The Habit Loop Hack: Design Your Custom Habit App
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The Habit Loop Hack: Design Your Custom Habit App

Adult EducationForeign Language1 days
In this project, adult learners design a personalized habit-tracking app while mastering essential English grammar structures like gerunds and infinitives. Students identify unhealthy routines to "stop" and new goals to "start," translating these concepts into a functional app wireframe with clear, imperative instructions. The experience emphasizes using object pronouns to personalize notifications and explores the semantic nuances of the verb "stop" in different contexts. By the end of the project, students produce a digital or paper prototype that demonstrates their ability to communicate goals and routines effectively for a modern audience.
GerundsInfinitivesApp DesignHabit FormationAdult ESLObject PronounsFunctional Writing
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Inquiry Framework

Question Framework

Driving Question

The overarching question that guides the entire project.How can we design a personalized habit-tracking app that uses clear English to help people stop doing unhealthy habits and start to live better lives?

Essential Questions

Supporting questions that break down major concepts.
  • How can we describe habits people want to stop doing using gerunds?
  • What new routines can people start to do, and how do we use infinitives to explain them?
  • How can we use object pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, us, them) to make our app feel personal and helpful to the user?
  • What is the difference between "stopping a habit" and "stopping to do something" in the context of our app?
  • How can we design clear instructions that motivate users to track their progress every day?

Standards & Learning Goals

Learning Goals

By the end of this project, students will be able to:
  • Correctly use gerunds to describe habits that users want to cease (e.g., 'Stop snacking late at night').
  • Correctly use infinitives to describe new routines and goals that users want to initiate (e.g., 'Start to drink more water').
  • Apply object pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, us, them) accurately within the app interface to personalize notifications and instructions.
  • Distinguish between the meanings of 'stop + gerund' (ceasing an action) and 'stop + infinitive' (interrupting an action to do something else) in the context of habit formation.
  • Design a functional app wireframe or prototype that uses clear, imperative English to guide and motivate users.

College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) for Adult Education

CCRS.ELA.L.4.1
Primary
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking; specifically the use of phrases and clauses (gerunds and infinitives).Reason: The project's core academic requirement is distinguishing between gerunds and infinitives to describe habits.
CCRS.ELA.L.1.1
Primary
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking; specifically ensure that pronouns are in the proper case (subjective, objective, possessive).Reason: The project requires students to use object pronouns to personalize the app experience for the user.
CCRS.ELA.W.4.4
Secondary
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.Reason: Students must write clear instructions and motivational text for their app's target audience.

Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)

CEFR.A2.Overall
Primary
Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment and matters in areas of immediate need.Reason: The project aligns with the A2 level's focus on routine matters (habits) and describing immediate needs/goals using simple sentence structures.

Entry Events

Events that will be used to introduce the project to students

The 'Time-Thief' Investigation

Students watch a 'found footage' style montage of a person's chaotic morning (oversleeping, forgetting coffee, losing keys). They must work in teams to identify the 'Time Thieves' and write 'Emergency Notifications' to help the person, using phrases like 'Stop hitting snooze' and 'Remember to grab your keys.'
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Portfolio Activities

Portfolio Activities

These activities progressively build towards your learning goals, with each submission contributing to the student's final portfolio.
Activity 1

The 'Bad Habit' Audit

Students will act as 'Habit Detectives' to identify common negative habits and translate them into app-friendly 'Stop' commands. The focus is on mastering the 'Stop + Gerund' structure.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Brainstorm a list of common 'time-thief' habits or unhealthy routines relevant to adult life (e.g., sleeping late, drinking too much caffeine).
2. Convert these habits into formal 'Stop' commands using the gerund form (Verb + -ing).
3. Peer-review the list to ensure that the gerund is used correctly after the verb 'stop.'

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Habit Audit' list featuring at least five 'Stop' commands using gerunds (e.g., 'Stop checking your phone at night').

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsThis activity aligns with CCRS.ELA.L.4.1 by focusing on the use of gerunds to describe ongoing actions and CEFR.A2 by having students describe familiar routine matters.
Activity 2

The Goal-Setting Blueprint

Now that students have identified what to stop, they must design the 'Start' side of their app. Students will create positive routines using the 'Start to + Infinitive' or 'Try to + Infinitive' structure.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. For every 'Bad Habit' identified in Activity 1, brainstorm a positive replacement habit (e.g., 'Drink more water').
2. Write these new routines using the 'Start to [verb]' or 'Try to [verb]' structure.
3. Organize these goals into a visual 'Dashboard' layout for your app interface.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'New Routines' dashboard mockup containing five positive goal statements using infinitives.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsThis activity aligns with CCRS.ELA.L.4.1 by introducing the infinitive form to express purpose and goals, and CEFR.A2 by focusing on immediate needs and goals.
Activity 3

The 'Personal Assistant' Persona

Students will learn to make their app feel personal and interactive. They will write push notifications and UI (User Interface) buttons that use object pronouns (me, it, us, him, her, them) to communicate with the user.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Review the list of object pronouns: me, you, him, her, it, us, them.
2. Draft notifications for the app that use these pronouns (e.g., 'Don't let *it* (the habit) win!', 'Remind *me* at 8:00 PM', 'Do *it* for your health!').
3. Identify the noun each pronoun is replacing to ensure clarity for the user.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA set of 5-8 'Smart Notifications' that use object pronouns to personalize the experience.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsThis activity aligns with CCRS.ELA.L.1.1 (Object Pronouns) and CCRS.ELA.W.4.4 (Clear and coherent writing for an audience).
Activity 4

The 'Pivot' Challenge

This activity addresses a common point of confusion for A2 learners: the difference between 'Stop doing' (cease an action) and 'Stop to do' (interrupt an action to do something else). Students will create 'Mindfulness Breaks' for their app.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Discuss the difference in meaning between 'I stopped smoking' and 'I stopped to smoke.'
2. Write a 'Work Break' notification that uses 'Stop to' (e.g., 'Stop working to stretch your legs').
3. Write a 'Focus Mode' notification that uses 'Stop -ing' (e.g., 'Stop browsing social media').

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 'Mindfulness Tip Card' that correctly uses both 'Stop + Gerund' and 'Stop + Infinitive' in context.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsThis activity aligns with CCRS.ELA.L.4.1 (Gerunds and Infinitives) by highlighting the semantic difference between the two structures when used with the verb 'stop.'
Activity 5

The Habit Hack Final Wireframe

Students combine all previous work into a final app wireframe. They will design the visual layout and ensure all grammar (gerunds, infinitives, and object pronouns) is used correctly to guide a user through their habit-hacking journey.

Steps

Here is some basic scaffolding to help students complete the activity.
1. Sketch a three-page layout for the 'Habit Loop Hack' app.
2. Integrate the 'Stop' (Gerund) and 'Start' (Infinitive) phrases into the tracking screens.
3. Add the 'Personalized Notifications' (Object Pronouns) and 'Mindfulness Tips' (Stop vs. Stop to) to the interface.
4. Present the wireframe to the class, explaining one habit loop using the target grammar.

Final Product

What students will submit as the final product of the activityA 3-page paper or digital app wireframe (Home Screen, Habit Tracker, and Notification Settings) with correct grammar and clear instructions.

Alignment

How this activity aligns with the learning objectives & standardsThis activity synthesizes all standards: CCRS.ELA.L.4.1, CCRS.ELA.L.1.1, and CCRS.ELA.W.4.4, requiring students to produce a final, coherent piece of writing for a specific purpose.
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Rubric & Reflection

Portfolio Rubric

Grading criteria for assessing the overall project portfolio

The Habit Loop Hack: Design & Grammar Rubric

Category 1

Linguistic Accuracy & Grammar

Assessment of the specific grammatical structures required for the habit-tracking app, focusing on accuracy and communicative intent.
Criterion 1

Grammar: Gerunds vs. Infinitives (CCRS.ELA.L.4.1)

Measures the student's ability to use gerunds after the verb 'stop' to describe ceasing habits and infinitives after 'start' or 'try' to describe new goals.

Exemplary
4 Points

Demonstrates sophisticated control of gerund and infinitive structures. All 'Stop' and 'Start' commands are grammatically perfect and use a diverse range of vocabulary appropriate for an app interface.

Proficient
3 Points

Demonstrates thorough understanding of gerunds and infinitives. 'Stop' and 'Start' commands are mostly accurate with very few minor errors that do not interfere with the user's understanding.

Developing
2 Points

Shows emerging understanding; gerunds and infinitives are used but with inconsistent accuracy (e.g., 'Stop to smoke' instead of 'Stop smoking'). Meaning is generally clear but requires effort.

Beginning
1 Points

Shows initial understanding but struggles significantly with the forms. Frequent errors in verb endings (-ing vs to-verb) make instructions confusing for the app user.

Criterion 2

Grammar: Object Pronoun Precision (CCRS.ELA.L.1.1)

Evaluates the accuracy and clarity of object pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, us, them) used in app notifications and instructions.

Exemplary
4 Points

Uses object pronouns accurately and creatively to personalize the app experience. The connection between the pronoun and the noun it replaces (antecedent) is always clear and effective.

Proficient
3 Points

Uses object pronouns appropriately in most instances. Notifications are personal and helpful, with clear pronoun-antecedent relationships throughout the app screens.

Developing
2 Points

Uses object pronouns with some errors in case or selection (e.g., using 'I' instead of 'me'). Some notifications may be slightly confusing to the reader.

Beginning
1 Points

Struggles with pronoun usage. Pronouns are often missing, incorrect, or used in a way that makes the app notifications difficult for a user to follow.

Category 2

Functional Meaning & Context

Evaluation of the student's understanding of how grammar changes the meaning of a sentence, specifically with the verb 'stop.'
Criterion 1

Semantic Nuance: 'Stop' Meanings

Assesses the student's ability to distinguish between 'Stop + Gerund' (ending a behavior) and 'Stop + Infinitive' (pausing to do a new action) within the Mindfulness Tip Card.

Exemplary
4 Points

Clearly and innovatively distinguishes between the two meanings. The Mindfulness Tip Card provides perfect contextual examples that help the user understand when to cease a habit vs. pause for a break.

Proficient
3 Points

Correctly identifies the difference in meaning. Both structures are used accurately in the context of the app's 'Mindfulness' and 'Focus' features.

Developing
2 Points

Shows a basic understanding of the difference but application is inconsistent. The user might be confused about whether they should stop an action or start a new one based on the text.

Beginning
1 Points

Does not demonstrate an understanding of the semantic difference. 'Stop + gerund' and 'Stop + infinitive' are used interchangeably or incorrectly.

Category 3

Synthesis & App Design

Assessment of the student's ability to synthesize language skills into a final, creative product that serves a clear purpose for a specific audience.
Criterion 1

Functional Writing & Design (CCRS.ELA.W.4.4)

Evaluates the final 3-page wireframe for clarity, organization, and the effective use of imperative English to guide and motivate the user.

Exemplary
4 Points

Produces an outstanding, professional-quality wireframe. Instructions are exceptionally clear, highly motivating, and perfectly organized for a user's journey from 'Stop' to 'Start'.

Proficient
3 Points

Produces a clear and coherent wireframe. The organization is appropriate for the task, and the language effectively guides the user through the habit-tracking process.

Developing
2 Points

Produces a wireframe with varying quality. The organization is basic, and some instructions may be wordy or unclear, making the app's purpose slightly difficult to follow.

Beginning
1 Points

The wireframe is incomplete or poorly organized. Instructions are missing or lack the clarity needed for an A2 learner to successfully navigate the proposed app.

Reflection Prompts

End-of-project reflection questions to get students to think about their learning
Question 1

On a scale of 1 to 5, how confident do you feel explaining the difference between 'stopping a habit' (Stop + -ing) and 'stopping to do something' (Stop + infinitive)?

Scale
Required
Question 2

In Activity 3, you wrote notifications using object pronouns like 'it', 'me', and 'them'. How do these words help your app feel more like a personal assistant and less like a robot?

Text
Required
Question 3

Which part of the 'Habit Loop Hack' project helped you the most in improving your English communication skills?

Multiple choice
Required
Options
Using gerunds (Stop + -ing) to quit bad habits.
Using infinitives (Start to...) to plan new routines.
Using object pronouns to make the app feel personal.
Designing the visual layout of the wireframe.
Question 4

Think about your final app wireframe. What was the hardest part about writing clear instructions for your users, and how did you make sure they would understand your grammar?

Text
Optional