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Hacking Your Happiness

Lesson Plan

Hacking Your Happiness Lesson Plan

Students will be able to define positive psychology and explain the foundational concepts of well-being, including the PERMA Model.

Understanding positive psychology can empower students to actively cultivate their own happiness and resilience, equipping them with tools for a more fulfilling life.

Audience

High School Students

Time

30 minutes

Approach

Through engaging slides, interactive discussion, and reflective activities.

Materials

Intro to Positive Psychology Slides, What is Happiness? Worksheet, and Group Discussion Prompts

Prep

Review Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Connect & Hook: What Makes You Happy?

5 minutes

  • Begin by asking students: "What immediately comes to mind when you hear the word 'happiness'?" (2 minutes)
    - Facilitate a brief, open-ended class discussion, writing down key ideas on the board. (3 minutes)
    - Transition to the idea that while we all seek happiness, understanding how it works can be a science.

Step 2

Introduce & Model: The Science of Well-being

10 minutes

  • Present the Intro to Positive Psychology Slides. (7 minutes)
    - Slide 1: Title Slide
    - Slide 2: What is Positive Psychology? (Definition, shift from deficit to strength)
    - Slide 3: Why Study Happiness? (Benefits, real-world relevance)
    - Slide 4: The PERMA Model (Components of well-being: Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment)
    - Slide 5: Happiness Myths (Common misconceptions about what makes us happy)
    - Briefly explain each concept, emphasizing clarity and student understanding. (3 minutes)

Step 3

Practice & Apply: Unpacking Happiness

10 minutes

  • Distribute the What is Happiness? Worksheet. (1 minute)
    - Instruct students to work individually or in pairs to complete the worksheet, focusing on defining terms and reflecting on the PERMA model. (6 minutes)
    - Bring the class back together and use the Group Discussion Prompts to facilitate a short debrief, allowing students to share their insights and questions. (3 minutes)

Step 4

Share & Reflect: My Happiness Takeaway

5 minutes

  • Ask students to share one new thing they learned or one concept they found particularly interesting from the lesson. (2 minutes)
    - Conclude by emphasizing that positive psychology offers practical tools they can use in their daily lives. (1 minute)
    - Distribute the Cool Down and have students complete it as an exit ticket. (2 minutes)
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Slide Deck

Hacking Your Happiness: What is Positive Psychology?

Understanding the science of a good life

Welcome students and introduce the exciting topic of hacking their happiness!

What is Positive Psychology?

The Scientific Study of Well-being:

  • Focuses on strengths, not just weaknesses.
  • Examines what makes individuals and communities thrive.
  • It's about building a meaningful and fulfilling life.

Explain that traditional psychology often focused on mental illness. Positive psychology shifts the focus to what makes life worth living. Emphasize it's not about ignoring problems, but building strengths.

Why Study Happiness?

  • Boosts Resilience: Helps you bounce back from challenges.
  • Improves Relationships: Fosters stronger connections.
  • Enhances Health: Contributes to physical and mental well-being.
  • Increases Success: Happy people often achieve more!

Discuss how understanding happiness can lead to better relationships, improved health, and greater resilience. Connect it to their own lives and aspirations.

The PERMA Model: Five Pillars of Well-being

  • Positive Emotion: Feeling good (joy, gratitude, serenity)
  • Engagement: Being absorbed in activities (flow state)
  • Relationships: Strong connections with others
  • Meaning: Serving something larger than yourself
  • Accomplishment: Achieving goals and mastery

Introduce the PERMA model as a framework for well-being. Briefly explain each component with simple examples. (Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment).

Happiness Myths: What Doesn't Always Work

  • Myth 1: Money buys happiness. (It helps, but diminishing returns)
  • Myth 2: Material possessions lead to lasting joy. (Experiences often bring more happiness)
  • Myth 3: Happiness means being cheerful all the time. (All emotions are valid and important)
  • Myth 4: You find happiness, it's not something you create. (It's an ongoing process and choice)

Challenge common misconceptions. For example, money can buy some happiness, but only up to a point. Emphasize internal factors over external ones.

Your Happiness Journey Starts Now!

Positive psychology gives us the tools to understand and build a more fulfilling life. Now, let's explore your own ideas about happiness.

Summarize the key takeaways and encourage students to think about how they can apply these ideas. Transition to the worksheet activity.

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Warm Up

What Makes You Happy? Warm Up

Take a moment to think about what the word "happiness" means to you.

  1. What is one thing that immediately comes to your mind when you hear the word "happiness"?


  2. Describe a time when you felt truly happy. What was happening?





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Worksheet

What is Happiness? Worksheet

Part 1: Defining Key Terms

  1. In your own words, define Positive Psychology.





  2. What does Well-being mean to you? How is it different from just

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Answer Key

What is Happiness? Answer Key

Part 1: Defining Key Terms

  1. Positive Psychology: The scientific study of what makes individuals and communities thrive. It focuses on human strengths, virtues, and the factors that contribute to a meaningful and fulfilling life, rather than solely on mental illness.


  2. Well-being: A state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy. In positive psychology, it's often described as a holistic state encompassing positive emotions, engagement, strong relationships, a sense of meaning, and a feeling of accomplishment (PERMA). It's more comprehensive than just feeling

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Discussion

Group Discussion Prompts

Choose a few of these questions to discuss as a class or in small groups after completing the worksheet.

  1. Which part of the PERMA model do you think is most important for high school students, and why?


  2. Can you think of any other

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Cool Down

Positive Psychology Cool Down

Take a few minutes to reflect on today's lesson.

  1. What is one new thing you learned about positive psychology or happiness today?


  2. Which concept (e.g., PERMA model, happiness myths) resonated with you the most, and why?





  3. What is one small action you could take this week to apply a concept from positive psychology to your own life?





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