Scholastic
Recovery From Drug Addiction
Are there factors that put some individuals at a higher risk for drug addiction than others? Learn more about the risk factors that may make some people more susceptible to addiction, as well as protective factors that help prevent...
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...
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 lesson that encourages awareness and open...
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...
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...
PBS
Stories of Painkiller Addiction: Decisions and Consequences
Teach young learners that most drug addictions end in one of three outcomes: treatment, jail, or death. After watching a short video segment on the consequences of drug abuse, class members discuss what they viewed and consider what...
Missouri Department of Elementary
Risk Taking Behaviors
Sophomores can be sometimes wise and sometimes foolish. The same can be said for their behaviors. After watching a presentation about risk taking behaviors, class members discuss the presentation in small groups, and then complete a...
Curated OER
Latest Trend in Drug Abuse: Youths Risk Death for Cough-Remedy High
Students explore over-the-counter drug abuse. In this health journalism lesson, students read the USA Today article titled "Latest Trend in Drug Abuse: Youths Risk Death for Cough-Remedy High", respond to discussion questions regarding...
Curated OER
Addictive Risk
In this health activity, students assess their addictive risk for drugs. They read the two primary factors to addiction and highlight the characteristics that increase and decrease addiction when answering 4 questions.
PBS
Stories of Painkiller Addiction: The Cycle of Addiction
Drug addiction, including prescription drug addiction, begins with a reason that's different for every user. High schoolers learn more about the reasons people begin abusing drugs with a set of videos and worksheets that discuss four...
Nemours KidsHealth
Drugs
Young scholars investigate drugs by identifying which ones are illegal and potentially harmful. In this medicine lesson, students complete worksheets in which they role play situations where they have found or ingested drugs and decide...
PBS
Stories of Painkiller Addiction: The Brain on Autopilot
For some people, the force of addiction can be as biologically compelling as the drive for food or water. High schoolers watch a video segment about Ryan, a recovering addict, and learn more about how opioids and other drugs can affect...
Curated OER
The Hijacked Brain
Pupils define drug addiction by identifying these four key features. They identify risk factors and protective factors in their own lives related to drug abuse and addiction by filling out a self assessment. Students use the Web to...
Department of Education (Ireland)
Understanding Influences
"Understanding Influences," a richly detailed, carefully scaffolded unit, asks middle and high school scholars to examine how internal and external factors like friends, media, and society influence their attitudes and behaviors.
Scholastic
Prescription Pain Medications
Students study different pain medications and their side effects. In this drug usage lesson students read articles and complete a worksheet.
Curated OER
Three Factors Threaten Teens
Students explore alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use. In this health journalism instructional activity, students read the USA Today article titled "Three Factors Threaten Teens", respond to discussion questions regarding the article,...
Curated OER
The Science of Addition
Students examine the science of drug addition. In this health related lesson plan, students take a pre-assessment about drug addiction, then read and discuss an article about how some drugs affect the brain to cause addition. They will...
Curated OER
Children of Alcoholics Group
Ninth graders identify characteristics of alcoholism, resources available to them and their family within the community and school, and look at strategies to help them increase safety and anger management strategies too.
Curated OER
Identifying an Author's Purpose
Students read, "Research Shows TV PSAs Effective In Reducing Teen Marijuana Use", discuss the article with questions imbedded in the instructional activity and write their own PSA.
American Psychological Association
Developing Adolescents
Why to young people act the way they do? Scholars investigate the stages of adolescent development incorporating high school psychology techniques. Using research from the American Psychological Association, they uncover the five areas...