Classical Conditioning Lesson Plan: Pavlov’s Dog Game

Lesson Procedure:

1. Ask students who have pets what happens when their pet hears the can opener and/or what happens when they take out the dog leash. Encourage them to explain why they think their pets respond as they do from these stimuli. Then tell the class that today they will discover the science behind these behaviors.
2. Show the movie Conditioning on a whiteboard or other display to the whole class once through without pausing.  
3. Next, if you have access to multiple computers and/or devices, divide the class into pairs or small groups and have them open the Make-a-Map feature, which is available for My BrainPOP subscribers, for the Conditioning movie. NOTE: If limited access to computers, you can do this as a whole class activity, or distribute the Cause and Effect printable (see Preparation) for students to complete offline.
4. Have pairs watch the movie again from within the Make-A-Map feature. As they watch, prompt them to pay close attention to what causes the dog’s response and have them create a concept map showing how conditioning works, or the cause and effect relationship between stimuli and a dog’s response. Suggest that they pause the movie as they create their concept maps. Remind them that they can use clips of the movie in their maps. When they are done, invite pairs to share their concept map with another pair to ensure that they understand the concepts. Here is an example of what your students’ maps might look like:
5. Now invite students to play the game Pavlov’s Dog independently or with a partner. Explain that the object of the game is to train the dog to respond to a signal that it will associate with being fed. Choose the right signals with his food and you will become successful; choose the wrong options and the dog will refuse to respond. Encourage students to use the concept maps they created to help them.
6. If playing in pairs, remind students to collaborate before trying out their ideas. If they have more than one solution, encourage them to try all of their ideas.
7. After students have successfully created a conditioned response, bring them back together for a whole class discussion. Invite volunteers to share their strategies using the terminology they learned in the movie, such as conditioned response, stimulus, unconditioned response, etc.