Growth Mindset Art Lesson Train Your Brain Art Project SEL Art Activity SEL

This Growth Mindset Art Lesson promotes resiliency and determination, and it pairs well with your growth mindset lessons. Students create a "Train Your Brain" art piece using oil pastel and paint.

Teaching growth mindset thinking helps students change the way they think: to believe they can create art if they practice and try, to know that mistakes help them learn, and to understand that learning takes time and determination. It is written for art teachers, classroom teachers and homeschool educators working with grades 3 to 8, and it also works for substitute teachers.

WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING

★★★★ “This was such an awesome project to support our growth mindset learning at the beginning of the year. My first graders loved it and I loved how it was broken down step by step so everyone would be successful!” Brittinie G.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (33 PAGES, NON-EDITABLE)

• About the Resource with lesson objectives, materials and key techniques
• Lesson Plan (2 pages) with materials, learning goals and Teacher Does/Student Does instructions
• "Train Your Brain" Step-by-Step Handout
• Train Your Brain Font Practice Handout for experimenting with lettering
• Bulletin Board Display Sign
• Art Piece Demonstration Step-by-Step (18 slides) with images of the whole process
• Example of Completed Art Piece
• Rubric assessing creativity, craftsmanship and concept development
• Art Project Reflection Form for self-reflection, feedback and evaluation, aligned with the rubric

HOW TO USE IT

Read the lesson plan to see the steps and materials, then look over the visual and text step-by-steps. You may want to make a sample yourself first. Print the example in color and show it before the lesson as your hook.

Show the PDF on a projector or under a document camera, or use it as your own guide while you demonstrate. Every step has both a picture and a text description, so it is easy to follow.

Materials listed: pencil, eraser, black felt, 30 step-by-step drawing handouts, washable felt markers, card stock or watercolor paper, pencil crayons, crayons, paint brush and water.

FAQ

Who can use this resource?

Art teachers, classroom teachers and homeschool educators working with grades 3 to 8, and substitute teachers looking for a meaningful art lesson.

When can I use it?

As part of a growth mindset unit, an art curriculum project or a standalone activity. Use it at the start of the year, during SEL week or any time you want to encourage perseverance through art.

How long will this take?

Typically 2 to 3 class periods, depending on student age, skill level and available class time.

Is it editable?

No. It is non-editable.

TEACHER REVIEWS

★★★★ “My students LOVED this!! It was so engaging and a great back to school activity.” Megan A.

★★★★ “Thank you!” Kimberlee M.

★★★★ “My kids loved this!” Jessica B.

★★★★ “This is great thank you!” LearningwithMs.C

★★★★★ “My students really enjoyed this art activity. It was a great tie in to our growth mindset unit at the beginning of the year.” Janell W.

Get free, classroom-ready art lessons and printables in my Free Art Lesson Library.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen McGiveron (Ms Artastic) is an artist who has been featured on NBC LX News and designs art lessons for kids and educational resources for teachers. She is the founder of Ms Artastic and hosts the Ms Artastic YouTube Channel and Podcast.

TERMS OF USE

Images and lessons are copyright products.

YOU MAY: use clip art as clip art, website graphics, binder covers or bulletin board decorations, and use this in creative ways and have as much fun with it as you like. Additional licenses are available for school use.

YOU MAY NOT: share this product with other teachers, administration or districts (admin can buy additional licenses), sell it, give it out for free or photocopy it for others.

Sincerely,

Ms Artastic