Unit Plan
Foundation for a Drug-Free World

The Truth About Drugs

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Teenagers hear many messages about drugs from advertisements, their peers, their teachers, and their parents. But who is lying? What is the truth? A thorough, thoughtful unit takes a purposeful look at drug education, drug culture, and...
Article
PBS

Tiger of the Snows: Tenzing Norgay

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Tenzing Norgay, the Sherpa man who made history when he reached the summit of Mount Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary, is the focus of an informative article. Class members read about Norgay's perspective on the way up the mountain, the...
Activity
Lee & Low Books

Classroom Guide for Sacred Mountain: Everest

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
The most famous climbers of Mount Everest could never have made it to the summit without the assistance of the local Sherpa. Christine Taylor-Butler's nonfiction children's book Sacred Mountain: Everest is the focus of an extensive...
Article
PBS

Sherpas on Everest

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Every successful climb of Mount Everest can be attributed to the assistance of the local Sherpas. A short, informative article explains the history behind the Sherpa's involvement in Mount Everest expeditions, the physiological reasons...
Handout
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

What You Need to Know about Marijuana Use and Driving

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Research indicates that marijuana can negatively affect coordination and judgment, making it dangerous to drive while under the influence. But does it increase the risk of car crashes? An informative fact sheet describes the ways...
Handout
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

What You Need to Know about Marijuana Use and Pregnancy

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Some people believe that using marijuana during pregnancy is safer than smoking tobacco, but studies show several negative impacts on babies whose mothers used marijuana while they were pregnant. Use a fact sheet to educate learners...
Lesson Plan
Scholastic

The Science of Marijuana—How THC Affects the Brain

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Marijuana can affect every part of a user's life—starting with the delicate nervous centers of the brain. An informative article and worksheet prompt teenagers to learn more about how the THC found in most forms of marijuana can...
Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Marijuana: Breaking Down the Buzz

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Teenagers get the real information about marijuana use based on the history of tobacco legislation and research. As they read an educational passage about marijuana laws, science, and changing attitudes, they address their preconceptions...
Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Analyzing Media Messages

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Telling young people to just say no can be difficult in a world that inundates them with messages to just say yes. A lesson on media messages encourages teenagers to analyze song lyrics and advertisements that mention drugs...
Unit Plan
Louisiana Department of Education

How to Write a Memoir

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Who are we and what shapes our identities? Seventh graders work to answer this question as they learn how to write a memoir. Full of non-print resources and supplemental texts that range from fiction to non-fiction, scholars write their...
Graphic
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Major Disparities in Adult Cigarette Smoking Exist Among and Within Racial and Ethnic Groups

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Data indicates that some racial groups smoke more than others, and that with that racial group, there are smaller groups whose smoking habits vary as well. Secondary learners read a graph that details the differences between the Asian...
Graphic
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Current Cigarette Smoking Among Adults Infographic

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Adult cigarette smoking has decreased in recent years, but it is still the number one cause of preventable disease and death in America. An infographic breaks cigarette smoking down by education level, geographical region, gender, race,...
Handout
Scholastic

Heads Up: Real News About Drugs and Your Body

For Students 7th - 12th Standards
What's the difference between medical marijuana and marijuana bought on the street? Not much. High schoolers learn more about marijuana with an informational booklet that focuses on the medical uses of THC, how marijuana affects the...
Unit Plan
ReadWriteThink

Biography Project: Research and Class Presentation

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
I Have A Dream ... that after the lesson, all individuals master the reading, writing, researching, listening, and speaking skills the biography project helps them develop. Martin Luther King, Jr. serves as a topic example for a model...
Worksheet
Scholastic

Marijuana: Perception of Harm vs. Use

For Students 7th - 12th Standards
Many teenagers don't believe that marijuana is harmful, but if they do, it affects whether they use it or not. Analyze the relationship between what high school seniors believe about marijuana and their tendency to use it with a reading...
Handout
Scholastic

Marijuana: Breaking Down the Buzz

For Students 4th - 12th Standards
There are a lot of myths surrounding marijuana. Read a passage that clarifies the dangers of teens smoking marijuana, its harmful effects on the development of the brain, and the possible correlation of cigarette smoking to marijuana...
Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Think it Through

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
What does the media tell the teenagers about using marijuana? Help class members decipher what they are being told about drug use with a lesson on editorial cartoons, subliminal messages, and critical thinking skills.
Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Consider the Source

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Who is more trustworthy when it comes to marijuana: a high school student, or The National Institute on Drug Abuse? Sources matter when reading informational text. Help teenagers discern which facts are true with an activity that focuses...
Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Marijuana Facts

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Can marijuana really hurt you? Three medical facts and three discussion questions prompt teenagers to consider the ramifications of using marijuana recreationally.
Handout
National Institute on Drug Abuse

Marijuana Facts for Teens

For Students 7th - 12th Standards
Is marijuana addictive? Can you drive under the influence of marijuana? What happens if you smoke marijuana while you're pregnant? Teenagers learn the answers to these and many more frequently asked questions in an online booklet about...
Activity
Steered Straight

Marijuana Awareness

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
February is Marijuana Awareness Month, and a set of interdisciplinary activities can make your class aware of the social, medical, legal, and psychological effects of marijuana. With writing prompts, research opportunities, and...
Lesson Plan
NPR

The History of America’s Weed Laws

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
To understand the laws regarding marijuana use in the United States, you can go all the way back to the 1800's to learn about farming hemp, or you can go back to 2018 when California became the sixth state to legalize recreational...
Lesson Plan
PBS

March on Washington: A Time for Change

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Young historians conclude their study of the events that lead up to and the planning for the March on Washington. After examining videos and primary source documents, they consider the civil rights objectives that still need to be...
Lesson Plan
Library of Congress

Thomas Jefferson's Library: Making the Case for a National Library

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
The United States Library of Congress, the largest library in the world. But such was not always the case. The library was destroyed during the War of 1812. In a persuasive letter to Samuel H. Smith, Thomas Jefferson offered to sell his...