2nd grade Listens to their Mindset!

Prior to beginning our big unit on Growth Mindset this year, I used the "Paper Challenge" to get a sense for what our "mindset" is in 2nd grade. I constructed several "paper sculptures" (with the help of YouTube!) and set them around the room, asking students to replicate them WITHOUT being able to touch them.  All they were given was cardstock and scissors.

While students were attempting to reconstruct this themselves, I wrote down the things I was hearing them say.  "This is impossible!" with "But if Mrs. Flier did it, it has to be possible!" as a retort.  "This is too hard!' "Can I try again?" and "I don't get it" were among the common responses.  Afterwards, we talked about what our response is to having challenges and what that means for a "Growth Mindset" vs. "Fixed Mindset".  Students also took a "pre-survey" to reflect on how they currently handle challenges.
Many kids said they wanted to challenge their parents, so see if you can figure out the trick! :)