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...
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...
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...
Nemours KidsHealth
Drugs: Grades 6-8
What happens to your body when you use drugs? What do you do if your friend wants you to start using? Learn about the signs of addiction and the ways to withstand peer pressure with two classroom activities. After storyboarding the...
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...
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
Drugs Change the Way Neurons Communicate
Young scholars examine that certain drugs interfere selectively with neurotransmission, and realize that the effect of a drug is dependent upon dosage and route of administration.
Missouri Department of Elementary
What Are Safe and Unsafe Drugs/Medicines/Objects?
Encourage responsible decision-making while boosting sorting skills with a lesson that looks at safe and unsafe situations. Scholars use two bags, one happy the other sad, to sort scenario cards. After a thorough examination,...
Penguin Books
An Educator’s Guide to Chraisma by Jeanne Ryan
Often, science fiction makes a lot of connections to real life. An educator's guide for the novel Charisma by Jeanne Ryan, has readers discuss many of the real-life issues that come in the text. A brief summary helps garner interest...
Curated OER
The House That Drugs Built
Learners evaluate the effects of drug use on behavior, appearance and the ability to contribute to society. In this drug education lesson students analyze the relationship between drug use and injury, violence and criminal...
Scholastic
Health Literacy and Drug Abuse
Students brainstorm about the different health issues facing teens today. In this health science lesson, students discuss the danger associated with drug abuse. They recommend ways to stay healthy.
Curated OER
Drugs: Prevention Tips
Students use the Internet to examine ways they can prevent using drugs. They discover the dangers of these substances and complete online quizzes.
Scholastic
Stress and Drug Abuse
Young scholars identify the different causes of stress. In 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.
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
Elementary School Health and Wellness Fair
This is a nice idea for high school students to organize and present a Health and Wellness Fair at a local elementary school. It looks like it would take a lot of organization, but would certainly build community relationships. There are...
Curated OER
A Prescription for Drug Success
Students explore criticisms of the pharmaceutical drug industry. They also become aware of the difficult and lengthy process of testing new drugs by inventing fictional drugs and testing plans.
University of Minnesota
Dendritic Spines Lab
This is your brain on drugs ... literally! Your neuroscientists-in-training examine the evidence of drug use on the human brain and how neurons change their connectivity when altered by drugs. They then work together to create testing...
Curated OER
What Are Friends For?
Students develop an awareness of the behaviors signaling that a friend may be in trouble with alcohol or drugs of abuse. They practice ways to encourage a friend to seek out adult help by viewing a video, role-playing situations, writing...
Nemours KidsHealth
Drugs
Young scholars investigate drugs by identifying which ones are illegal and potentially harmful. In this medicine activity, students complete worksheets in which they role play situations where they have found or ingested drugs and...
Curated OER
Bush Plans Hit on Drug Use
Students explore the topic of drug abuse. In this health journalism lesson plan, students read the USA Today article titled "Bush Plans Hit on Drub Abuse," respond to discussion questions regarding the article, and complete an activity...
Curated OER
Drug Abuse: Altered States
Students view an "In the Mix" video about drug abuse. They participate in a discussion about the video, distinguish several facts and myths about drug use, identify how drugs can affect people's lives and engage in role-playing the...
Missouri Department of Elementary
How Much Does Smoking Really Cost?
Following a brief survey about tobacco, scholars examine a fact sheet to answer questions about the substance. A practice page challenges the class to determine the cost of the habit using money math. Pupils discuss their findings...
Scholastic
Marijuana: Breaking Down the Buzz
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...