Stanford psychology professor Carol Dweck discovered that when kids receive a message that their brains are malleable and their abilities can be developed, they approach learning as a challenge that they are ready to embrace.
To help provide resources for teaching growth mindset the ed-tech company ClassDojo teamed up with Stanford’s Project for Education Research That Scales (PERTS) center to produce a series of five animated videos on growth mindset. Parents watch the videos and reinforce the concepts at home!

In Episode 1, “A Secret about the Brain,” Mojo learns a secret from his friend, Katie, that changes how he thinks about learning!

• Why does Mojo want to leave school? Can you sometimes relate to how Mojo is feeling?
• What does Katie say to Mojo to convince him not to leave? Do you think Mojo can become smarter? Why or why not?
• What subject do you feel frustrated by sometimes? Can you see yourself becoming smarter in that subject? How?

In Episode 2, “The Magic of Mistakes,” Mojo learns an important lesson from Katie about what mistakes really do for the brain.

• What does the quote from the video, “mistakes can make you smarter” mean to you?
• How can we learn from our mistakes? Talk about a specific, recent example.
• If you were building a robot and kept “failing,” what would you do?

In Episode 3, “The Power of Yet,” Katie realizes she can learn new things, too, and that she can ask others for help!

• What should you do if you are stuck on a project, math problem, or other learning (teacher can choose a specific situation)?
• Think of a time you were afraid to ask for help. Why did you feel afraid?
• Why is the word “yet” so powerful? Think of a “yet” moment in your life and discuss it with your neighbor!

In Episode 4, “The World of Neurons,” Mojo and Katie learn that challenging things help their brains grow stronger.

• What are neurons and how do we make connections between our neurons?
• Think of an example where you made some new connections in your brain. What were you doing?
• What can you do this week to make some new connections? Set one specific goal.

In Episode 5, “Little by Little,” Mojo and Katie embark on their greatest challenge yet – but still face a setback.

• What does it feel like when something is too challenging? Is it wrong that we feel this way?
• What kind of attitude should we take on when facing a challenge, and why is that important?
• When taking on a challenge, it’s okay to ask for help or to take a break to reflect, like Mojo did! Does this mean we aren’t growing our brain anymore?