Lesson Plan
Life Hack Challenge Plan
Students collaborate in teams to design and pitch an original life hack addressing a real student challenge, fostering creativity, problem-solving, collaboration, and presentation skills.
This hands-on project develops critical thinking, teamwork, and public speaking abilities, equipping students with innovation and communication skills vital for college and career readiness.
Audience
11th Grade
Time
80 minutes
Approach
Project-based collaboration
Prep
Review and Prepare Materials
10 minutes
- Download and preview Hack Ideation Slides to select examples for your introduction
- Print or distribute digital copies of Hack Brainstorm Toolkit for each team
- Familiarize yourself with assessment criteria in the Innovation Rubric
- Prepare blank copies of the Rapid Reflection Cool-Down Guide for end-of-session use
Step 1
Introduction
5 minutes
- Pose the question: “What is a life hack?” and solicit examples from students
- Highlight common student challenges (e.g., time management, organization)
- Explain that today teams will design and pitch a creative hack to solve one challenge
Step 2
Challenge Overview
5 minutes
- Share the prompt: Identify a real student problem and develop a novel solution
- Display sample hacks from Hack Ideation Slides to spark ideas
- Clarify deliverables: concept sketch, solution description, and a 2–3 minute pitch
Step 3
Team Brainstorming
20 minutes
- Form teams of 3–4 and hand out Hack Brainstorm Toolkit
- Guide teams through ideation exercises: mind mapping, SCAMPER prompts, rapid sketches
- Instruct teams to shortlist at least three hack concepts and select one to develop
Step 4
Pitch Preparation
20 minutes
- Teams flesh out their chosen hack: define the problem, outline the solution, and list benefits
- Create a simple visual aid or sketch for the pitch
- Use the Innovation Rubric to self-assess idea creativity, feasibility, and clarity
Step 5
Presentations and Feedback
20 minutes
- Each team delivers a 2–3 minute pitch to the class
- Peers and teacher provide constructive feedback guided by the Innovation Rubric
- Encourage questions focusing on problem relevance and solution impact
Step 6
Rapid Reflection
10 minutes
- Distribute the Rapid Reflection Cool-Down Guide
- Prompt students to write: What did I learn about problem-solving and teamwork? How can I apply these skills?
- Collect reflections for informal review and to inform future lessons
Slide Deck
Hack Ideation Workshop
Welcome to the Hack Ideation Workshop!
• Learn what a life hack is
• See real examples
• Explore brainstorming frameworks
Let’s get creative!
Welcome students and set the stage. Explain: “Today we’ll explore what makes a great life hack and use proven frameworks to spark your own creative solutions.”
What Is a Life Hack?
Definition:
A simple or clever solution to everyday problems that saves time, reduces frustration, or adds convenience.
Key traits:
• Low cost
• Easy to implement
• Solves a real pain point
Ask: “Have you ever found a shortcut or clever trick to solve a problem?” Elicit a few student answers before revealing the formal definition.
Real-World Examples
• Binder-clip cable holder: keeps cords tangle-free
• DIY phone stand: uses a paperclip or sticky note
• Color-coded study schedule: visual time management
• Book page markers: sticky tabs for quick reference
Walk through each example. For each, ask: “What problem does this solve? How could you improve it?”
Common Student Challenges
- Time Management
- Organization & Storage
- Study & Note-Taking
- Well-Being & Stress Relief
- Tech & Device Hacks
- Communication & Collaboration
Highlight that identifying the right problem area is the first step. Encourage teams to choose one category to focus their hack.
Brainstorming Frameworks
• Mind Mapping: expand a central idea into branches
• SCAMPER: modify existing solutions
• Rapid Sketching: draw quick concepts
• 6-3-5 Method: six people generate three ideas in five minutes
Introduce each method briefly. Point out that you’ll provide worksheet tools in the next segment.
SCAMPER Prompts
S – Substitute (materials, people)
C – Combine (merge ideas)
A – Adapt (change context)
M – Modify (shape, size)
P – Put to another use
E – Eliminate (remove parts)
R – Reverse/Rearrange (order, orientation)
Guide students through SCAMPER prompts. Suggest they apply several prompts to a single problem.
Ideation Challenge
- Pick a problem category
- Use SCAMPER and mind maps to brainstorm
- Sketch your top 5 ideas rapidly
- Select your favorite concept to develop
Tell teams: “Choose one challenge category, then use these prompts to list at least five hack ideas in ten minutes.”
Next Steps
Grab your Hack Brainstorm Toolkit and start collaborating!
• Record your sketches and notes
• Keep it messy—quantity breeds quality
• Be bold: no idea is too wild
Transition to the hands-on toolkit. Remind students to record sketches and notes clearly.
Activity
Hack Brainstorm Toolkit
Use this toolkit to guide your team through ideation and select the strongest life hack concept.
1. Mind Mapping
Prompt: Write your chosen student challenge in the center. Branch out with causes, effects, existing solutions, and wild ideas.
(Write your central problem here)
(Branch 1)
(Branch 2)
(Branch 3)
2. SCAMPER Prompts
Apply each prompt to your central problem. Jot down any ideas that emerge.
S – Substitute (materials, people, process)
C – Combine (merge two ideas or functions)
A – Adapt (change the context or purpose)
M – Modify (shape, size, look, feel)
P – Put to another use (repurpose existing items)
E – Eliminate (remove parts to simplify)
R – Reverse/Rearrange (flip order or invert)
3. Rapid Sketching
Quickly draw your top 5 hack concepts. Label each sketch with a brief title.
Sketch 1:
Sketch 2:
Sketch 3:
Sketch 4:
Sketch 5:
4. Idea Selection Matrix
Evaluate your top three concepts to choose the one you will develop.
| Idea (Title) | Creativity (1–5) | Feasibility (1–5) | Relevance (1–5) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||
| 2 | ||||
| 3 |
Next: Select the idea with the highest total score. Be prepared to explain why you chose it and how it solves your challenge.
Rubric
Innovation Rubric
Use this rubric to assess each team’s life hack project. Each criterion is scored on a 1–4 scale, for a maximum of 20 points.
| Criterion | 4 – Exemplary | 3 – Proficient | 2 – Developing | 1 – Beginning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creativity & Originality | Solution is highly original, demonstrates exceptional creative thinking, and introduces a truly novel approach. | Idea is interesting and shows originality, with some novel elements. | Concept shows limited originality; resembles common solutions with only a few new twists. | Hack is unoriginal or copied; shows little to no creative thought. |
| Feasibility & Functionality | Solution is clearly realistic and implementable; steps and materials are well‐defined and practical. | Solution is mostly feasible; minor details need clarification but overall practical. | Feasibility is questionable; several steps or materials are unclear or impractical. | Solution is not feasible or realistic; lacks a viable plan for implementation. |
| Problem Relevance & Impact | Directly targets a significant student challenge; potential benefits are clearly articulated and highly impactful. | Addresses a relevant challenge; benefits are plausible and moderately impactful. | Partially addresses a student need; impact is limited or only marginally beneficial. | Misaligned with real student challenges; impact is minimal or unclear. |
| Communication & Clarity | Presentation is exceptionally clear and well‐organized; pitch is persuasive and visual aids enhance understanding. | Presentation is clear and logical; conveys ideas effectively with adequate visuals. | Presentation has some clarity but is disorganized in parts; visuals or explanations are incomplete. | Presentation is unclear or disorganized; visuals are absent or do not support the pitch. |
| Collaboration & Participation | Teamwork is exemplary; all members contribute equally, listen actively, and build on each other’s ideas. | Good collaboration; most members contribute and support the group’s work. | Uneven participation; one or two members dominate or a few do not contribute meaningfully. | Poor teamwork; members work in isolation, and collaboration is minimal or conflictual. |
Cool Down
Rapid Reflection Cool-Down Guide
Take 5 minutes to answer the prompts below to consolidate your learning.
1. What did I learn about problem-solving and teamwork today?
2. How can I apply these skills to future projects or in my daily life?
3. One question I still have or a suggestion to improve our collaboration: