Teenage Responsibility | The Affects of Drugs on the Body | STDs and Your Body | The Gift of Family | Friendship | Good Citizenship | Drug Abuse: A Virtual Fieldtrip | STDs: A Scavenger Hunt Pt. 1 | STDs: A Scavenger Hunt Pt. 2

Activity One
Title of Lesson:  Drug Use and Abuse -- A Virtual Fieldtrip
Click here for the  Student Study Guide. Click here to view the Virtual Field Trip.
Overview: In this activity, students will examine how common drugs affect the body. Students will take a virtual fieldtrip to identify common drugs, describe the side effects of these drugs, and explore how certain drugs create a dependency or addiction.
Objectives:

  1. Students will identify a variety of legal and illegal drugs.
  2. Students will differentiate between legal and illegal drugs.
  3. Students will list and describe the side effects associated with these drugs.
  4. Students will explore how drugs create a psychological and physical dependency by the body.
  5. Students will create a poster called "Just Say No to Drugs."
Time Estimate: two to three 90 minute class periods
Materials: set of student health books, student workstations with internet access and MS Word installed, network printer, student study guide, and pens or pencils. Optional: Teacher's workstation, with internet access and MS Word installed, connected to an overhead projector and  access to a network printer.
Procedure:
  1. Teacher and students will review vocabulary terms associated with drugs and drug abuse.
  2. Using the Internet and their study guide, students will explore the effects of specific drugs on the body.
  3. Using the Internet and their study guide, students will answer questions about different types of drugs.
  4. Students will create a "JUST SAY NO" poster. Students must include the following information on their poster:
  • Basic facts about the four most common drugs: Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana, and Cocaine. These facts include: the drugs scientific name, where the drugs are produced, how they are distributed, what they look like, how they are used, their short term effects on the body and mind, the long term effects on the body and mind, and the social effects of using the drug.
  • Basics facts about two other drugs of their choice. (as listed above)
  • Pictures or graphic images depicting each of the drugs.
  • A list of five websites where one could find additional information about drug use and abuse.
  • A list of websites of phone numbers where teenagers can go to get help if they have a drug problem.
Assessment:
Virtual Fieldtrip Rubric
Internet Sites/Use:
http://www.health.org/
http://www.focusas.com/SubstanceAbuse.html
http://www.teen-drug-abuse.org/resources.htm
http://www.cap.nsw.edu.au/bb_site_intro/secondary_modules/Drugs/teen_drug.htm
http://dmoz.org/Kids_and_Teens/Teen_Life/Teen_Health/Drug_Awareness/
http://www.helpforteens.net/
http://www.puberty101.com/aacap_teendrug.shtml

Standards: http://www.myscschools.com/offices/cso/health_safety/standards/index.htm
STANDARDS FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY INSTRUCTION
 3. Students will demonstrate the ability to practice behaviors that enhance health and reduce risks.
4. Students will analyze the influence of personal beliefs, culture, mass media, technology, and other factors on health.
5. Students will demonstrate the ability to use interpersonal communication skills to enhance health.
By the end of grade five, students should be able to
  • distinguish drugs and medications as potentially harmful or helpful;
  • identify short- and long-term effects and common health problems resulting from use of ATOD;
  • identify the influences of family, peers, mass media, school, community, and laws as related to the use of ATOD; and
  • describe the impact of ATOD use/abuse on the individual, on family health, and on society.
Science Standards (Based on fourth grade level) Process Skills
4. Communicate
Use drawings, tables, graphs, written and oral language to describe objects and explain ideas and actions.
5. Infer
a. Explain or interpret an observation based on data and prior knowledge.
6. Predict
  1. Use prior knowledge and observations to identify and explain in advance what                    will happen.
Technology Standards
  1. Use telecommunications efficiently and effectively to access remote information and communicate with others in support of direct and independent learning and for pursuit of personal interests.
.
How Bloom's thinking skills and Gardner's multiple intelligences were addressed:
Using the internet students will locate, list, and evaluate information about drug use and abuse. They will use a variety of modalities to learn about drugs including: visual, kinesthetic, linguistic, and analytical reasoning. At the conclusion of the activity, Students will incorporate the information that they have gathered into a poster.

Go to Activity Two: The Effects of STDs on the Human Body