Growth Mindset (Grades 6-12)

Overview: Life can be busy and can create distress in the lives of families and students. Therefore, it is important to highlight the need to have a growth mindset and to manage stress to respect yourself, your health, and your well-being.

Duration: 2 days (45 minutes each day)

Character Education Objectives:

Students will:

  • share ideas about good stress and distress on the body
  • discuss ways to use a growth mindset to navigate stressful situations 
  • create a Personal Stress Management Plan

Materials:

Lesson Plan Day 1

Journal: (5 mins)

  • What makes you feel stressed?
  • How do you know you are stressed?

 Whole Group Discussion (10 mins)

  • What are physical signs of stress?
  • What are some emotional signs you may be feeling distressed?
  • How do we show respect for ourselves by paying attention to our stress levels?

Whole Group Video 15 mins:

Whole Group Discussion (10 mins) 

  • What are the effects of believing stress is bad?
  • How does changing the way you think about stress impact your body’s response to stress?

Exit Ticket: (5 mins)

  • What is the number one thing learned about stress today?

Lesson Plan Day Two 

Journal: (5 mins)

  • What should you think when you feel stressed?

Small group Discussion/Productive Group Work (25 mins)

  • Use the 3-2-1 Handouts from the previous lesson to help with responses
  • Record the responses to share with the whole group on Stress Quadrant Handout
    • What:
      • should you think when you feel stressed?
      • are some healthy ways to process stress?
      • are some unhealthy responses to stress?
      • is important to know about stress?

Individual (15 mins)

  • Utilize the posters created in a small group to give ideas 
  • Complete your own Stress Management Plan 
  • This is the exit ticket

References

Lee Health, 2020. The Good And Bad Stress. [online] YouTube. Available at: <https://youtu.be/ZN2NarsQZ04> [Accessed 26 March 2020].

McGonigal, K., 2020. How To Make Stress Your Friend. [online] Ted.com. Available at: <https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare> [Accessed 26 March 2020]. 

Learn more about character education.