"Chip" the Habit - An Experiential Addiction Activity

It’s been a while since I have posted a blog.  Summer is over and a new year has started.  I have been asked about ideas for teaching about addiction and I thought it would be a good subject to write about.  I do have a vodcast or two about alcohol and addiction that I usually have the students watch and take notes on.  For an application activity/project I have the students do something that will mirror what an addict experiences especially if they are working to kick the habit. I call the activity “Chip” the habit.

We first have talked a little about addiction but this could be used as an introductory activity to pre-load the lesson.  First I tell the kids they need to get their favorite snack food such as potato chips, Doritos, Oreos, cheese puffs, etc .. they get a chance to pick something they really like.  The students are instructed to open the bag, take out ONE chip/snack item and eat it.  Then they are to close the bag up and leave it on the counter (NOT put away in a drawer/cabinet – that will be important later).  That is the only time they can have a snack like that all day.  No chips or cookies or whatever, only the one time is all they get. 

They are to journal their emotions, thoughts and actions each day.  I usually do a check in during class to see how kids are doing.  If/when kids fail I encourage them to start again and see if they can go longer.  At the end of the week I have them write a reflective response to the activity comparing their experience with that of someone who is trying to stop a destructive habit like smoking, drinking or drug use as well as a more extended class discussion where they can highlight some things from their experience.  

The activity is a great experiential activity that gives the students a sense of what addiction is like.  Hopefully it connects with them in the sense of if they struggle to not eat a chip imagine what a powerful drug can do?? 

Connections & Discussion points:

How did you feel prior to the activity beginning?

(many students talk about how they think it will be easy or it seems a little dumb)

What happened the first time you ate a chip and had to seal up the bag?

(Students talk about how they don’t want to seal it up, it was hard, they were craving more, they got angry, started to get obsessed and thought about it alot.  Many talk about putting the bag in a drawer so they can’t see it … I remind them it HAS to be on the counter in plain sight)

Why did I have you keep the bag on the counter and not put it away?

(advertising, media images, friends/peers, etc.  It is always visible & ‘in your face”, etc)

If you were unable to only eat one chip, what happened?

(ate the whole bag, ate a bunch, felt guilty, stupid, angry, weak … , rationalized to justify eating more than one, “this is stupid”, “I will start tomorrow”, “no one will know”, etc )

How was that like someone who “falls off the wagon”/relapse?

(they do a whole bunch not just a little, they feel a sense of relief followed by guilt and feeling weak, just give up on quitting, rationalize their choice to relapse, etc)

What connections can you make between this activity and addiction?

(It’s hard, it’s all you think about, you get emotional about it, it affects your mood, you see it all the time, I just wanted to get rid of it so I couldn't see it anymore but you can’t, you can’t just have a little you wind up bingeing)

Those are just some of the questions I have used and answers I have been given.  This discussion can get pretty deep and involved which is great.  Kids usually have some very good insight when they write about their experience.

If you wanted to go more paperless or use a little more technology; you could use a back channel activity like polleverywhere, socrative, todaysmeet or edmodo to have an interactive discussion.  You could also use a google form for the kids to use as journal activities for their reflection piece. 

I have used this activity a number of times and it has led to great discussion and comparison points on addiction.  It is a very easy way to have your students get a small taste of what addiction feels like and the peripheral emotions and behaviors that go with it.  Some students have even claimed it has taken a few days after the activity was over to eat those snacks guilt free … J  Maybe it could be a good pre-cursor to your nutrition unit too …

Give this activity a shot and see how well your students can “Chip” the habit.