Growing Your

Brain!
A PowerPoint on Persistence,
Mistakes, and Enjoying Challenges

2014 Eve Coates

When
You you know
didnt were aanything
baby, do when
you think
you
you were born smart?
a baby!

No!
The only way you were able to get
smarter was to do . . .

HARD Things
 When you first walked, it was
But as you practiced, your body grew

HARD
stronger until it was easy!
The It works
When
more you
you the
learn hard
same
try to learn hard
with your brain!
things, your brain
things, the
more your grows.
brain grows!
 WhatItdo you think
would yourfall
probably brain would do
asleep!
if you only did easy things all the time?

1+1 1+1
=2 =2

1+1 1+1
=2 =2
1+
1
=2 1 1+1 1+ 2
=
=2
Your brain does NOT grow if you only do easy things.
 Sheshe
What
But ifSTILL
when wouldnt
your
didnt know
teacher
quit, and how
was
her to grew!
read!
young,
brain she
thought reading
Now was
reading is too
easyhard and quit?
for her.
Its
Thistoo
is
hard!
easy I
quit!
now!

Your brain does NOT grow if you quit too soon!

 Doing things that are hard doesnt
just grow your brain, its also more

FUN!
Lets try an experiment to show you that
harder things can be more FUN than easy
things.
 Click on the triangle.

Great job!
You found the triangle!
 Click on the triangle.

Thats right!
You found the triangle!
 hard
Which
Which
Which
Doing one
one
one was
took harder
more
longer
was
things FUN?
toyour
grows solve?
?brain
AND its more FUN!

The 1st one? Or the 2nd one?

 What if someone
Your had shown
brain wouldnt have ayou the triangle
chance to grow!before
you had a chance to find it yourself?
Its
right
here!

Your brain does NOT grow if someone tells you the answer before you have time to think!
Sometimes we know an answer right away.

Thats
easy!
Its 2!
1+1=2
Sometimes we have to think a while.

HmmIll
Oh! I
have to
know! Its
think about
10!
this one.
1+1+1
+1+1+
1+1+1
+1+1=
10
Because it means
If you dont know you are doing
an answer something
right away,
that can be a good thing!
hard and your brain is growing!
Why?
Some people
But think
mistakes mistakes
can are bad.
be good!

I made a
Really? Why
mistake. I
are mistakes
must not be
good?
smart.
If youYou need
never to challenge
make your brain!
ANY mistakes, that means
you are doing things that are TOO easy.

Im bored.
I want a
challenge!
 When you can find your mistake and explain how
to fix it, that is when your brain grows the most!

Lets practice growing our brains by fixing mistakes.

See if you can find the mistakes these children made, then
explain why they made that mistake and how to fix it.
Lets
They Why
fixprobably
the
domistake!
youthought
think
What
What they
isitthe
was
would
made
a subtraction
be
this
mistake?the
mistake?
correct
problem
answer?
instead of an addition problem!

6
5+1=4
To, too,
Lets and
fix
Whythe
dotwo allthink
sound
mistake!
you What isthe
What
they same,
would
made
the bebut
the
this
mistake? they are spelling?
correct
mistake? spelled
differently. They must have picked the wrong spelling!

tw
I have
o
to
cats.
Lets Why
fix
They domistake!
the
mustyou
havethink
What they
What
counted made
is the
would this
1 mistake?
be
cent mistake?
the
for correct
each dime,amount?
but
thats not how much dimes are worth!

30
3
 Click
Thats oneasy.
too which
Letsshape
Ourpractice
below
brains growing
comes
didnt our
next
grow. brains!
intry
Lets harder
theapattern.
one!
Click on which shape comes next in the pattern.

Well done!
Your brain grew!
Lets try another!
 Click Our
Thats too easy. on which
brainsword is grow.
didnt spelled right.
Lets try a harder
one!

sun kslkasdjzk
Click on which word is spelled right.

Great job!
Your
nite
brain grew!
nigt

Lets try another!

nit
night nit

knite nighte
 Click
Thats too easy. onbrains
Our the girl with grow.
didnt the red dress.
Lets try a harder
one!
Click on the girl with the red dress, brown hair, pig tails, and purple
shoes.

Great job!
Your brain grew!
What
Lets
does
see your
if youbrain
remember
do if you
what
only
wedolearned
easy things
aboutall
your
thebrain.
time?
Click on the answer below.

Great!
Lets try another!
sleep grow
 When does your brain grow the most?
Click on the answer below.

Correct!
Lets try another!
When you When you
never make find and fix
mistakes. mistakes.
 When does your brain NOT grow?
Click on the answer below.

Youve done a good job learning about your brain.

Thats right!
Now see how much you can grow your brain today!

When you When you When you

make quit too try hard
mistakes. soon. things.
 Created by Eve Coates

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