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

Grade 3 Overview

Expectation 1

2

3

Step 1: Identify the learning expectations:

1. Overall Expectation:

• Describe what a drug is, and list several examples (e.g., nicotine, caffeine, alcohol), and describe the
  effects of these substances on the body.

2. Specific Learning Expectations:

• Define the term "drug" and identify a variety of legal and illegal drugs
• Identify nicotine (in cigarettes), caffeine (in coffee and colas), and alcohol as drugs.
• Use decision-making skills to make healthy choices about drug use, and to recognize the effects of various substances (e.g., nicotine, caffeine, alcohol) on the body

Step 2: Connect the Achievement Level category to the learning expectations:

Verb	Category
1. defines	1. Understands and is able to communicate a definition with few minor errors (knowledge)
2. identifies	2. Understands most of the concepts and is able to communicate with few errors
3. uses and recognizes	3. Understands the concepts and actively participates in communicating these concepts with few errors or omissions. Uses appropriate terminology

At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• show understanding of the definition of the term "drug" and be able to describe a number of substances which fall into this definition, using appropriate terminology.
• understand that there is a difference between legal and illegal drugs, which is determined by existing laws.
• identify nicotine (in cigarettes), caffeine (in coffee and colas) and alcohol as drugs according to the definition.
• recognize the need to have a decision-making model to help make healthy choices about drug use, particularly nicotine, caffeine and alcohol. Actively participate in this decision-making model.

Step 3: Evidence of student learning will be identified and assessed by the student's ability to:

• define the term "drug"
• indicate they know the difference between legal and illegal drugs
• identify that medicines as legal drugs
• explain that nicotine, caffeine and alcohol are drugs
• demonstrate their knowledge of these drugs' effects on the body
• demonstrate a knowledge of the "decision-making" model
• indicate why this is needed for drugs discussed
• look at healthy choices about drug use using the decision-making model

Step 4: Develop/determine the assessment strategy/tool:

1. What will students do to demonstrate their learning?

• Take part in discussion and brainstorming exercises
• Take part in sorting exercise
• Complete definition sheet for homework
• Take part in role-playing, decision-making exercise
• Write in journal

2. What will you use to collect evidence of the student's learning?

• Definition hand-out sheet "drug", "legal", "illegal"
• Drug word search
• Decision-making answer sheet

Step 5: Outline the teaching/learning strategies:

Follow the links for the three lesson plans for Grade 3.

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:

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