Maharashtra Board Class 9 Self development and Art Appreciation Chapter 7 Growth Mindset PDF Download

Growth Mindset

Growing your superpowers

Objectives

1. Be able to justify the statement that intelligence / skills / capabilities can be improved by training, practice and feedback.

2. Be able to explain the term growth mindset in their own words.

3. Be able to differentiate between statements made from a fixed mindset and growth mindset.

4. Be able to apply the concept of a growth mindset to respond constructively to everyday situations.

5. Be able to design an action plan to improve their own capability by thinking through a growth mindset.

What Do We Know About Intelligence And Capability?

Following are some statements. Some of them might be true while some of them may be false. Take a guess at which ones are true and which ones are false.

Intelligence is something you inherit.

It is fixed and does not increase or decrease with age.

Talent is always inborn.

You cannot acquire talent.

Talented people never fail.

If you are not good at something in your childhood, you can never be good at it.

Talented people do not need to work hard or improve, they can do things naturally.

What you can be good at is not in your hands.

Teacher's Note

In India, many parents think their children are born smart or not smart. But scientists have proved that anyone can become smart by practice and hard work. Just like a cricket player practices every day, our brain also needs practice.

Exam Trick

Remember: Intelligence is like a muscle. You can make your brain stronger by practicing, just like athletes train to become stronger. No one is born the best!

Points to Remember

Intelligence can grow with hard work and practice.
Talent is not always born - it can be learned.
Failure is not the end - it is a step to learn.
Challenges help our brain become stronger.
Anyone can improve at any age.

Are The Stories Real Or Fictional?

1. A boy who was not considered good enough to be selected for his high school basketball team became an international basketball star.

2. A man who was rejected for not having any creativity and original ideas went on to make highly successful cartoon characters.

3. A girl who lost one leg in an accident climbed the Mount Everest.

4. A boy who was labelled too stupid to learn anything by his teachers went on to become a great scientist.

Well, they are real stories!

The people in the stories are:

1. Michael Jordan - One of the greatest basketball players of all times.

2. Walt Disney - The creator of famous Disney characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

3. Arunima Singh - The woman who went on to climb not only Mount Everest but also the highest peaks in Europe and Africa with a prosthetic (artificial) leg.

4. Thomas Edison - He not only invented the light bulb, but held more than 1000 patents.

Teacher's Note

These are real people from the world. Their stories show us that hard work and practice can make anyone successful. Even if someone says you cannot do something, you can still try and succeed.

Exam Trick

Remember these four people and their success stories. In exams, use their examples to show that growth mindset works. Say: Michael Jordan was rejected but became great because he practiced hard.

Points to Remember

Real people have achieved great things by hard work.
Being rejected at first does not mean failure forever.
Practice and determination can change your life.
Age and past failures do not stop future success.
Everyone struggles at first, but with effort they improve.

How Do We Learn Something New?

How do we learn?

Human brain is the coordinator for all important life processes. It is responsible for sending signals to different body parts and receiving signals back as a feedback.

The brain is also the organ responsible for all forms of learning. Let us understand how the process of learning new things occurs in the brain.

Read And Understand

About neurons:

Our nervous system is made up of billions of cells called neurons. A network of these neurons exists in our brain and throughout the body.

Whenever we feel a sensation, electric impulses are passed from one neuron to another. These electric impulses travel from one neuron to another through the medium of some chemicals.

Learning means forming connections between neurons by the passage of electric impulses.

Neuronal connections

Synapse - the space between two neurons

No two neurons are connected to each other. There is an empty space between them. This empty space is called as synapse.

Unless the electric impulses jump across the synapse, no activity, sensation or learning can happen.

Imagine a hill covered with soil and grass. As animals and humans walk across it, pathways are created. Similarly, neurons exist in the brain and throughout the body. Connections are formed between these neurons when electric signals travel through them using the medium of chemicals. In other words, pathways are created in the brain.

When the pathways are being created, the initial journey is difficult. Thus when we try to learn something new, we initially struggle. Later on, with practice, the pathways in the brain are well established and we say that learning takes place. Once this learning happens, with more practice we become skilled at something.

Teacher's Note

Our brain works like the roads in our city. First time, the road is full of bushes and trees, so walking is hard. But when many people walk on it, a clear path forms. Similarly, when we practice, our brain makes clear pathways for learning.

Exam Trick

Remember the word synapse - it means the empty space between neurons. Think of it like a gap between two islands. To cross, you need a boat (electric signal). The more you practice, the stronger your boat journey becomes.

Points to Remember

Our brain has billions of neurons that help us learn.
Neurons send signals to each other through chemicals.
The space between neurons is called synapse.
Learning means making new connections in the brain.
Practice makes these connections stronger and clearer.

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