Unit

HabitWise Lesson #1

Grade Level: 6-12

Length: 45-60 minutes

DE Domain: VAR

  • Students will define habit and describe the long-term effects that our habits can have on our lives.
  • Students will identify areas in their lives where they want to improve their habits and develop strategies for persistence in these habits.

Nurturing positive habits over time puts students in control of shaping the life they want to live. In this lesson, students reflect on habits they have developed, and habits they would need to develop to reach their goals.

VAR.7 – Create and track sustainable and desirable habits

Key vocabulary:

  • Habit: A behavior that becomes automatic from repeating it often.
  • A habit to nurture: When we recognize that a behavior improves our life, we can work on doing it regularly.
  • A habit to crush: When we recognize that a behavior has negative effects on our life, we can work on eliminating it.

What to look and listen for: How are students describing the impact habits can have on their future? Can students identify ways to make habits sustainable? Can students create behavior patterns to support new habits and maintain persistence?

Lesson:

Engage (20 minutes):

To open the unit, lead your students in a discussion about habits and their effects – positive or negative – on our lives.

Suggested Prompts & Questions:

  • Explain in your own words what a habit is.
  • What are some different ways habits impact our lives?
  • How much control do you think we have over our habits?
  • Many people know they need to change a habit, but they struggle to make or sustain the necessary changes in their regular routines. Why do you think these changes are difficult?

Show Video #1: Why Habits Matter and continue the class discussion by asking about the positive and negative impact of habits they have developed.

Suggested Prompts & Questions:

  • Earlier, I asked you to explain what a habit is in your own words. Would you like to add or modify your explanation? If so, what important changes did you make to your explanation?
  • Can you name a habit you have that makes your life better?
  • Can you name a habit you have that affects you negatively?
  • Name something you would like to achieve or get better at. What habit would you like to form that can support your goals in this area?
  • How do you think your habits could have a lasting impact on your life?

Apply (10-15 minutes):

Use this worksheet to dive deeper into examining what values and goals students hold for their current and future selves.

Reflect (5-10 minutes):

Following the lesson, have your students select one habit from the worksheet to write about in their journal. They will focus on this habit for the upcoming week.

Suggested Prompts & Questions:

Pick one habit from your worksheet to begin working on:

  • What do you need to do, or what changes do you need to make, to develop this habit? Identify small steps you can take to make this habit sustainable. Be specific!
  • Pick a date this week to take the first steps to develop this habit.

 

Differentiation:

Some students might require scaffolding around identifying habits that can impact their future. Consider giving a few examples (cell phone habits, study habits, patterns in their stress management, etc.).

Optional extensions:

Have students track their habits using a habit journal.

Introduce the weekly habit recap sheet as a resource students can use in their journal (this is included in lesson 5 of this unit).

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