Instructional Reference
Covers Student Packet Pages 3 & 4
Part 2: Mindset & Resilience Texts (Completed Solutions) 8 Total Key Terms
celebrating small wins despair difficult growth mindset learning from failure opportunity persevere The Struggle
| Source Text | Ingredient(s) for Success (Key) | Text Evidence with Answers (Key) |
|---|---|---|
| “A Quick Note on Getting Better at Difficult Things” |
by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Student Page 3 |
1. Persistence:
sticking with something even if it feels difficult.
2. Motivation:
celebrating small wins along the journey.
|
• “But the real enemy was not any injury so much as the ‘feeling’ of despair.” (p. 4)
• “Part of that long-term management... is giving myself an opportunity to get better at difficult things.” (p. 5)
• “The lows are the norm. The Struggle is the norm. May it ever be thus.” (p. 6)
| |
“Cultivate Resilience: How to Get Back on the Horse”
by Rebecca Zucker
Student Page 4 |
1. Mindset:
Having a growth mindset
2. Response to Failure:
learning from failure instead of giving up.
|
• “By contrast, a growth mindset sees failure as an opportunity to learn.” (p. 11)
• “THIS is the growth mindset. Knowing that failure is an inherent part of growth and development, and not only being ok with it, but also being open, curious and eager to learn from those failures.” (p. 12)
|
• Having a growth mindset about your failures is a key piece to achieving success.
• When a person can accept and learn from failure or persevere through difficulties along the way, they are less likely to give up on their dreams.
Teacher Facilitation Tip:
Help students distinguish between a fixed mindset (“I failed so I’m bad at this”) and a growth mindset (“This mistake shows me what I need to practice next”). Coates reminds us that frustration during learning is normal, not a signal to quit.
Unit 2: The Recipe for Success • Teacher Answer Key Page 2 of 4
Unit 2: The Recipe for Success
Instructional Reference
Covers Student Packet Pages 5 & 6
Anchor Text: Sidney Crosby (Kilgore) Student Page 5
Ingredients: Dedicating enough time to a practice routine • Practicing specific skills to improve them • Inspiring teammates with dedication and hard work.
Evidence Quotes: “...ability to specify subtle areas for improvement and work with meticulous precision...” (p. 9) • “What separates him... is his appetite to be the best and his willingness...” (p. 10) • “Trust me, he can analyze his own game better than anybody else...” (p. 14) • “Usually one of the first on, last off the ice.” (p. 35)
Related Media Exploration (Completed Solutions) Student Page 6
| Media Source | Ingredient for Success (Key) | Key Evidence Detail (Key) |
|---|---|---|
| “Steph Curry: Success is Not an Accident” | Addressing mistakes right away and redoing the skill until done right. | At high school camp, Curry addressed any mistake by immediately redoing it until perfect. |
| Anders Ericsson: Deliberate practice | Pinpoint one small thing you want to change, then practice just that. | Records practice presentation video, notices flaws, and practices small corrections. |
| “How to practice effectively...” | Repeated practice of a skill. | Creates more myelin around neural pathways to send signals faster. |
| Benjamin Zander: PopTech 2008 | Receiving expert feedback on how to improve performance. | Zander explains what is wrong, gives examples, and offers advice for how to correct. |
• Practicing with a plan is important. Deliberate practice means you dedicate enough time to practice, focusing on specific areas that need more attention.
• Feedback during practice from a coach, expert, or video helps you identify errors and improve faster.
Key Distinction:
Mere repetition does not produce expertise. Deliberate practice requires high focus, targeted drills on weak areas (as Ericsson and Curry show), physiological adaptation (myelin growth), and external feedback (Zander).
Unit 2: The Recipe for Success • Teacher Answer Key Page 3 of 4
Unit 2: The Recipe for Success
Instructional Reference
Covers Student Packet Pages 7 & 8
Student Choice Texts (Completed Solutions) Pages 7 & 8
| Choice Text & Author | Ingredient for Success (Key) | Evidence Quote with Answers (Key) |
|---|---|---|
| “Spelling Their Way to Success” | ||
| by Karen Zraick | Putting in countless hours of studying or practicing. | “...successful contestants these days tend to study year-round.” (p. 23) |
| “Michael Jordan: A Profile in Failure” | ||
| by Jeff Stibel | Growth mindset about failure: letting disappointment drive him to be better. | “When you make bad decisions, you learn from that... I’ve experienced the valleys and lows.” (p. 19) |
| “Life’s Work: Interview with Yo-Yo Ma” | ||
| by Alison Beard | Knowing how to dissect problems into small increments; avoiding burnout by retooling goals. | “...so that you can be the architect of your own life.” (p. 11) Avoided burnout by retooling goals over decades. (p. 18-19) |
| “Tony Hawk and the Poetry of Failure” | ||
| by James Surowiecki | Recognizing failure is mandatory when pushing boundaries. | “...did eight more times unsuccessfully before finally, on his eleventh run, he nailed it.” (p. 6) |
| “Dancing Toward Dreams” | ||
| by Sara Matson | Countless practice hours; seeking support from mentors and friends when discouraged. | “With the support of these mentors and friends, things slowly improved.” (p. 10) |
Core Conceptual Takeaways for Student Presentations:
1. Resilience / Failure: Accepting and learning from failures allows you to improve towards your goal.
2. Goal Accountability: Checking in on progress once a goal is set and adjusting practice routines as needed keeps goals achievable.
3. Deliberate Practice: Repeatedly working on difficult, targeted areas rather than comfortable drills.
Presentation Evaluation Check:
Students must cite at least two specific unit sources (e.g. Coates, Crosby, Jordan) when explaining their two personal ingredients and justify how they will track progress this school year.
Unit 2: The Recipe for Success • Teacher Answer Key Page 4 of 4
