Title:You Have Grit?

Topic:Grade: 6-8

Materials:Day 1 and Day 2

  1. Class set of Growth Mindset Vocabulary page OR enough copies for groups
  2. Paper/pencil/color markers and dictionaries OR use Merriam Webster (m-w.com) w/phone or netbook in each group. (IF you have large paper for students to draw a cluster map for EACH group of words, use large paper. Otherwise, use one page per word cluster so big enough and clear enough to share.)

Activities: Day 1

  1. Read opening comments to the students: “What we know and understand about the brain and how we learn has changed greatly in the last 10 years. We’ve learnedour skills and abilitiescontinue tochange and grow every day we experience the ups and downs of life. Your brain is like a muscle: the more you use it… the more I use it…the stronger it grows. When we hit a wall, fail at an effort, or must work through a rough stretch, that’s when we learn….how to pick up, figure out the next steps, and stick to it to succeed. The realization that we change and grow with our experiences is called Growth Mindset. Let’s see how it works.

(Adapted from NPR.org, 6/2016)

Day 1:Educator Jim Gant identified the list below as important words which support the Growth Mindset and what’s called Grit.

Teacher/Leader read aloud:

Growth Mindset “Gritty Words.” What does it mean when someone says, “You have Grit?”

(2-3 minutes discussion with/among students) According to Jim Grant, an expert in Growth Mindset, students and adults develop AND practice specific kinds of behaviors to both grow AND develop Grit. Work with the word list below to see how many you and your group members identify, practice, and can grow into.

Set up: Divide students into groups of 3 or 5. Ask students to read through the “Gritty Words” list, talk about what the words mean to them, and then, direct students divide the words into 4 different groups based upon theirsimilar meanings. There will be variety in the group results.(11-15 minutes)

Monitor student progress, encourage deeper more specific definition awareness via student knowledge, dictionary, and/or iphone research from Merriam Webster dictionary online.

At 15 minute mark, give a 1-3 minute warning on time. Ask each group to report; direct students to listen for similarities AND differences. EACH group should share their 4 word clusters; teacher/leader should direct attention to words which are clearer in understanding. Also, take time to address those words which require more information for clearer meaning.

NOTE: Keep student group work for Day 2 of lesson.

What do these words have in common? And, how are these words different?

Talk through the list and what you know about their meanings. Sort the Growth Mindset words into 4 categories with each category being the words that are most alike in meaning.

self-control resilience open-minded goal-focused

gratitude volition conscientious optimism

patience hard worker ambitious resolve

social agility zest/zealtenacity perseverance

stay-the-course persistenceoptimism effort /fortitude

nerve spine/backbone courageself-determination

self-confidence initiative social intelligence moxie

(Lesson adapted from Jim Grant.org)

Day 2: Resume lesson with a spoken recall/review of the terms Growth Mindset AND Grit as a whole class activity. Direct students to reread the word clusters created and reported from Day 1 of the lesson.

Take time to clarify meanings and their applications through student previous knowledge, dictionary research and/or eSite dictionary for Merriam Webster (m-w.com).(5-9 minutes)

Teacher/Leader: Today, after a recall and review, you’ll decide which of the Growth Mindset and Grit words are most important to you:

  1. EACH student should select any 11-15 from the list of 28.
  2. Rank the words in order of importance to you and tell why for each on your paper.
  3. Create a word cloud which shows the words and their importance to you. See sample.
  4. Students, plan to share. (11-15 minutes)

(Lesson adapted from Jim Grant.org)

Gritty Word List

What do these words have in common? And, how are these words different?

Talk through the list and what you know about their meanings. Sort the Growth Mindset words into 4 categories with each category being the words that are most alike in meaning.

  1. self-control resilience open-minded goal-focused
  2. gratitude volition conscientious optimism
  3. patience hard worker ambitious resolve
  4. social agility zest/zeal tenacity perseverance
  5. stay-the-course persistenceoptimism effort /fortitude
  6. nerve spine/backbone courageself-determination
  7. self-confidence initiative social intelligence moxie

(Lesson adapted from JimGant.edu)