Can You Train Your
Brain?An Introduction to
Mindsets
Let’s Start with a Quiz…
Read each question and decide whether you mostly agree or disagree with it.
Write your answers on your sticky note.
1. Your intelligence is something very basic about you that you can’t change
very much.
Agree or Disagree?
2. You can learn new things, but you can’t really change how intelligent you
are.
Agree or Disagree?
3. No matter how much intelligence you have, you can always change it
quite a bit.
Agree or Disagree?
4. You can always substantially change how intelligent you are.
Agree or Disagree?
The Results
If you agreed with questions 1 and 2, you may have a fixed mindset
If you agreed with questions 3 and 4, you may have a growth mindset
What are Mindsets?
A mindset is a mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations.
Are the best athletes born the best or do they train
to be the best?
Video: Fixed vs. Growth Mindset
Video: Can you identify the mindset?
What kind of mindset does Sabrina show?
What about her classmate?
Who do you think will be more successful in school? Why?
Day 2How does the brain
work?
Review: Fixed vs. Growth Mindset
Table Talk…Do you think you can train your brain to be smarter?
What we know about the Brain
Brains are a lot like musclesWhat you’re
born with is just a start
What you do makes a big difference in how your muscles and brain grow and develop!
There are four
important ways that
muscles and brains are
alike.
1. Muscles and brains have tiny structures that grow and multiply.
Muscles have fibersThe contract
when the muscle is put to work
Your muscles grow as the fibers get bigger and new fibers are added
Brains have neuronsNeurons are
activated when the brain is in use
Your brain grows as new neurons are added
1. Muscles and brains have tiny structures that grow and multiply.
Muscles have FIBERS
Brains have NEURONS
2. Muscles and brains only develop when challenged by increasingly difficult tasks.
To develop bigger muscles…You need to lift
heavier and heavier weights
To develop your brain…You need to do
harder and harder work
Muscles and brains
only develop when PUSHED
past the point of
comfort.
3. Building muscles and building your brain take
time and sustained effort.
Sustained effort is required to…Build new
connections between neurons
Integrate new neurons into old neural pathways
In other words…
BRAIN SWEAT
4. Everyone can build their muscles and their brains.
Muscles and brains start small in everyone and grow with use.
Babies’ muscles start small and get bigger and stronger with use.
Brains become denser and more complex as new mental skills are developed.
4. Everyone can build their muscles and their brains.
BUILDING MUSCLE
makes you stronger!
Your new muscles can help you do all sorts of things!
BUILDING YOUR BRAIN
makes you smarter!
Your increased intelligence can help you learn in all subjects!
How are muscles and brains alike?
1. Both have tiny structures that GROW AND MULTIPLY.
2. These structures only develop when CHALLENGED by difficult tasks.
3. Both muscles and brains require SUSTAINED EFFORT in order to develop.
4. EVERYONE can build their muscles AND their brains.
So…
Does mindset matter?
YES!You can grow your
brain!
Quick Write…
“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” -Tim TebowWhat does this quote mean to you?
How can you apply it this school year?
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