Growth Mindset in Action: Strategies to Support Learning Worksheets Strategy: Teach the Concepts What age group will you plan this activity for? Content focus area: The brain science: the brain is like a muscle, it can strengthen through effort. Growth vs. fixed mindset: Improving vs. proving intelligence. Mistakes are a part of the learning process. What activity or activities will you use to teach your youth about growth mindset? Focus on no more than two for the purpose of today s exercise. Read a book or tell a story Video Small group work Art Writing exercise Group discussion Group game Guest speaker or panel Hands- on project Other: How will you introduce the activity? What will the activity look like? When would be a good time to do this activity? Youth Development Executives of King County www.ydekc.org 1
Possible Resources for Your Lesson Plan Choose from these resources if you wish, as you plan your Growth Mindset lesson. Book: Thank you, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco. This book tells the story of how the author found learning to read challenging due to dyslexia. She feels like she is not smart until her fifth grade teacher s encouragement helps her to realize that she can, and will, read. (40 pages, Kindergarten through 3 rd grade) Video: The Learning Brain by the Learning Pod: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cglykv689s4 This approximately 7- minute video talks about how the brain learns, including describing how the brain creates pathways between neurons to help you improve as you learn something. Book: The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires This book is about a girl who wants to create a magnificent thing. She feels confident in her idea, but she encounters challenges along the way. She gets so mad that she quits. Her friend (a dog) encourages her to take a walk, after which she returns to the project committed to figuring it out. She learns how to persevere when faced with mistakes along the way. (32 pages, Kindergarten through 2 nd grade) Video: Caine s Arcade : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faifnkdq96u#t=615 This 11- minute documentary tells the story of Caine Monroy, a boy in East Los Angeles who created his own arcade games out of cardboard. Caine is a self- motivated learner who shows persistence as he seeks to build upon and improve his arcade despite having few customers. Learning rewires the brain by Alison Pearce Stevens https://student.societyforscience.org/article/learning- rewires- brain This article describes what the neuron and glia cells in our brain are doing when we learn. (6 th grade and up) Suggested questions about the article can be found here: https://student.societyforscience.org/article/questions- learning- rewires- brain Youth Development Executives of King County www.ydekc.org 2
SAMPLE LESSON PLAN 1 What age group will you plan this activity for? 2 nd Graders Content focus area: x_ The brain science: the brain is like a muscle, it can strengthen through effort. Growth vs. fixed mindset: Improving vs. proving intelligence. x_ Mistakes are a part of the learning process. What activity or activities will you use to teach your youth about growth mindset? Focus on no more than two for the purpose of today s exercise. x_ Read a book or tell a story Video Small group work Hands- on project Writing exercise Group discussion Group game Guest speaker or panel x_ Art Other: How will you introduce the activity? I will ask them what we think we know about the brain and our intelligence, and what we are curious to learn about. What will the activity look like? Read Your Fantastic Elastic Brain by JonAnn Deak, Ph.D. to the group. The book describes how children can stretch and grow their brains, explaining the anatomy and functions. (32 pages in length) It also talks about how mistakes are an important part of learning. We will do a pair- share and group discussion to reflect on what we learned. Then, each child will create an art project to illustrate a time when they stretched their brain and learned something new. When would be a good time to do this activity? We re about to start the second semester, so this will be a good time to introduce this topic. Youth Development Executives of King County www.ydekc.org 3
SAMPLE LESSON PLAN 2 What age group will you plan this activity for? 6 th and 7th graders Content focus area: The brain science: the brain is like a muscle, it can strengthen through effort. x_ Growth vs. fixed mindset: Improving vs. proving intelligence. Mistakes are a part of the learning process. What activity or activities will you use to teach your youth about growth mindset? Focus on no more than two for the purpose of today s exercise. Read a book or tell a story x_ Video x_ Small group work Hands- on project Writing exercise Group discussion Group game Guest speaker or panel Art Other: How will you introduce the activity? I ll start by sharing how I wasn t good in math when I was in middle school, even though now I help tutor our teens in math. I ll ask what people do sometimes when they feel they re not good at something. What will the activity look like? We will watch the Growth Mindset Animation video (about 4 minutes in length), which includes definitions of growth and fixed mindsets, the story of the tortoise and the hare, the analogy of nurturing and caring for a tree so it grows stronger and taller, and a couple of strategies, including If you hear I can t do it, add yet. We ll do a group discussions and brainstorm what we hear people say when they re in a fixed mindset or a growth mindset. Finally, they will get into small groups and create a Public Service Announcement skit for a growth mindset slogan. When would be a good time to do this activity? In next two weeks so students can think about it before state exams two months from now. Youth Development Executives of King County www.ydekc.org 4
Strategy: Encouragement Tips for Encouraging Youth Describe the effort, action, or process (What did you observe? What do you see?) Be specific (actions, details, etc.) Avoid a value ( good or bad ) judgment Option: Ask a question instead Scenario/Context Praise Encouraging Comment Youth: I made the Varsity basketball team! You are such a talented basketball player! I noticed you ve been practicing every day. You worked hard to earn that spot. Youth: I drew this picture of the fish I saw at the aquarium! That s a beautiful picture. Youth: I ve read three chapter books this month. That s so cool. Good for you! Youth: I finished my science project about earthquakes. You are an excellent student! Youth: I wrote this essay about my mom. Wow, you re an amazing writer! Youth: Look at this tower I built! Great job! Youth: I hate this. I suck at Science. We all have different talents. You re good at reading! Youth Development Executives of King County www.ydekc.org 5
Self- Reflection: What Do Our Mindsets Look Like? 1. Think about what you do when you are in each situation. 2. Record each response in the mindset column that matches that response. 3. If all of your responses fit into only one column, think about what you might do or say if you had the other mindset in that situation. Record your ideas in that column. Situation When I m in a Fixed Mindset When I m in a Growth Mindset 1. When I make a mistake in front of youth 2. When I ask questions about a conflict or problem 3. When I take risks in front of youth 4. When I receive constructive feedback Youth Development Executives of King County www.ydekc.org 6
5. When I describe a child who is not meeting expectations 6. When something is difficult or frustrating in my job 7. When a youth gives an incorrect answer 8. When I talk to my colleagues about changes in curriculum, leadership, or policies Youth Development Executives of King County www.ydekc.org 7
Resources for Cultivating a Growth Mindset Skills and Dispositions that Support Youth Success in School developed by Youth Development Executives of King County in partnership with The Road Map Project: http://ydekc.org/research- and- resources/ How Stereotypes Undermine Test Scores (an interview with researcher Joshua Aronson): http://www.tolerance.org/article/how- stereotypes- undermine- test- scores How Youth Learn: Ned s Gr8 8 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_bskcxtqpm The Learning Brain by the Learning Pod: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cglykv689s4 Growth Mindset Animation by Cameron Lisney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=- _oqghnxbmy Helping Students Learn: Growth Mindset: by CRAfT Educational Videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kw5zt2yzxb0 Brainology demo: http://www.mindsetworks.com/webnav/program.aspx Youth Development Executives of King County www.ydekc.org 8