US National Library of Medicine
Drug Use and Abuse: Past and Present
Pick your poison: tobacco, alcohol, opiates, cocaine, or marijuana. An online exhibition launches a research project that asks groups to select one of the five drugs and gather information on how the use of the drug and the regulations...
Nemours KidsHealth
Drugs: Grades 9-12
What do drugs do to the body and to the mind? What are the dangers of using drugs? How can teens respond to the pressure to use drugs? After reading a series of articles related to drug use and abuse, class members prepare a skit to...
Scholastic
Real Questions, Real Answers About Drugs
Students brainstorm about questions they have about drugs. For this health science lesson, students research about frequently asked questions on drugs and addiction. They explain why it is important to get accurate information.
Curated OER
The Drug Dope Show
In small groups, students research an assigned drug category including its physical effects, addiction treatments and the societal, academic and economic impacts of drug abuse. They engage in a "talk show" and discussion about drug...
Curated OER
This Is Your Brain on Pot
Students explore the causes and effects of marijuana addiction and research how THC affects different areas of the brain. They synthesize their knowledge by creating print advertisements that inform teenagers about the physiologic danger...
Scholastic
Prescription Pain Medication: What You Need to Know
The national epidemic of opioid addiction is making its way into high school populations. Educate the young scholars in your class about the ways prescription opioids can both block pain and deliver large amounts of dopamine that make it...
Curated OER
Addiction
Students warn others about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse. In this personal health lesson, students research the effects of addiction and share their findings with their classmates. Students then create posters or songs that...
Curated OER
Just Say No to Drugs
Students explore the dangers of drugs, drug awareness and abuse and different types of drugs. They demonstrate reading comprehension sills including inference, literal meaning and critical analysis.
Discovery Education
Is Our Community Influenced by the Opioid Epidemic?
Opioid abuse is becoming a national crisis, but combating the influence of opioids requires examining the ways it affects individual communities. A thorough teacher guide provides step-by-step instructions about implementing an...
Carfleo
Substance Use and Abuse
What is substance abuse? What is the difference between a depressant and a stimulant? Here is a comprehensive unit on drug use, including three lessons with such activities as categorizing and defining key terms, identifying...
RAND Corporation
Project ALERT
Why do people use drugs? What are the consequences? The alternatives? How can young people resist the pressures to use drugs? The Project Alert drug prevention program provides middle schoolers with the information they need and the...
Curated OER
Making Good Decisions: Drug and Alcohol Reports
Students identify the effects and consequences of using and abusing alcohol and drugs. In this drug education lesson plan, students watch a video about underage drinking. Students research an assigned drug and compose a PowerPoint...
Curated OER
Effects of Drugs and Alcohol
Learners examine how drugs and alcohol impair athletic performance They discuss the reduction in aerobic activity through drug use and discover what is most affected by abuse. In their journals they write about how maintaining...
Curated OER
American Media: Addicted to Scandal?
Students examine media coverage of George W. Bush's refusal to answer questions regarding past illegal drug usage in the 1999 campaign. They consider the role of rumor, scandal, audience and relevance in political media coverage.
Kenan Fellows
Unit 2: Chemistry Review
What exactly goes into the medications people take every day? Scholars learn about the chemistry of medications in the second of a four-part series on Pharmacology. Over the course of two weeks, class members complete seven experiments,...
Curated OER
USA Today Lesson: "Meth" Moves East
Students explore methamphetamine use. In this health journalism instructional activity, students read the USA Today article titled "Meth Moves East", respond to discussion questions regarding the article, and complete an activity based...
Curated OER
Class A Creates Trouble
Students explore the history of drugs and drug use. In this anti-drug lesson, students research information about drugs, then enhance their knowledge by digging into the subject even farther by researching the health implications,...
Curated OER
Jimmy Carter: Civic Action, Lesson 1
Inspired by the humanitarian work of President Jimmy Carter after he left office, high schoolers explore the history of civic action in the United States and generate ideas about problems at the local, national, and international levels....
Curated OER
Journalism: Underage Drinking
Students research underage drinking and read a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association about the issue. They interview experts on substance abuse and liquor store owners about their policies. Students publish their...
Curated OER
Constant Craving
Students experience the effect of sensory stimulation through a guided visualization. They explore possible genetic relationships between drug addiction and the nervous system by reading and discussing, "Genetic Studies Promise a Path to...
Curated OER
The Meth Epidemic: "The Most Dangerous Drug In America"
Students examine the historical development of meth use and the impact that it has on individual users and their communities. The problems in treating meth addiction are also explored in this lesson.
Curated OER
Under the Influence
Students examine the effects of teen drinking. In this personal health lesson plan, students research alcohol's effect on the teen brain. Students discuss their findings about the alcohol-brain connection and create brain maps.
Curated OER
Window Into Another Culture
Students read "A Single Lucid Moment" as a class. In groups, they identify the aspects of the United States that might allow for homelessness to happen and compare it with the culture of New Guinea. They write a journal entry about how...
Curated OER
Treating Substance Abuse Problems
Young scholars conduct an open discussion on the legal, social, and health consequences associated with substance abuse. Working in pairs, students discuss the effects of substance abuse and brainstorm possible solutions. ...