Lesson Plan
Facilitator Guide and Timing Notes
Students will describe fixed vs. growth mindsets and identify two personal effort-based strategies to use this week, measured by an exit ticket and pre/post self-assessment.
Understanding and practicing a growth mindset builds resilience, boosts motivation, and empowers students to embrace challenges and learn from mistakes.
Audience
4th Grade
Time
45 minutes
Approach
Explicit teaching, modeling, scenario practice, strategy planning, and reflection.
Prep
Prepare Lesson Materials
10 minutes
- Review Facilitator Guide and Timing Notes for structure and timing
- Load and preview Mindset Powers On Slides
- Print enough copies of the Likert School Success Self-Assessment Pre/Post (10-item rubric)
- Prepare sets of Mistakes Help Me Grow Card Sort
- Print My Growth Strategy Menu and Today My Brain Grew Reflection for each student
- Gather and organize scenario prompts for Effort vs. Talent Scenarios
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 and effort independently
- Collect responses to establish a baseline for growth mindset understanding
Step 2
Explicit Teach & Model
10 minutes
- Display the Mindset Powers On Slides
- Define fixed vs. growth mindsets with student-friendly examples
- Model positive self-talk and error reframing using sample scenarios
- Highlight how effort and strategies build brain ability (neuroplasticity)
Step 3
Guided Practice
10 minutes
- Present small groups with Effort vs. Talent Scenarios
- Challenge students to label each scenario as fixed or growth mindset
- Distribute Mistakes Help Me Grow Card Sort
- Guide students to reframe mistakes into learning opportunities
- Circulate and prompt deeper explanation
Step 4
Strategy Planning
10 minutes
- Hand out the My Growth Strategy Menu
- Review each effort-based strategy (e.g., goal setting, asking for feedback)
- Instruct students to choose two strategies and plan when/how to apply them
- Students record their plan on the worksheet
Step 5
Reflection & Exit Ticket
10 minutes
- Provide each student with the Today My Brain Grew Reflection
- Prompt them to describe one mindset shift they experienced today
- Ask for two strategies they will use this week and why
- Collect reflections as an exit ticket and formative assessment
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Slide Deck
Mindset Powers On
• Exploring Fixed vs. Growth Mindsets
• How Effort Builds Brain Power
• Strategies for Learning Success
Welcome students! Introduce today’s lesson: we’re going to explore two ways people think about learning—fixed and growth mindsets—and learn how our brains actually grow with effort. Explain that by the end of class, they’ll know the difference and pick strategies to help themselves learn.
Lesson Objectives
By the end of today, you will:
- Describe a fixed mindset vs. a growth mindset
- Explain how effort and strategies help your brain grow
- Identify two personal effort-based strategies to use this week
Read the lesson learning objective out loud. Emphasize that you’ll measure their understanding with a quick pre-assessment now and an exit ticket later.
What Is a Mindset?
Mindset = Our beliefs and thoughts about our abilities and learning.
– Shapes how we handle challenges
– Influences how we respond to mistakes
Ask: “What does mindset mean?” After a few student responses, share the definition. Stress that mindset is how we think about our abilities.
Fixed vs. Growth Mindset
Fixed Mindset:
• “I can’t do this.”
• Avoids challenges
• Gives up easily
Growth Mindset:
• “I can learn with effort.”
• Embraces challenges
• Persists and learns from mistakes
Introduce the two mindsets side by side. Illustrate each with a child-friendly example (e.g., math homework vs. science project). Point out key differences.
How the Brain Grows
• Your brain forms new connections when you practice
• Effort and strategies strengthen these connections
• Mistakes help your brain learn and grow
Explain neuroplasticity: our brains form new connections when we practice and challenge ourselves. Use a simple analogy like a path in the grass that gets clearer the more you walk it.
Positive Self-Talk & Error Reframing
Example:
Fixed: “I’m not good at spelling.”
Growth: “I’ll practice these words until I improve.”
Turn mistakes into learning steps!
Model two types of self-talk: fixed (“I’m terrible at this!”) vs. growth (“I’ll try a different strategy!”). Invite a volunteer to help demonstrate error reframing.
Guided Practice: Mindset Scenarios
- Read each scenario in your group
- Decide: Fixed mindset or Growth mindset?
- Be ready to share your reasoning
Introduce the small-group activity. Distribute the Effort vs. Talent Scenarios. Explain that each group will decide if the story shows a fixed or growth mindset.
Reframing Mistakes Activity
• Look at each mistake card
• Match it with a growth response card
• Discuss why that response helps you learn
Next, hand out the Mistakes Help Me Grow Card Sort. Instruct students to match each mistake with a positive learning response.
Choose Your Growth Strategies
Select two strategies you will use this week:
• Set specific learning goals
• Ask for feedback
• Try a new study method
• Take short brain breaks
Guide students through the My Growth Strategy Menu. Highlight examples: setting small goals, asking for feedback, taking breaks. Ensure they pick two.
Reflection & Exit Ticket
- Describe one mindset shift you had today.
- List your two chosen strategies and explain why you chose them.
Turn in when finished – great work!
Distribute the Today My Brain Grew Reflection. Ask students to write one mindset shift they experienced and list their two chosen strategies with reasons.
Rubric
Likert School Success Self-Assessment Pre/Post (10-item Rubric)
Instructions: For each statement below, circle the number that best describes what you believe today. Use the same rubric at the end of the lesson to see how your beliefs have changed!
| # | Statement | 1 (Strongly Disagree) | 2 (Disagree) | 3 (Unsure) | 4 (Agree) | 5 (Strongly Agree) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I can improve my intelligence by working hard. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 2 | When I make a mistake, I learn something new about my brain. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 3 | I feel smart when things come easily without practice. (R) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 4 | I enjoy trying different strategies when a problem is hard. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 5 | If I don’t succeed right away, I usually give up. (R) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 6 | Asking for help is a smart way to learn more. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 7 | I believe some people are just born smart and can’t change. (R) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 8 | Getting feedback helps me improve my work. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 9 | I feel frustrated when I have to practice something many times. (R) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 10 | I stick with difficult tasks until I figure them out. | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Notation:
(R) = Reverse-scored item (higher disagreement indicates a growth mindset)
Activity
Mistakes Help Me Grow Card Sort
Instructions: Cut out the cards below. In your group, match each Mistake Card with the best Growth Response Card. Discuss why that response helps you learn from the mistake.
Mistake Cards
- Card 1: “When my poem didn’t rhyme perfectly, I stopped writing.”
- Card 2: “I froze when reading aloud and skipped a sentence.”
- Card 3: “I didn’t understand the science experiment steps so I quit.”
- Card 4: “I made lots of spelling mistakes on my test and felt discouraged.”
- Card 5: “My drawing didn’t look like the picture, so I tore it up.”
- Card 6: “I fell behind in my puzzle and gave up trying.”
Growth Response Cards
- Response A: “I’ll try a new rhyme and ask a friend to help me improve my poem.”
- Response B: “I’ll slow down and practice reading each sentence until I’m confident.”
- Response C: “I’ll review the steps with my teacher and try the experiment again.”
- Response D: “I’ll look up each spelling word, practice it, and then retake the test.”
- Response E: “I’ll practice drawing one part at a time and keep my picture.”
- Response F: “I’ll work on the puzzle in smaller sections and keep practicing.”
After matching, glue or tape each pair on your paper. Be ready to share:
- Which mistake and response you paired.
- Why that growth response will help you learn.
Worksheet
My Growth Strategy Menu
Effort-Based Strategies
- Set Specific Learning Goals
- Decide exactly what you want to learn and make a plan.
- Ask for Feedback
- Seek advice from teachers or friends to improve your work.
- Try a New Study Method
- Use flashcards, drawings, or teach someone else to practice.
- Take Short Brain Breaks
- Pause, stretch, or walk before returning to your task.
- Use Positive Self-Talk
- Encourage yourself with phrases like “I can learn this!” or “Mistakes help me grow!”
- Break Tasks into Smaller Steps
- Divide a big assignment into smaller, manageable parts.
- Reflect on Mistakes
- Think about what went wrong, what you learned, and how you can try again.
- Practice Regularly
- Spend short, focused time on difficult skills each day.
## Choose Two Strategies
Select TWO strategies from the menu above that you will use this week. For each, complete the plan below.
Strategy #1
Which strategy: ____________________________________________________
Why I chose this strategy:
When and how I will use this strategy:
Strategy #2
Which strategy: ____________________________________________________
Why I chose this strategy:
When and how I will use this strategy:
Discussion
Effort vs. Talent Scenarios
Instructions: In small groups, read each scenario below. For each one:
- Decide: Fixed Mindset or Growth Mindset.
- Underline or circle the clue words that helped you decide.
- Write a brief explanation: Why did you choose that label?
- If it shows a fixed mindset, suggest one way to reframe it into a growth mindset.
Use the space after each scenario to record your group’s thoughts.
Scenario 1
Luis says, “I’m just not good at sports; no matter how much I practice, I’ll never improve.”
Mindset Label (Fixed/Growth): ________________
Clues: ________________________________________________________
Why we chose this label:
Growth Reframe (if fixed):
Scenario 2
Mei practiced piano every day for a month and now she can play her favorite song without mistakes.
Mindset Label (Fixed/Growth): ________________
Clues: ________________________________________________________
Why we chose this label:
Growth Reframe (if fixed):
Scenario 3
Carlos skipped studying for his science test because he thinks, “I don’t have a science brain.”
Mindset Label (Fixed/Growth): ________________
Clues: ________________________________________________________
Why we chose this label:
Growth Reframe (if fixed):
Scenario 4
Jada struggled on a tough math problem, but she asked her teacher for a hint and tried three different ways until she solved it.
Mindset Label (Fixed/Growth): ________________
Clues: ________________________________________________________
Why we chose this label:
Growth Reframe (if fixed):
Scenario 5
Ethan read a difficult book, felt frustrated, and decided to quit because he thought it was “too hard.”
Mindset Label (Fixed/Growth): ________________
Clues: ________________________________________________________
Why we chose this label:
Growth Reframe (if fixed):
Scenario 6
Sophia got stuck on a reading assignment. She looked up new strategies online, tried them, and discussed the story with a friend to understand it better.
Mindset Label (Fixed/Growth): ________________
Clues: ________________________________________________________
Why we chose this label:
Growth Reframe (if fixed):
After you finish, be ready to share one scenario your group found tricky and explain your reasoning to the class.
Journal
Today My Brain Grew Reflection
1. Mindset Shift
Describe one new way of thinking (mindset) you noticed in yourself today. How did that change the way you approached a challenge?
2. Strategy Planning
Look at the two growth strategies you selected from the My Growth Strategy Menu. For each one, answer the questions below:
Strategy 1: __________________________________________________
- Why I chose this strategy:
- When and how I will use this strategy this week:
Strategy 2: __________________________________________________
- Why I chose this strategy:
- When and how I will use this strategy this week:
3. Future Goal
Set one goal for how you will keep using a growth mindset in your next learning activity. Write your goal and one specific step you will take to reach it.
Thank you for reflecting! Please turn in this sheet as your exit ticket.