Educating Students about Drug Use and Mental Health - Grade 3: Expectation 2

Grade 3 Overview

Expectation 1

2

3

Specific Learning Expectation

Identify nicotine (in cigarettes), caffeine (in colas and coffee) and alcohol as drugs.

Teaching/Learning Strategies

1. Review the definition of a "drug".

2. Display the definition of "drug".

3. Review how nicotine, caffeine and alcohol change the way we think, act or feel.

4. Activity:

Have students work in small groups to complete the "What is Nicotine" fill-in-the-blanks information sheet.

Nicotine is a liquid found in the ________________ of the tobacco plant. It is used in four different kinds of tobacco:

1. _____________________
2. _____________________
3. _____________________
4. _____________________

If smoked, the nicotine enters the _________________ and then gets into the bloodstream. Nicotine makes the _____________ work harder. Nicotine is __________________ and once your body gets used to it, it wants more and more.

Words: lungs, chewing, snuff, pipe, cigar, leaves, heart, addictive

(Adapted from: What is Nicotine? (SA-31), P. Rizzo Toner, The Centre for Applied Research in Education, 1993.)

Drug Detective Exercise

Break students up into pairs. Have each pair choose either caffeine, alcohol or nicotine. From information in the school library or other sources, they must come up with a list of the effects on the body of each substance.

In one week, the pairs present the drug that they investigated and tell their classmates how that substance affects the body. 

Drug Detectives

Many common substances are actually drugs and have strong effects on the body.

The drug we are investigating is: _____________________________ .
(Each pair of students chooses one substance from nicotine, alcohol or caffeine.)

We found out:

1. The drug is found in

__________________________________________________.

2. The drug acts on the body by

__________________________________________________.

3. People like the effect of this drug because

__________________________________________________.

4. Some people have trouble with this substance because

__________________________________________________.

5. This substance is ___________Legal ____________Illegal

6. The most interesting thing that I found out about this drug is

__________________________________________________.

Assessments of Learning

1. Review and discussion of information learned in last class

2. Completion of "What is Nicotine" word list

3. Class presentation of "Drug Detectives"

Rubric for Levels of Assessment
 

Level 1: Needs assistance understanding the concepts needed to find drugs in common products. Communicates this information poorly and rarely uses appropriate terminology. Level 2: Shows understanding of some of these concepts with several minor errors or omissions. Communicates with some clarity, making some errors or omissions. Sometimes uses appropriate terminology. Level 3: Shows understanding of most of the concepts, actively participates in investigating to find more information and communicates clearly and precisely, making few errors. Usually uses appropriate terminology. Level 4: Shows understanding of all concepts with practically no errors. Actively participates and encourages others to do so as well. Communicates information clearly and precisely, making no mistakes and uses appropriate and varied. Terminology.

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