Educating Students about Drug Use and Mental Health - Grade 8: Expectation 1

Grade 8 Overview

Expectation 1

2

3

4

Specific Learning Expectation

Outline the possible negative consequences of substance use and abuse (e.g., fetal alcohol syndrome, effects of steroid use, collisions when drinking and driving).

Background Information

Students may have been exposed to information and decision-making about substance use and abuse prior to this lesson according to the following overall expectations from the Ministry of Education:

Grade 1: Recognize commonly used medicines and household products.

Grade 2: Describe the effects of appropriate and inappropriate uses of medicine on the body.

Grade 3: Describe what a drug is, listing several examples (nicotine, caffeine, alcohol) and describing the effects of these substances on the body.

Grade 4: Identify the influences (e.g., the media, peers, family members) affecting the use of tobacco, as well as the effects and legalities of, and healthy alternatives to, tobacco use.

Grade 5: Identify the influences (e.g., the media, peers, family members) affecting alcohol use, as well as the effects and legalities of, and healthy alternatives to, alcohol use.

Grade 6: Identify the influences (e.g., the media, peers, family members) affecting the use of cannabis and other drugs, as well as the effects and legalities of, and healthy alternatives to, cannabis and other drugs.

Grade 7: Apply living skills to deal with peer pressure related to substance use and abuse.

For a complete discussion of the previous programs, including overall and specific learning expectations, follow the links to the right for the Lesson Planning Processes - Grades 1-7.

Hot Tips for Teachers

Students are encouraged to analyze this material from a number of different perspectives so that they recognize the complexity of many situations involving drug use.

Teaching/Learning Strategies

1. Assess prior knowledge about substance use.

2. Brainstorm negative consequences of substance use and abuse, making sure the situations described in the specific expectation are included. Introduce the idea that these consequences can usually be categorized into social, environmental and health-related consequences, and have the students divide the list into these categories.

3. Activity: (TAKE ACTION : Alcohol, Cannabis and Tobacco Health Promotion for Youth, (2001), reprinted with permission from Ontario Physical and Health Education Association (OPHEA) for use by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.)

• Trial by Jury - Students put a cigarette, alcoholic beverage, cannabis joint, or other drug on trial:

1. Explain that the object of this lesson is to put a cigarette, an alcoholic beverage, a cannabis joint or another drug, on trial for crimes against society.

2. Once a specific drug is chosen, students list the social, environmental and health-related negative consequences of that particular drug in columns on the chalkboard.

3. Students are to come up with their idea of what the sentence should be. (Make smoking illegal, put plain packages on cigarettes, put warning labels on alcohol.)

4. Ask for a well-spoken volunteer to act as the drug on trial. The task for this person would be to answer all the questions as honestly as possible.

5. Select a jury of four to six students to listen to the facts presented, then make a decision regarding the guilt or innocence following the completion of the trial. They will also be responsible for making recommendations concerning what restitution should be.

6. The judge, who will keep everyone on task and keep everything in order, should be an authority figure such as the principal or the teacher.

7. Divide the remaining students into groups of four or five. Ask each group to determine whether they would like to represent the prosecution or the defense. Bring the small groups together to form the two sides for the trial. Give them time to prepare their questions, based on the facts they have learned about the social, environmental and health-related consequences of the drug in question. Have them select one or two lawyers to represent their case and ask the questions while the others take notes and provide advice. A secretary could be appointed to take notes.

(Teacher's note: Although it would be ideal to have equal numbers for both sides, it is not necessary for this exercise.)

8. Set a time and date for the trial. Be sure to have everything prepared to go to trial.

9. For homework, ask students to complete the following information sheet:

• Which drug was put on trial today?
• What are the negative consequences of using this drug?
• What argument(s) was/were raised by the prosecution, the defense and the drug itself?
• What was the jury's verdict?
• What was the sentence?

Assessments for Learning

1. Participation in review and discussion of the definition of a drug

2. Participation in brainstorming negative consequences

3. Participation in "Trial by Jury"

4. Observation of small group work

5. Homework assignment (information sheet) on "Trial by Jury"

Rubric for Levels of Assessment
 

Level 1: Needs assistance with understanding the concept of the negative consequences of drug use and how to categorize these. Only participates actively with constant encouragement. Communicates information poorly, making many errors rarely using appropriate terminology. Level 2: Shows understanding of some of the concepts, with several minor errors. Participates actively, requiring only occasional encouragement. Communicates information with some clarity, making some errors and sometimes uses appropriate terminology. Level 3: Shows understanding of most of the concepts, with few errors. Requires no encouragement to participate actively. Communicates clearly and precisely, with few errors and uses appropriate terminology. Level 4: Shows understanding of all of the required concepts, participates actively and encourages others to do so as well. Communicates clearly and precisely with no errors and 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:

• Print
  Share |