Lesson Plan
Habit Hacking 101 Plan
Students will map one of their habits to the Cue-Routine-Reward loop and identify one point of intervention.
Understanding the habit loop empowers students to take control of their actions and develop healthier routines, leading to greater self-awareness and personal growth.
Audience
8th Grade
Time
30 Minutes
Approach
Interactive learning, personal reflection, and practical application.
Materials
Smartboard or Projector, Markers or Whiteboard, The Habit Loop Slides, My Habit Loop Analyzer Worksheet, and Habit Change Pledge Journal
Prep
Teacher Preparation
15 Minutes
- Review all generated materials: Habit Hacking 101 Plan, The Habit Loop Slides, My Habit Loop Analyzer Worksheet, and Habit Change Pledge Journal.
- Ensure projector/smartboard is set up for the slide deck.
- Print copies of My Habit Loop Analyzer Worksheet (one per student).
- Print copies of Habit Change Pledge Journal (one per student).
Step 1
Warm-Up: Habit Brainstorm (5 minutes)
5 Minutes
- Begin with a quick class discussion. Ask students to share one 'good' habit and one 'bad' habit (without sharing personal examples, just types of habits, e.g., 'exercising daily' or 'checking phone constantly').
- Prompt: "What's a habit you have that helps you? What's one that might not be so helpful?"
- Briefly explain that habits are powerful and we can learn to control them.
Step 2
Introduce The Habit Loop (10 minutes)
10 Minutes
- Use The Habit Loop Slides to introduce the Cue-Routine-Reward loop.
- Go through each component: Cue (trigger), Routine (the action), and Reward (the benefit).
- Provide clear, relatable examples for each part of the loop (e.g., cue: alarm rings, routine: hit snooze, reward: a few more minutes of sleep).
- Engage students with questions: "Can anyone think of a habit and break it down into these three parts?"
Step 3
Analyze Personal Habits (10 minutes)
10 Minutes
- Distribute the My Habit Loop Analyzer Worksheet.
- Instruct students to choose one personal habit (either good or one they'd like to change) and map it to the Cue-Routine-Reward loop on their worksheet.
- Circulate the room to provide support and answer questions.
- Encourage them to think deeply about the 'why' behind their routine (the reward).
Step 4
Plan for Change (5 minutes)
5 Minutes
- After completing the analysis, guide students to identify one point of intervention within their chosen habit loop where they could make a small change.
- Explain that changing a habit doesn't mean eliminating it entirely, but often involves changing the routine while keeping the cue and reward.
- Distribute the Habit Change Pledge Journal. Instruct students to write down their identified habit, their intended small change, and why it's important to them.
- Emphasize that this is a personal pledge and does not need to be shared.
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Slide Deck
Hacking Your Habits: The Power of Routines
What are habits? Why do we have them? How can we change them?
Welcome students and introduce the concept of habits. Ask them to think about one good and one not-so-good habit they might have, without sharing specifics.
The Habit Loop: Cue, Routine, Reward
Every habit, good or bad, follows a simple three-step pattern:
- Cue: A trigger that tells your brain to go into automatic mode.
- Routine: The behavior itself, which can be physical, mental, or emotional.
- Reward: The benefit your brain gets from completing the routine, which helps it remember the loop for the future.
Introduce the Habit Loop diagram. Explain that habits aren't random; they follow a predictable pattern.
Example: Social Media Scroll
Cue: Phone notification buzzes.
Routine: Pick up phone, open app, scroll through feed.
Reward: Feeling connected, entertained, or avoiding boredom.
Provide a clear, simple example to illustrate the loop. Use something universally relatable, like checking social media.
Example: Getting Ready for School
Cue: Alarm clock rings.
Routine: Get out of bed, brush teeth, get dressed.
Reward: Feeling fresh, ready for the day, avoiding being late.
Provide another example, perhaps a healthier one, to show the versatility of the loop.
Where Can You Intervene?
The good news? You can 'hack' your habits by understanding their parts.
To change a habit, you often need to change the Routine while keeping the Cue and the Reward the same.
- Cue: What triggers the habit?
- Routine: What action do you take?
- Reward: What do you get out of it?
Explain that understanding the loop is the first step to changing habits. Emphasize that it's often easier to change the routine than to eliminate the cue or reward.
Your Turn: Analyze a Habit
Think about a habit you have. It could be:
- Something positive you want to do more of.
- Something you'd like to change.
Use the My Habit Loop Analyzer Worksheet to break it down!
Transition to the activity where students will analyze their own habits. Explain that they will be using the worksheet.
Planning for Change
Now that you've analyzed a habit, where can you make a small change?
It's about making a new routine for an existing cue and reward.
- Pledge: What small change will you make?
- Why: Why is this change important to you?
Complete the Habit Change Pledge Journal.
Conclude by introducing the journal activity. Reinforce the idea of small, actionable changes.
Worksheet
My Habit Loop Analyzer
Name: _____________________________
Date: _____________________________
Choose a Habit
Think of one habit you have. It can be a good habit you want to understand better, or a habit you'd like to change or adjust. Write it down here:
My chosen habit is:
Break Down Your Habit Loop
Now, let's break your chosen habit into its three parts: Cue, Routine, and Reward.
1. The Cue (The Trigger)
What usually triggers this habit? What happens just before you start this habit? (e.g., a specific time, a feeling, a place, another action, a sound, etc.)
My Cue is:
2. The Routine (The Action)
What is the actual behavior or action you do when this habit is triggered? (Describe the steps you take.)
My Routine is:
3. The Reward (The Benefit)
What benefit or feeling do you get from doing this routine? What does your brain really want from this habit? (e.g., comfort, escape, satisfaction, distraction, energy, connection, etc.)
My Reward is:
Identify an Intervention Point
If this is a habit you want to change, where in the Routine could you make a small adjustment? Remember, you often keep the Cue and the Reward the same, but change the action in between.
My potential intervention point (new routine idea):
Journal
My Habit Change Pledge
Name: _____________________________
Date: _____________________________
My Chosen Habit
Based on your analysis, what is the habit you are focusing on for change or improvement?
My habit is:
My Small Change
What is one small, specific change you will make to your routine within this habit loop? Remember, it's about adjusting the action, not necessarily eliminating the cue or reward.
My small change will be:
Why This Change Matters to Me
Why is making this small change important to you? What positive impact do you hope it will have on your life or well-being?
This change matters to me because:
My Commitment
I, _____________________________, pledge to try this small change to my habit, understanding that progress, not perfection, is the goal.
Signature: _____________________________
Date: _____________________________