Lesson Plan
Facilitator Guide and Timing Notes
Students will distinguish fixed vs. growth mindsets, understand how effort and strategies build abilities, and commit to two personal growth strategies, as measured by a pre-assessment rubric and exit ticket.
Building a growth mindset helps students embrace challenges, learn from mistakes, and develop resilience. This lesson fosters positive self-talk, persistence, and a love of learning to empower lifelong learners.
Audience
4th Grade
Time
45 minutes
Approach
Interactive teaching, modeling, scenario practice, and reflection.
Prep
Prepare Materials and Review Slides
10 minutes
- Print copies of the Likert School Success Self-Assessment Pre/Post (10-Item Rubric), Mistakes Help Me Grow Card Sort, My Growth Strategy Menu, and Today My Brain Grew Reflection.
- Queue up the Mindset Powers On Slides and review key examples.
- Arrange desks or tables for small-group card sort and scenario discussions.
- Familiarize yourself with the Effort vs. Talent Scenarios prompts.
Step 1
Warm-Up & Pre-Assessment
5 minutes
- Distribute the Likert School Success Self-Assessment Pre/Post (10-Item Rubric).
- Ask students to rate their beliefs about learning (e.g., “I can’t do this” vs. “I can learn if I try different strategies”).
- Collect rubrics to establish baseline mindsets.
Step 2
Explicit Teach & Model
10 minutes
- Present definitions of fixed and growth mindsets using Mindset Powers On Slides.
- Model examples: a fixed thought (“I’m just not good at math”) vs. a growth thought (“I can improve with practice”).
- Highlight brain plasticity and how effort builds ability.
Step 3
Guided Practice: Scenarios & Card Sort
15 minutes
- In small groups, distribute Effort vs. Talent Scenarios and Mistakes Help Me Grow Card Sort.
- Have students identify fixed vs. growth mindset statements and sort “mistakes” into how they help learning.
- Circulate to prompt reflection: “What strategy could turn this mistake into a win?”.
Step 4
Independent Strategy Planning
10 minutes
- Give each student a My Growth Strategy Menu.
- Ask them to select two effort-based strategies (e.g., “ask a peer question,” “break problems into steps”) to use this week.
- Students write their name, chosen strategies, and situational reminders on the menu.
Step 5
Reflect & Exit Ticket
5 minutes
- Hand out the Today My Brain Grew Reflection.
- Students write one mindset shift they experienced and one strategy they will apply tomorrow.
- Quickly share aloud one insight and collect reflections as the exit ticket.
Slide Deck
Mindset Powers On
4th Grade • Growth Mindset Lesson
Let’s explore how our brains can grow and how we can power on with effort and good strategies!
Welcome everyone! Introduce today’s lesson: Mindset Powers On. Explain that today we’ll learn how our thoughts about learning can help our brains grow and how we can use strategies to get better at anything.
What Is a Mindset?
• Our mindset is the way we think about our abilities and learning.
• It shapes how we respond to challenges and mistakes.
Ask students: What do you think the word “mindset” means? Listen to responses, then introduce the definition.
Fixed vs. Growth Mindset
Fixed Mindset:
- “I’m just not good at this.”
- “If it’s hard, I’ll give up.”
Growth Mindset:
- “I can improve with practice.”
- “Challenges help me learn.”
Show the two mindsets side by side. Emphasize that everyone has thoughts from both mindsets, and we can choose to grow.
Brain Plasticity
• Our brains are like muscles—they grow stronger with effort.
• Every time we try, practice, or learn from mistakes, our brain builds new connections.
Explain brain plasticity: how connections in the brain get stronger when we practice and learn from mistakes.
Examples of Mindset
Scenario 1 – Math Problem:
• Fixed: “I’ll never get this right.”
• Growth: “I can learn a new strategy to solve this.”
Scenario 2 – Art Project:
• Fixed: “I’m not an artist.”
• Growth: “I can try different techniques and improve.”
Read each scenario aloud. Invite students to share the fixed thought, then how they could reframe it with a growth mindset.
Effort & Strategies Build Ability
• Effort gives your brain practice.
• Strategies (like breaking tasks into steps) guide your effort.
• Together, they make you stronger and smarter.
Highlight that effort alone isn’t enough—using good strategies matters too. Ask for examples of strategies students use.
Learning from Mistakes
Mistakes Help Me Grow Because:
- I see what doesn’t work.
- I can try a new way next time.
- I learn more about the process.
Explain why mistakes are valuable. Encourage students to think of a mistake they made recently and what they learned.
Guided Practice
In groups:
- Use Effort vs. Talent Scenarios.
- Sort statements with Mistakes Help Me Grow Card Sort.
- Identify each statement as fixed or growth.
Give clear instructions for the group activity. Circulate and prompt, “What is the mindset here? How does this mistake help you learn?”
Plan Your Growth Strategies
• Pick two strategies from My Growth Strategy Menu.
• Write your name, the strategies, and when you will use them this week.
Model picking strategies from the menu: “I choose ‘ask a peer question’ when stuck in math.” Then ask students to do the same.
Reflect & Exit Ticket
Complete Today My Brain Grew Reflection:
- One mindset shift I experienced today: ________
- One strategy I will use tomorrow: ________
Tell students to complete their reflections, share one insight aloud, then collect their papers.
Keep Your Brain Powered On!
• Embrace challenges.
• Use your two strategies every day.
• Celebrate mistakes as learning steps!
Wrap up with energy. Encourage students to look for challenges this week and remind them that effort + strategy = growth.
Rubric
Likert School Success Pre/Post Rubric
Rate each statement by choosing the number that best reflects how you feel about learning.
Scale: 1 = Strongly Disagree 2 = Disagree 3 = Neutral 4 = Agree 5 = Strongly Agree
| # | Statement | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | When a task is hard, I feel like giving up. | |||||
| 2 | I can learn new things if I try different strategies. | |||||
| 3 | I believe my intelligence is fixed and cannot change. | |||||
| 4 | I enjoy challenges because they help me learn. | |||||
| 5 | Making mistakes means I’m not good at something. | |||||
| 6 | Feedback helps me improve and grow. | |||||
| 7 | I’m not very good at some subjects and that will never change. | |||||
| 8 | I stick with a difficult task until I find a solution. | |||||
| 9 | If I don’t understand something right away, I think I just lack talent. | |||||
| 10 | Practice and effort can make me smarter over time. |
Activity
Mistakes Help Me Grow Card Sort
Objective: Students will recognize how common mistakes point out areas to improve and match each mistake with a growth-oriented reframe.
Materials (per group):
- A set of Mistake Cards
- A set of Growth Reframe Cards
- Sorting mat or two columns labeled “Mistake” and “How This Helps Me Grow”
Instructions:
- Shuffle all cards and place them face down in one pile.
- Turn cards over one at a time and decide if it’s a Mistake or a Growth Reframe.
- Place each card under the correct column on the mat.
- When all cards are sorted, match each Mistake Card with a Growth Reframe Card that explains why that mistake helps you learn.
- Discuss as a group: Which mistake surprised you? Which reframe felt most helpful?
Mistake Cards
- “I spelled that word wrong.”
- “I didn’t get the answer right away.”
- “My drawing didn’t look like the example.”
- “I missed the basketball shot.”
- “I wrote down the wrong number in math.”
- “I forgot to follow the directions.”
Growth Reframe Cards
- “It tells me what I need to practice next.”
- “It shows where I can try a new strategy.”
- “It reminds me to ask for help or feedback.”
- “It helps me learn from what didn’t work.”
- “It proves that effort and practice help me improve.”
- “It gives me a chance to break the task into smaller steps.”
Reflection Questions (after matching):
- Which match felt most powerful to you, and why?
- How can you remember this reframe next time you make a similar mistake?
- Share one new strategy you’ll try when you notice this mistake happening again.
Worksheet
My Growth Strategy Menu
Name: _______________________ Date: ___________
Instructions: Choose two strategies from the menu below that you will use this week to help your brain grow. For each strategy, write when you will use it and how it will help you.
Growth Strategies Menu
- Ask a peer for help when I'm stuck.
- Break a difficult task into smaller steps.
- Use kind self-talk (e.g., “I can do this!”).
- Try a new strategy if the first one doesn't work.
- Take a short brain break and come back.
- Ask my teacher a clarifying question.
- Visualize the steps before I begin.
- Set a small goal before I start working.
- Review what went wrong and try again.
- Use a checklist or graphic organizer.
Strategy 1:
My strategy: _________________________________________
When I’ll use it: ______________________________________
How it helps me grow: _______________________________
Strategy 2:
My strategy: _________________________________________
When I’ll use it: ______________________________________
How it helps me grow: _______________________________
Reminder: Keep this menu somewhere you can see it and use your strategies every day to power on your brain!
Discussion
Effort vs. Talent Scenarios
Objective:
Help students distinguish between believing success comes from natural talent vs. effort and good strategies.
Setup:
• Print or display each scenario.
• Arrange students in small groups or pairs.
Scenario 1: The Science Experiment
Sam conducted a volcano experiment in science class and got unexpected results. He says aloud: “I guess I’m just not a science person—experiments never work for me.”
Discussion Questions:
- Is Sam showing a fixed (talent) mindset or a growth (effort) mindset? Why?
- How could Sam reframe his thought to focus on effort and strategy?
- What’s one next step (strategy) Sam could try to improve his experiment results?
Potential Follow-Up Points:
- Remind students that scientists learn from failed trials.
- Emphasize asking questions and tweaking variables.
Scenario 2: The Piano Recital
Lena practiced her piano piece only once before the recital and stumbled over notes on stage. She whispers: “I don’t have musical talent, so I shouldn’t bother practicing anymore.”
Discussion Questions:
- Fixed or growth mindset? What clues tell you that?
- How might Lena change her self-talk to reflect practice and strategy?
- Which strategies from our My Growth Strategy Menu could help Lena next time?
Potential Follow-Up Points:
- Highlight setting small practice goals and breaking pieces into sections.
- Encourage kind self-talk: “I can get better with practice.”
Scenario 3: The Reading Challenge
Ben picks up a challenging book and reads the first page slowly. He sighs: “This is way too hard—some people are just born readers, and I’m not one of them.”
Discussion Questions:
- What kind of mindset is Ben showing?
- How can Ben rephrase his thought to include effort and strategy?
- What reading strategies (e.g., sounding out, asking a partner) could help him?
Potential Follow-Up Points:
- Talk about reading practice and using context clues.
- Stress that all great readers started with hard books.
Scenario 4: The Basketball Practice
Emma practices free throws and misses several in a row. Frustrated, she says: “I’ll never be good at basketball—I’m just not sporty.”
Discussion Questions:
- Fixed or growth mindset? How do you know?
- What growth-mindset thought could Emma say instead?
- What practice strategy (e.g., break motion into steps, watch a model) could Emma use next time?
Potential Follow-Up Points:
- Remind students that athletes practice thousands of shots.
- Suggest breaking the skill into smaller parts.
Scenario 5: Modeling Growth Mindset
Jackson struggled to spell multisyllabic words. He chose to break each word into syllables, practiced daily, and said: “I can improve if I take it one step at a time.”
Discussion Questions:
- How does Jackson’s mindset support his learning?
- Which strategies did he use?
- How could you apply Jackson’s approach to something you find hard?
Reflection & Application
After discussing all scenarios, ask students:
- Which character’s mindset shift felt most inspiring? Why?
- Which effort-based strategy will you try when you face a challenge this week?
- How can you remind yourself to focus on effort and strategy instead of “I’m just not talented”?
Encourage students to jot down their chosen strategy and a reminder phrase on their My Growth Strategy Menu or in their notebook.
Journal
Today My Brain Grew Reflection
Name: _______________________ Date: ___________
1. One mindset shift I experienced today (how my thinking changed):
2. One strategy I will use tomorrow to help my brain grow (and why):