note:





Thursday (Date: _____)

  • Strategy used:





  • Progress note:





Friday (Date: _____)

  • Strategy used:





  • Progress note:





Next Steps

What is one thing you will do next to continue your growth-mindset journey?







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