Grit - The Power of Passion and Perseverance TED Talk Analysis Guide

Why Teach Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth’s viral TED Talk reveals that grit—passion fused with perseverance—outpredicts IQ, talent, and luck in everything from West Point graduation to spelling‑bee champions. This Grit TED Talk analysis guide helps teachers turn Duckworth's research into an engaging lesson.

By blending classroom anecdotes, large‑scale data, and a growth‑mindset challenge, Duckworth empowers students to see effort as the engine of achievement—an insight that aligns perfectly with SEL and career‑readiness goals.

What You Get

• Complete Teacher Guide (~9 pages, Google Doc/PDF)
• Editable Student Worksheet (15‑slide Google Slides/PPTX)
• 10 SAT‑level vocabulary tasks with context quotes
• 4 chronological short‑answer question pairs + proof table
• 5 end‑of‑talk reflection challenges
• 20‑question self‑graded Google Forms quiz & answer keys

Using this Grit TED Talk analysis guide

Kick off with a quick-write on perseverance, then play the clip in two segments, pausing for think‑pair‑share about her marathon metaphor. Students use the slide deck to annotate scientific claims and later draft SMART goals that apply grit to their own long‑term projects.

Will this meet your needs?

Download this free The Power of Vulnerability TED Talk Guide that is included here!

Stream it for free!

This clip can be easily found on YouTube.com or ted.com

Standards Alignment

• CCRA.R.1
• CCRA.R.2
• CCRA.R.3
• CCRA.R.4
• CCRA.R.6
• CCRA.W.1
• CCRA.W.2
• CCRA.W.3
• CCRA.SL.1
• CCRA.L.4

DISCLAIMER: This worksheet and question set for the TED Talk “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” (2013) is independently compiled for classroom use. It is not endorsed by TED or Angela Lee Duckworth and is provided solely under fair‑use educational guidelines.