Lesson Plan
Mindset Makeover Lesson Plan
Students will understand the difference between fixed and growth mindsets, practice reframing limiting thoughts, and develop two personal strategies for tackling challenges.
Cultivating a growth mindset boosts resilience, motivation, and academic success by helping students view effort and mistakes as pathways to learning.
Audience
10th Grade
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Interactive discussion, guided practice, and personal reflection.
Materials
- Growth Mindset Slide Deck, - Mindset Reflection Worksheet, - Index Cards, - Pens or Pencils, and - Projector or Smartboard
Prep
Prepare Classroom and Materials
5 minutes
- Queue up the Growth Mindset Slide Deck on the projector or Smartboard
- Print enough copies of the Mindset Reflection Worksheet for every student
- Distribute index cards and pens at each desk
- Arrange seating for whole-class discussion and partner work
Step 1
Hook: Challenge Discussion
5 minutes
- Display a challenging puzzle or brain teaser via the Growth Mindset Slide Deck
- Ask: “What thoughts go through your mind when you can’t solve something right away?”
- Capture student responses on the board, distinguishing fixed-mindset statements ("I’m just not good at this") from growth-mindset statements ("I can get better with practice").
Step 2
Mini-Lecture: Mindset Basics
7 minutes
- Slide 2–5 of the Growth Mindset Slide Deck defines fixed vs. growth mindsets
- Highlight real-world examples (athletes, inventors) who succeeded through effort
- Emphasize brain plasticity: effort rewires neural pathways
- Pause for 1–2 clarifying questions
Step 3
Guided Practice: Thought Reframing
8 minutes
- Hand out the Mindset Reflection Worksheet
- Model reframing a fixed thought (“I’ll never get an A”) into a growth thought (“What can I try differently?”)
- In pairs, students complete two reframing prompts on the worksheet
- Circulate and provide feedback on student reframings
Step 4
Independent Application: Strategy Brainstorm
7 minutes
- On an index card, students write one academic challenge they’re facing
- Below it, they list two growth-mindset strategies (e.g., seek feedback, break tasks into steps)
- Volunteers share one challenge and strategy with the class to inspire peers
Step 5
Exit Ticket and Assessment
3 minutes
- Students submit their index cards as an exit ticket
- Quick check: ensure each card shows a reframed mindset and two concrete strategies
- Use these exit tickets to gauge understanding and plan any follow-up lessons
Slide Deck
Mindset Makeover: Embrace Growth
How Your Thoughts Shape Your Success
Welcome students! Today we're exploring how your mindset influences learning and success. Encourage everyone to participate and share openly.
Advanced Brain Teaser Challenge
Consider the look-and-say sequence:
1 → 11 → 21 → 1211 → 111221 → ___
What is the next term? Explain how you derived it.
Display this puzzle. Give students 2–3 minutes to think individually or with a partner. Highlight the strategy of breaking down unfamiliar challenges step by step and describing patterns aloud.
Your First Reactions
What thoughts went through your mind when you got stuck?
• Share with a partner
• We’ll highlight common themes together
Ask students to turn to a partner and describe their immediate thoughts when they got stuck. Then collect a few responses, categorizing them as fixed- or growth-mindset examples.
What Is a Mindset?
Mindset: Your beliefs about your abilities and intelligence
Fixed Mindset: Believing talents and smarts are set in stone
Growth Mindset: Believing abilities can be developed through effort
Define the term ‘mindset’ and walk through the two main types. Emphasize that mindset is not innate—it can change.
Fixed vs Growth Mindsets
Fixed Mindset:
• Avoid challenges
• Give up easily
• See effort as pointless
Growth Mindset:
• Embrace challenges
• Persist despite setbacks
• View effort as path to mastery
Contrast the two mindsets point by point. Invite students to give their own examples of each behavior.
Growth Mindset in Action
• Michael Jordan: Cut from his high‐school team but practiced relentlessly to become an NBA legend
• Thomas Edison: Failed 1,000+ times before inventing the lightbulb
• J.K. Rowling: Rejected by multiple publishers before ‘Harry Potter’ succeeded
• Ludwig van Beethoven: Continued composing masterworks after losing his hearing
• Sara Blakely: Faced hundreds of investor rejections before launching Spanx
• Stephen King: Over 30 rejections before ‘Carrie’ was published
• Steph Curry: Overcame size and scouting doubts to become a top NBA shooter
• Marie Curie: Persisted through skepticism to win two Nobel Prizes in science
• Misty Copeland: Became the first African American principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre
• Malala Yousafzai: Continued advocating for girls’ education despite life-threatening opposition
• Walt Disney: Faced bankruptcy and studio rejections before creating Mickey Mouse and Disney Studios
• Oprah Winfrey: Overcame early career setbacks to become a media mogul and philanthropist
Share these stories of perseverance from different fields. Encourage students to think of other examples in sports, arts, business, science, and activism.
Your Brain Is a Muscle
Every time you practice, your brain forms stronger connections.
Mistakes are signals that help your brain grow smarter.
Briefly explain brain plasticity in everyday terms. Highlight that making mistakes is how we strengthen our neural ‘muscles.’
Let’s watch a short video illustrating growth mindset in action. Ask students to note one new idea they hear.
Thought Reframing
Turn fixed thoughts into growth thoughts:
“I can’t do this” → “What strategy can I try next?”
“I’ll never get an A” → “What steps will help me improve?”
Model one reframing example. Write the fixed thought on the board, then invite students to suggest a growth alternative.
Practice: Strategy Brainstorm
On your index card:
- Write one academic challenge you’re facing
- List two growth-mindset strategies (e.g., seek feedback, break tasks into steps)
Instruct students to use their index cards and the Mindset Reflection Worksheet. Circulate to support and prompt deeper thinking.
Exit Ticket & Next Steps
• Submit your index card showing your reframed thought and strategies
• We’ll review responses to guide our next lesson
• Remember: Effort + Strategy = Growth!
Collect the index cards as exit tickets. Reinforce that applying these strategies regularly will help them build resilience.
Worksheet
Mindset Reflection Worksheet
Name: ________________________ Date: ____________
Part 1: Thought Reframing
Think of two times you experienced a fixed-mindset thought. For each, write the thought and then reframe it into a growth-mindset thought.
- Fixed Thought 1: ________________________________
Growth Reframe 1: ______________________________ - Fixed Thought 2: ________________________________
Growth Reframe 2: ______________________________
Part 2: Growth-Mindset Strategies
A. Academic Challenge: Describe one current academic challenge you’re facing.
______________________________________________
B. Strategy Brainstorm: List two growth-mindset strategies you can use to tackle this challenge.
- __________________________________________
- __________________________________________
Part 3: Commitment
Choose one of the strategies above. How will you apply it this week to support your learning?
______________________________________________
Good luck leveling up your mindset!
(Use this worksheet alongside the Mindset Makeover Lesson Plan and the Growth Mindset Slide Deck to guide your reflection.)
Reading
Growth Mindset Explained
What Is a Growth Mindset?
A growth mindset is the belief that your abilities and intelligence can be developed with effort, strategies, and support. It contrasts with a fixed mindset, which assumes that talents and smarts are innate and unchangeable. When you embrace a growth mindset, you:
- Welcome challenges instead of avoiding them.
- Persist when you face setbacks rather than giving up.
- See effort as a path to mastery, not as a sign of failure.
- Learn from feedback and criticism to improve.
- Find inspiration in others’ successes instead of feeling threatened.
The Science Behind Growth
Your brain isn’t fixed like a book—it’s more like a muscle that grows stronger with use. This phenomenon is called neuroplasticity:
- Neurons (brain cells) form new connections every time you learn something new or practice a skill.
- Making mistakes triggers your brain to rewire and strengthen those connections.
- Over time, tasks that felt hard become easier as your neural pathways become more efficient.
Why a Growth Mindset Matters
Research shows students with a growth mindset:
- Achieve higher grades and test scores.
- Persist longer on challenging tasks.
- Bounce back more quickly from setbacks.
- Experience less stress and anxiety about failure.
By shifting how you think about learning and effort, you open the door to continuous improvement and resilience.
Real-World Growth Stories
You’ve already seen some of these in the Growth Mindset Slide Deck, but here are a few quick reminders:
• Michael Jordan was cut from his high-school basketball team before becoming an NBA legend.
• Thomas Edison failed over 1,000 times before inventing the lightbulb.
• J.K. Rowling faced multiple rejections before ‘Harry Potter’ became a worldwide phenomenon.
• Sara Blakely endured hundreds of business rejections before launching Spanx.
Each example shows that setbacks are not dead ends—they’re setups for breakthroughs.
Strategies to Cultivate Your Growth Mindset
Try incorporating these practices into your daily routine:
- Reframe setbacks: After a challenge, ask yourself, “What did I learn?” instead of “Why did I fail?”
- Set SMART goals: Make your goals Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
- Seek feedback: View constructive criticism as a roadmap for improvement.
- Celebrate effort: Recognize the hard work you put in, not just the end result.
- Practice reflection: Use the Mindset Reflection Worksheet to track your fixed thoughts and reframe them.
This one-page overview complements the full Mindset Makeover Lesson Plan and can serve as a quick reference for building and sustaining a growth mindset. Good luck leveling up your learning journey!