Baylor College
Drugs, Risks and the Nervous System
In cooperative groups, middle schoolers contemplate the probability of 18 different situations occurring. After they make predictions, they compare them to the actual risk factors. This eye-opening exercise demonstrates that the odds of...
Florida Department of Health
Understanding the Risk of Substance Abuse Unit
Teenage brains are different! Understanding that the teenage brain is still developing and thus more impacted by substance abuse is the key concept in a three-lesson high school health unit. Participants learn about how the brain and...
Foundation for a Drug-Free World
The Truth About Drugs
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...
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...
PBS
Stories of Painkiller Addiction: Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Campaign
The I-STOP law was designed to regulate the distribution and tracking of prescription drugs. After reading an article about its signing and implementation, middle and high schoolers work together to come up with their own ideas for an...
Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment
Drugs Awareness
The final lesson in a series of 10 focusing on Social, Physical, Emotional, Cognitive and Spiritual (SPECS) health investigates the effects of legal and illegal substances, their risks, and the consequences of their misuse.
Curated OER
The House That Drugs Built
Students evaluate the long and short term effects of substance abuse on the individual, family, and society. The lesson includes numerous instructional and learning strategies such as role-playing, discussion, research, demonstrations,...
Curated OER
Treating Substance Abuse Problems
Students 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. Independently,...
Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment
Drugs Awareness
Peer pressure can lead to dangerous activities for the eighth graders in your class. Prepare them for the tough conversations in the years ahead with a set of lessons about drugs and their consequences on users' lives.
Curated OER
Substance Abuse
Students describe the effects of drugs on the human body, both short-and long-term consequences. They create personal approaches to substance abuse control and prevention. Students demonstrate effective practices in working within...
Generation Rx
My Generation Rx: Plot Twists
How can prescription drugs be dangerous if they were prescribed by a doctor? Is it okay to share your prescription drugs with friends if they really need them? Clear up any common misconceptions about prescription drugs with a set of...
Scholastic
Stress and Drug Abuse
Young scholars identify the different causes of stress. For this health science lesson plan, students find the connection between stress and drug abuse. They discuss about the different kinds of stress they experience everyday.
PBS
Stories of Painkiller Addiction: Myth or Fact
Are opioids the most abused drug after marijuana? How hard is it for young people to obtain painkillers without a prescription? Middle and high schoolers explore the growing epidemic of opioid addiction with a instructional activity that...
Generation Rx
My Generation Rx: Minute Activities
Want to discuss the prevalence of prescription drug abuse among teenagers, but running out of class time? A series of short, straightforward activities address topics such as sharing prescription drugs, coping mechanisms for stress, and...
PBS
Stories of Painkiller Addiction: Contemplating Nature vs. Nurture
Does having an addict in your family make it more likely to become one yourself? Explore the genetic risk factors, as well as the prominent environmental influences, for substance addiction in a instructional activity that encourages...
Curated OER
Drugs Info
Fifth graders understand the effects of substance abuse and then in pairs, they use a KWL chart to assess their prior knowledge of drugs; healthy and unhealthy. Then as a whole group, 5th graders provide feedback and are introduced to...
Scholastic
Analyzing Media Messages
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 and/or...
Generation Rx
Medication Safety for Teens
The most valuable way to protect teenagers from prescription drug abuse is to equip them with knowledge. An informative slideshow covers various aspects of prescription drug safety, including the importance of keeping one's prescription...
Curated OER
Anti-drug Shock Tactics
Students evaluate the effectiveness of 'shock tactics' to discourage drug abuse. They view a video about the death of a 21-year-old heroin addict. In small groups they discuss the video and complete comment sheet.
Curated OER
If You Really Love Me
Students identify the effects of substance abuse. In this drug awareness lesson, students work together to develop a slogan for substance use and abuse. Each pair of students posts their slogans for the class to see.
Curated OER
Marijuana: Help Someone Kick the Habit
Students define substance abuse, assess how they and their friends have been affected by marijuana, evaluate how pot users are hurting themselves, and explore how teens can stay away from or stop smoking pot.
Curated OER
Substance Abuse Influences
Students role play peer pressure situations and decision-making using cookies. They assess their own influences and reactions to the role play.
Curated OER
High-Risk Areas
Students create concept maps exploring causes of drug abuse that, in Siberia and around the world, often lead to the contraction of H.I.V., and develop solutions papers.
Curated OER
A Test Case for Individual Rights
Young scholars examine the different points of view regarding testing students for drug use. They then work in pairs to create and perform dialogues that flesh out two sides of the argument around this controversial issue.