Lesson Plan
Why, What, & When of Using
Students will be able to identify the internal and external triggers, behaviors, and consequences related to a specific instance of substance use by completing a functional analysis.
Understanding the 'why' behind behaviors, especially substance use, empowers students to make informed choices and develop healthier coping strategies. This lesson provides a critical tool for self-reflection and proactive prevention.
Audience
8th Grade
Time
45 minutes
Approach
Interactive instruction, modeling, guided practice
Materials
Google Slides: Understanding Your Behavior Slide Deck, Printed: The Behavior Chain Worksheet, and Printed: Trigger Tracker Journal
Prep
Prepare Materials
15 minutes
- Review the Understanding Your Behavior Slide Deck and familiarize yourself with the content and teacher notes.
- Print enough copies of The Behavior Chain Worksheet for each student.
- Print enough copies of the Trigger Tracker Journal for each student.
- Ensure projector and computer are set up and working.
- Arrange desks for pair/small group work.
Step 1
Warm-up & Introduction to Functional Analysis
10 minutes
- Begin with a quick poll or question: "What's a 'chain reaction' you've seen in real life?" (e.g., dominoes, a snowball effect). Discuss how one event can lead to another.
- Introduce the idea that our behaviors are often part of a 'chain reaction' too. Explain that today, we'll learn about something called a Functional Analysis to understand these chains, especially around choices like substance use.
- Show the first few slides of the Understanding Your Behavior Slide Deck to define functional analysis, internal, and external triggers.
Step 2
Modeling a Functional Analysis
15 minutes
- Use a relatable, non-substance-related example (e.g., procrastinating on homework, eating too much junk food) to model how to complete a functional analysis.
- Project The Behavior Chain Worksheet and fill it out step-by-step with student input.
- Emphasize identifying: Internal Triggers (thoughts, feelings), External Triggers (people, places, things), Behavior (what happened), and Consequences (positive reinforcement, negative outcomes).
- Ask guiding questions: "What was happening right before?", "What did I feel?", "What did I do?", "What happened immediately after?"
Step 3
Guided Practice & Discussion
15 minutes
- Divide students into pairs or small groups.
- Instruct them to use The Behavior Chain Worksheet to complete a functional analysis for a hypothetical scenario involving substance use (e.g., a friend offering a vape at a party, feeling stressed and wanting to try alcohol). Remind them it's hypothetical and to focus on the structure.
- Circulate to provide support and answer questions.
- Bring the class back together for a brief discussion: "What were some common triggers you identified?", "How did identifying triggers and consequences help you understand the behavior better?"
Step 4
Wrap-up & Next Steps
5 minutes
- Distribute the Trigger Tracker Journal.
- Explain that this journal is a tool they can use to privately reflect on their own behavior chains (not necessarily substance-related, could be anything they want to understand better).
- Emphasize that understanding is the first step towards making different choices.
- Conclude by reiterating the importance of self-awareness in navigating difficult situations.
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Slide Deck
Understanding Your Behavior: Why, What, & When
Exploring the 'chain reactions' of our choices and how we can understand them better.
Greet students and introduce the topic by asking about 'chain reactions' in everyday life to set the stage for understanding behavioral chains.
What's a Chain Reaction?
Think about it:
- One thing leads to another!
- Dominoes falling
- A snowball rolling downhill
Our choices can be like chain reactions too!
Engage students by asking for examples of chain reactions (e.g., dominoes, a Rube Goldberg machine). Explain that our actions often follow a similar pattern.
What is Functional Analysis?
It's like being a detective for your own choices!
A tool to understand:
- Why we do what we do.
- What happens before and after our actions.
Introduce Functional Analysis as a tool. Explain it helps us break down behavior into understandable parts.
The ABCs of Behavior
- Antecedents (Triggers): What happens BEFORE the behavior?
- Behavior: The action itself.
- Consequences: What happens AFTER the behavior?
Explain the three main parts of a behavioral chain. Emphasize that each part is important for understanding the whole picture.
Triggers: Where Do They Come From?
Triggers are like the 'start button' for a behavior.
They can be:
- Internal: Inside your head or body (thoughts, feelings)
- External: Outside of you (people, places, things)
Dive into triggers. Explain that they can come from inside or outside ourselves.
Internal Triggers (Inside You)
These are things you think or feel:
- Emotions: Stress, anxiety, boredom, excitement, sadness
- Thoughts: "I can't do this," "Everyone else is doing it," "This will make me feel better"
- Physical Sensations: Tiredness, hunger, restlessness
Provide specific examples of internal triggers, making them relatable to common teen experiences.
External Triggers (Around You)
These are things in your environment:
- People: Friends, certain groups, family members
- Places: A party, a certain spot at school, your bedroom
- Objects/Situations: Seeing substances, social media, a stressful test
Provide specific examples of external triggers, again making them relatable to a middle school context.
Behavior & Consequences
- Behavior: The actual action or choice you make (e.g., trying a vape, saying no to a drink).
- Consequences: What happens immediately after the behavior.
- Positive Reinforcement: Something good happens or a bad feeling goes away.
- Negative Outcomes: Problems or difficulties arise.
Define behavior clearly and move to consequences. Explain that consequences can be positive or negative, even if the overall outcome is harmful.
Your Turn: Be a Behavior Detective!
We're going to practice functional analysis using a worksheet.
Remember:
- Identify triggers (internal and external).
- Describe the behavior.
- List the consequences.
Prepare students for the worksheet activity. Remind them they will be applying what they just learned.
Worksheet
The Behavior Chain Worksheet: Being a Behavior Detective!
Sometimes, our actions are like a chain reaction – one thing leads to another. This worksheet helps you break down a situation to understand why certain behaviors happen and what comes next.
Scenario to Analyze: (Your teacher will provide a scenario or you can create a hypothetical one related to making a choice, especially around substance use.)
Scenario:
Step 1: Identify the Triggers (A - Antecedents)
What happened right before the behavior? What were the internal and external factors that set the stage?
Internal Triggers (Thoughts, Feelings, Physical Sensations):
External Triggers (People, Places, Things, Situations):
Step 2: Describe the Behavior (B - Behavior)
What was the specific action or choice made in response to the triggers?
Step 3: List the Consequences (C - Consequences)
What happened immediately after the behavior? What were the short-term and long-term results?
Immediate / Short-Term Consequences (What happened right away? How did it feel?)
Longer-Term Consequences (What were the results later on? What problems or benefits arose?)
Step 4: Reflection
What did you learn about the chain reaction in this scenario? How might understanding these steps help someone make different choices in the future?
Journal
My Trigger Tracker Journal
This journal is a personal space for you to become a detective of your own experiences. Understanding what triggers you and how you respond can help you make more mindful choices in the future. There are no right or wrong answers, just honest reflection.
Entry 1: Starting to Notice
Think about a recent time when you felt a strong emotion (like stress, anger, boredom, or excitement). What was happening right before you started feeling that way? Describe the situation and your internal thoughts or feelings.
Entry 2: My Responses
Consider the situation you described in Entry 1. What did you do in response to that emotion or trigger? How did your actions unfold? Were there other ways you could have responded?
Entry 3: What Happened Next?
Following your behavior from Entry 2, what were the immediate consequences? How did you feel afterward? Did your actions lead to any short-term benefits or problems? What about longer-term outcomes?
Entry 4: Looking for Patterns
Over the next few days, pay attention to different situations where you notice a strong trigger (internal or external). Briefly describe the trigger and your immediate reaction. Do you see any patterns emerging in your triggers or your responses?
Date: _______________ Trigger:
Reaction:
Date: _______________ Trigger:
Reaction:
Date: _______________ Trigger:
Reaction:
Entry 5: My Action Plan
Based on what you've learned about your own behavior chains, what is one small thing you could try differently the next time you encounter a challenging trigger? What alternative behavior could you try, and what might the new consequences be?