Lesson Plan
Your Brain on Habits Lesson Plan
Students will be able to describe the basic concept of habit formation in the brain and explain how repeated behaviors can lead to strong neural pathways, laying foundational knowledge for understanding addiction.
Understanding how habits form empowers students to make informed choices about their actions and recognize the power of their brains in shaping behavior, fostering a proactive approach to well-being.
Audience
6th Grade Students
Time
30 minutes
Approach
Through an interactive presentation and discussion, students will explore brain pathways and habit formation.
Materials
Smartboard or projector, Your Brain on Habits Slide Deck, Your Brain on Habits Script, Habit Hook Warm-Up, and Reflect & Connect Cool-Down
Prep
Review Materials
15 minutes
- Review the Your Brain on Habits Lesson Plan, Your Brain on Habits Slide Deck, and Your Brain on Habits Script to familiarize yourself with the content and flow.
* Ensure the projector or smartboard is set up and working correctly.
* Print or prepare to display the Habit Hook Warm-Up and Reflect & Connect Cool-Down.
Step 1
Introduction & Warm-Up: What's Your Habit?
5 minutes
- Begin by displaying the Habit Hook Warm-Up.
* Follow the script provided in the Your Brain on Habits Script to introduce the concept of habits and engage students in sharing their own simple daily habits.
* Facilitate a brief discussion to activate prior knowledge about routine actions.
Step 2
The Brain's Reward System & Habits
15 minutes
- Use the Your Brain on Habits Slide Deck to guide students through the core content.
* Follow the Your Brain on Habits Script to explain the brain's reward system, dopamine, and how repeated actions create neural pathways.
* Show the visual representation of pathways strengthening with repetition. Encourage questions and provide simple, relatable examples (e.g., learning to ride a bike, playing a video game).
Step 3
Pathways in Action: Think-Pair-Share
5 minutes
- Pose a question to the class related to a common habit (e.g.,
use Lenny to create lessons.
No credit card needed
Slide Deck
Your Brain on Habits
Ever wonder why you do certain things without even thinking? Like brushing your teeth or grabbing a snack after school?
Welcome students and introduce the concept of habits. Ask students to think about simple things they do every day without really thinking.
What are Habits?
- Automatic actions you do regularly.
- Your brain likes to make things efficient!
- Think: Brushing your teeth, packing your bag, eating lunch at a certain time.
Explain that habits are like automatic actions. Ask students to share a simple, positive habit they have.
Meet Your Brain's Reward System
- Your brain has a special
Introduce the idea of the brain's reward system in a simple way. Explain that certain actions feel good because of a brain chemical.
Dopamine: The 'Feel Good' Chemical
- When you do something that feels good, your brain releases dopamine.
- Dopamine tells your brain:
Explain how dopamine makes us want to repeat actions. Use a relatable example like getting a reward in a game.
Brain Roads: Neural Pathways
- Think of your brain as a giant map with lots of roads.
- Every time you do something, you create a tiny road for that action.
- The more you repeat an action, the wider and stronger that road becomes!
Introduce the concept of neural pathways as roads in the brain. Explain that repetition makes these roads stronger.
From Actions to Automatic
- Strong pathways mean your brain can do the action almost automatically.
- It takes less effort, less thinking!
- Example: Learning to ride a bike. At first, it's hard. Later, you don't even think about it!
Emphasize that strong pathways make actions automatic. Give examples like tying shoes or riding a bike.
Why This Matters
- Understanding these brain roads helps us understand why habits are so powerful.
- Both good habits (like studying) and not-so-good habits (like too much screen time) follow these same brain rules.
Connect this to how habits are formed and how strong habits can be hard to change (good or bad).
You're the Boss of Your Brain!
- Your brain is amazing, and you have a say in which roads get stronger.
- Let's think about one thing you learned today!
Conclude by encouraging students to reflect on their own habits and how they might use this knowledge. Introduce the cool-down activity.
Script
Your Brain on Habits: Script
Introduction & Warm-Up: What's Your Habit? (5 minutes)
Teacher: "Good morning, everyone! Today, we're going to explore something amazing that happens in our brains every single day without us even realizing it: how habits are formed. Has anyone ever wondered why you do certain things automatically, almost without thinking about them? Like brushing your teeth in the morning, or grabbing a snack after school?"
Teacher: "Let's start with our Habit Hook Warm-Up. Take a moment to think about a simple habit you have, something you do regularly without much thought. Write it down or just think about it quietly."
- (Allow 1-2 minutes for students to think or write.)
Teacher: "Can a few brave volunteers share a simple habit they have? There are no right or wrong answers here!"
- (Call on 2-3 students. Affirm their responses and connect them to the idea of routine.)
Teacher: "Great examples! So, what exactly is a habit? Simply put, habits are automatic actions you do regularly. Your brain loves to make things efficient, and forming habits helps it do just that. Think of things like tying your shoes, packing your backpack, or even how you walk to your next class. These are all habits!"
The Brain's Reward System & Habits (15 minutes)
Teacher: "Now, let's dive into the fascinating part: how our brains actually create these habits. Open up the Your Brain on Habits Slide Deck to follow along. (Advance to Slide 3) Meet your brain's reward system! Your brain has a special 'feel-good' system that gets activated when you do certain things. It's like a tiny celebration happening inside your head!"
Teacher: (Advance to Slide 4) "When you do something that feels good, your brain releases a special chemical called dopamine. You might have heard of it before! Dopamine tells your brain: 'Hey, that was good! Let's remember how to do that again!' It's the 'feel good' chemical that motivates us to repeat actions. Think about when you finally solve a tricky math problem or score a goal in a game – that little burst of satisfaction is dopamine at work!"
Teacher: (Advance to Slide 5) "Now, imagine your brain as a giant map with lots and lots of roads. Every time you do something, especially something that gives you that dopamine boost, you create a tiny road for that action. The first time you try something, it's like a faint path in the grass. But the more you repeat that action, the wider and stronger that road becomes! It's like paving a highway in your brain!"
Teacher: (Advance to Slide 6) "Strong pathways mean your brain can do the action almost automatically. It takes less effort, less thinking! Think about when you first learned to ride a bike. It was probably pretty hard, right? You had to focus on balancing, pedaling, steering. But now, if you know how to ride, you just hop on and go, without even thinking about each step. That's because you've built a super-strong brain road for bike riding!"
Teacher: (Advance to Slide 7) "Understanding these brain roads helps us understand why habits are so powerful. Both good habits, like remembering to do your homework or exercising, and not-so-good habits, like spending too much time on a screen or biting your nails, follow these same brain rules. The more you do something, the stronger that brain road gets, making it easier to do it again, even if it's not the best choice for you."
Pathways in Action: Think-Pair-Share (5 minutes)
Teacher: "Let's try a quick 'Think-Pair-Share.' I want you to think about a time you tried to start a new good habit, or stop a not-so-good habit. What made it easy or hard? How does thinking about these 'brain roads' change how you think about that experience?"
- (Give students 1 minute to think individually.)
Teacher: "Now, turn to a partner and share your thoughts for about 2 minutes. What did you think about?"
- (Allow 2 minutes for students to discuss.)
Teacher: "Can one or two pairs share something interesting they discussed?"
- (Call on a few students. Reinforce the idea that even difficult habits can be influenced.)
Conclusion & Cool-Down: You're the Boss! (5 minutes)
Teacher: (Advance to Slide 8) "Today, we've learned that our brains are amazing, and we have a say in which 'roads' get stronger. Every time you make a choice, you're either paving a new path or reinforcing an old one. This understanding is a powerful tool!"
Teacher: "To wrap up, let's complete our Reflect & Connect Cool-Down. Please take a moment to answer the question: 'What is one new thing you learned today about how your brain forms habits?' This will help us see what stuck with you!"
- (Distribute or display the Cool-Down activity.)
Teacher: "Thank you all for your great participation today! Remember, you have more power over your habits than you might think!"
Warm Up
Habit Hook Warm-Up
Instructions: Think about your morning routine or your routine after school. What is one thing you do almost every day without really thinking about it? It could be anything simple!
Write down your habit below:
My daily habit is:
Why do you think you do this action so regularly? What makes it a habit?
Cool Down
Reflect & Connect Cool-Down
Instructions: In one or two sentences, summarize the most important thing you learned today about how your brain forms habits. How might this knowledge help you in your daily life?