Educating Students about Drug Use and Mental Health - Grade 1: Expectation 1

Specific Learning Expectation

Recognize that there are some medicines (e.g., cough syrup, nose drops) and other substances (e.g., vitamins) that help the body when used properly (safely).

Background for Information

There are two lessons to address in this learning expectation:

1. What is a medicine? (Lessons 1a, 1b)
2. Proper/safe use of medicines (Lesson 2)

It is understood that a related expectation could be included, based on your students' familiarity with the concept of wellness and maintaining wellness.

Lesson #1 deals with this.

If your students are familiar with this concept, please move on to Lesson #2 and then Lesson #3.

Lesson 1a: What is a Medicine?

Teaching/Learning Strategies

1. Define/brainstorm wellness with students. What does it mean to be well? How do you know if someone is well? (physical, behavioural signs)

2. Read a story depicting children playing in a happy, interactive, positive way (e.g., 'Being With You This Way', or any story that shows children playing well, e.g., Gillian Jiggs stories).

3. Discussion after story to include:

a) How did the children in the story show physical wellness and emotional wellness?

b) What are some of the things that contribute to being well? (Brainstorm a list, e.g., nutritious food, adequate rest, relaxation, quiet time/stress reduction techniques, feeling secure, awareness of feelings.)

c) What are the signs of a person being unwell? (Brainstorm a list.)

4. Activity:

Students are asked to draw a picture that shows a well person and an unwell person (pale, frowning, sad/crying, low energy, stomach ache, headache, dizzy, sleepy, cranky).
Student must show three points in each picture that clearly demonstrate signs of being well and unwell.

5. Students are asked to describe the ways someone who is unwell can become well (e.g., medicine).

6. Extensions of learning: Keep a chart in the classroom for the rest of the year, indicating strategies to stay well. Check in with class on a weekly basis and record strategies used (brushing teeth, washing hands, taking a walk, stress management, healthy snacks, etc.).

Assessments of Learning

1. Brainstorming a definition of wellness, and the things that contribute to being well or unwell

2. Discussing the story with the children, what factors indicate wellness and how to keep well

3. Picture-drawing with three points in each picture of a well and unwell person to indicate they know the difference

Rubric for Levels of Assessment

Level 1: Needs assistance to recognize the difference between the concepts of well and unwell and communicates the concepts poorly.

Level 2: Recognizes the concepts sometimes; communicates with some clarity, sometimes using appropriate terminology.

Level 3: Describes the differences and understand the concepts, communicates with few errors and uses appropriate terminology.

Level 4: Understands the concepts and the differences, communicates these well and uses appropriate and varied terminology.

Specific Learning Expectation

Recognize that there are some medicines (e.g., cough syrup, nose drops) and other substance (e.g., vitamins) that help the body when used properly (safely).

Lesson 1b: What is a Medicine?

Teaching/Learning Strategies

(Resources/materials needed: different medicine containers (e.g., cough syrup, tylenol), other substances (e.g., vitamins), and non-medicinal containers (e.g., candy) OR pictures of same from magazines.)

1. Review of characteristics of someone who is well and someone who is unwell.

How does someone unwell become well? How does one make sure that person stays well?

Brainstorm:

extra sleep take medicine
quiet time take vitamins
alter diet immunization
visit doctor

2. Define medicine:

"Medicines are solids, liquids, or sprays containing drugs that help us to stay well or help us to feel better when we're sick." (Manitoba Alcoholism Foundation of Manitoba (1986), Tuning into Health, Winnipeg, MB)

3. Have students brainstorm types of medicine.

4. Activity:

As a group, sort containers into three categories: medicines (cough syrup, Tylenol) other substances (e.g., vitamins), and other non-medicinal containers.
or
Sort pictures into categories of medicine and non-medicine.

Additional Activities:

1) Students finish the sentence and illustrate.

Medicine is ______________________________________ .

2) Students draw pictures of different types of medicine.

Assessments of Learning

1. Discussion and review of the concepts of well and unwell

2. Brainstorming ways someone becomes unwell

3. Sorting activity

4. "Finish the Sentence" activity

5. Drawing a picture of medicine that helps the body

Rubric for Levels of Assessment

Level 1: Needs assistance to identify what can make someone well, and the role of medicines and other substances.

Level 2: Identifies the role of medicines and other substances (e.g., vitamins) in helping to make and keep someone well, with several minor errors

Level 3: Identifies and describes the role of medicine and other substances (e.g., vitamins) in making and keeping someone well, defines medicine accurately with a few minor errors.

Level 4: Identifies, describes and analyzes the role of medicine and other substances (e.g., vitamins) in making and keeping someone well. Defines medicine with practically no errors or omissions.

Specific Learning Expectation

Recognize that there are some medicines (e.g., cough syrup, nose drops) and other substances (e.g., vitamins) that help the body when used properly.

Background Information

In this lesson, students will learn the decision-making model they will use from Grade 1 to Grade 3. It is called the "LOOK, THINK, DECIDE, ACT" Model (used wiith permission from the "Making Decisions Program" (1999), Alcohol-Drug Education Service, Vancouver, B.C.) and asks students to find the "safest" choice in an age-appropriate situation involving substances. At this developmental level, it is assumed that students will talk through the situations, with your support, and come up with some ideas about the ways they can approach the situation safely.

Some classes will be able to do this in small groups while others will need to remain in the large group and brainstorm the situations.

Lesson 2: Proper/safe use of medicines

Teaching/Learning Strategies

(Resources/materials needed: newspaper or magazine photos of different ways people use medicine.)

1. Review what a medicine is and how it can make you better if you are ill.

2. Discuss with the class when to use medicines. Brainstorm reasons why medicines are used-to prevent and fight disease, to help the body work properly, to change the way one feels.

3. Ask students to think of and discuss situations when they didn't feel well. Did they take medicine to feel better?

4. Activity:

Have students work in small groups to create a small poster-size mural that shows various settings in which they or people they know use drugs to help and improve their lives (e.g., getting a local anaesthetic at the dentist; getting immunized against measles; using an inhaler for asthma; taking vitamins).
Display the murals and have each group visit the other murals.
Discuss rules for safe use of medicine (e.g., adult assistance, adult reads and follows directions on medicines correctly, safe storage of medicines).
Discuss who is a "trusted adult" to administer medicines. Collect answers from class and reinforce the concept of who is a safe person, and the importance of not taking medicines from anyone else.
Discuss the fact that you may have to make a decision some time about whether or not you should take medicine.
Introduce "LOOK, THINK, DECIDE, ACT" Model.

Assessments of Learning:

1. Brainstorming why medicines are used

2. Discussion of personal stories

3. Small group work to prepare a poster about helpful uses of medicine

4. Discussion about rules of safe use

5. Discussion of "Who is a trusted adult?"

Rubric for Levels of Assessment

Level 1: Needs assistance to identify when medicines should be used and to decide who a "trusted adult" is. Shows little understanding of the decision-making model. Participates only with encouragement. and communicates the concepts poorly, using incorrect terminology.

Level 2: Shows understanding of the concepts of when medicines should be used and the rules of safe use, with several minor errors or omissions. Shows understanding of the decision-making model, with several errors. Communicates the concepts with some clarity, sometimes using correct terminology. Participates actively, needing only occasional encouragement.

Level 3: Identifies and describes most of the concepts regarding safe use of medicine and the decision-making model with a few minor errors. Requires no encouragement to actively participate and share ideas about concepts. Communicates the concepts clearly and precisely, making few errors. Uses appropriate terminology.

Level 4: Identifies, describes and analyzes the concepts of safe use of medicines and the decision-making model. Actively participates in and communicates these concepts and encourages others to do so as well. Communicates clearly the decision-making model with practically no errors. Uses appropriate and varied terminology.

Additional Resources

There are some additional resources listed at the end of this document. You may also check with your local school board, public health office or call the central information numbers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health:

R. Samuel McLaughlin Addicton and Mental Health Information Centre 1-800-463-6273
Video Reference Desk: (416) 535-8501, ext. 6987
Marketing Department (kits and pamphlets, etc.): 1-800-661-1111

Educating Students about Drug Use and Mental Health - Grade 1: Expectation 1

Specific Learning Expectation

Lesson 1a: What is a Medicine?

Lesson 1b: What is a Medicine?

Lesson 2: Proper/safe use of medicines

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