Introduction
Welcome, Behavior Detectives!
Every day, people make choices, react to situations, and repeat certain behaviors. But have you ever wondered why? In this WebQuest, you will become a behavior detective and look for clues that may explain why a behavior happens.
Guiding Question:
How can the environment and consequences influence behavior?
Learning Objective:
By the end of this WebQuest, students will be able to identify behavior, analyze possible environmental influences, explain how consequences can affect future behavior, and apply the behavioral perspective to real-life situations.
Florida State Standards:
SS.912.P.7.5 – Describe the principles of operant conditioning, including reinforcement, punishment, positive reinforcement, and negative reinforcement.
SS.912.P.7.7 – Apply operant conditioning to everyday life.
Bloom’s Taxonomy:
Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, and Create.
Your Mission:
Figure out what may be influencing a behavior and decide what could help change it.
Task
Students work in groups and create a Behavior Case File in Canva.
Each group gets a fictional scenario, like:
- A student keeps talking during class.
- Someone avoids doing homework.
- A student starts participating more after getting praise.
- Someone checks their phone constantly during study time.
Behavior Case File
- What is the behavior?
- What happens before the behavior?
- What happens after the behavior?
- What might be influencing it?
- Is reinforcement involved?
- What could help improve or change the behavior?
- A short explanation of the group’s reasoning
*And visually, you can make it look like a detective board, case folder, evidence cards, sticky notes, arrows, etc.
Process
Mission 1: Meet Your Team
Students work in groups of 3–4. Roles can include:
- Behavior Researcher
- Evidence Recorder
- Canva Designer
- Presenter
Mission 2: Learn the Basics
Use teacher-approved websites to learn about behavior, reinforcement, and the behavioral perspective.
Mission 3: Open the Case File
Your group receives a behavior scenario.
Mission 4: Find the Clues
Identify:
- the behavior
- what happens before it
- what happens after it
- possible environmental influences
Mission 5: Analyze the Behavior
Discuss why the behavior may be continuing and what consequences may be affecting it.
Mission 6: Build a Solution
Create one realistic strategy that could encourage a more appropriate behavior.
Mission 7: Create the Case File
Use Canva to design your Behavior Case File with visuals, short explanations, and evidence.
Mission 8: Present Your Findings
Each group presents their case and explains their reasoning.
Evaluation
Behavior Detective Rubric
| Correct identification of behavior. | 20 |
| Analysis of environmental influences | 20 |
| Explanation of consequences/reinforcement | 20 |
| Creative and organized Canva design | 15 |
| Realistic behavior-change strategy | 15 |
| Group participation and presentation | 10 |
| TOTAL | 100 |
Detective Tip: Strong projects should explain why the group reached its conclusions, not just list answers.
Conclusion
You have officially completed your Behavior Detective investigation! Throughout this WebQuest, you explored how behaviors can be influenced by the environment and by what happens before and after a behavior. You also worked with your team to analyze a real-life scenario, look for behavioral clues, and create a possible solution.
Before closing your case, think about this question:
Final Reflection:
Think of one behavior you have noticed at school, at home, or in everyday life. What might be influencing that behavior? Consider what happens before and after the behavior.
Enrichment Activity:
Want to investigate behavior a little further? Explore the American Psychological Association’s psychology topics and choose one topic that interests you. After exploring, write a short paragraph explaining what you learned and how it connects to human behavior.
Enrichment Link:
Explore Psychology Topics – American Psychological Association
Great work, Detectives. Case closed!
Credits
Credits & Resources
The following educational resources were used to support the information and activities included in this WebQuest:
American Psychological Association (APA)
Information and educational resources related to psychology, behavior, learning, and human development.
Florida Department of Education
Florida educational standards and learning expectations were referenced when developing the learning objectives for this WebQuest.
Canva for Education
Used as the digital creation tool for students to design and present their Behavior Case Files.
WebQuest Created By:
Joemy Salazar
Teacher Page
Grade Level:
8th–10th grade
Subject Area:
Psychology / Behavioral Science
Estimated Time:
2–3 class periods
Grouping:
Groups of 3–4 students
Materials:
- Computers or tablets
- Canva
- Google Docs
- Teacher-created behavior scenarios
- Internet access
- Projector for presentations
Learning Styles Supported:
Visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic
Teaching Notes:
This activity is designed to keep students actively involved through teamwork, real-life scenarios, visual design, discussion, and presentation. Students are encouraged to explain their reasoning instead of only giving simple answers.