Educating Students about Drug Use and Mental Health - Grade 9: Expectation 1 Teaching Learning Strategy 1 & 2

Identify facts and myths related to the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs (e.g., cannabis).

Bold text between the orange lines are excerpts from Public Course Profile, Unit 3, Activity 4: Understanding Substance Use and Abuse —Teaching /Learning Strategies

Teaching/Learning Strategy 1:

Introduce the topic and outline the learning expectations and assessment/evaluation strategies.

Teaching/Learning Strategy 2:

Distribute a reflective worksheet containing a collection of sentence stems (e.g., To me, drug abuse means….; One thing I have trouble believing that people tell me about drugs is….; A law concerning drugs I would like to see changed is….; A question I have concerning drugs is….; One thing I have learned about drugs is….). Use a think, pair, share strategy to engage students in sharing and discussing their responses with peers.

Alternative Reflective Worksheet

1. Parties without alcohol are:

__________________________________________________

2. To me, the difference between drug use and drug abuse is:

__________________________________________________

3. Coming to school stoned is:

_________________________________________________

4. Hearing someone brag about drinking at a party is:

_________________________________________________

5. When my friends are smoking, I:

_________________________________________________

6. One thing I don't believe about drugs is:

_________________________________________________

7. A law concerning drugs I would like to see changed is:

_________________________________________________

8. One thing I would like to learn about drugs is:

_________________________________________________

As another option to the reflective worksheets, any of the following activities (A–D) may be used:

A) Where Do You Stand?

1. Signs are placed in four corners of the room. These signs read, "Absolutely", "No way", "Yes, but…" and "No, but…".

2. Students are asked to move to the corner of the room that best indicates their response to the following questions:

a) Alcohol and tobacco are the most dangerous drugs.

b) Marijuana should be made legal.

c) Smoking should be allowed on school property.

d) Drug use is a normal part of growing up.

e) You can use drugs without becoming addicted.

3. Emphasize to students:

They are expressing opinions, not right or wrong answers.
They may change their mind and move to another position.

4. Once students are in corners, allow time (3 to 5 minutes) for a brief discussion for students to discuss reasons for their choices. Discussion can happen in small groups, with a group representative sharing some points with the whole class.

Hot Tips for Teachers to Guide Debrief

a) Alcohol and tobacco are the most dangerous drugs.
Issues to be raised: amount consumed, short-term vs. long-term effects, risks taken while under the influence, illegal vs. legal products.

b) Marijuana should be made legal.
Issues to be raised: decriminalization of cannabis possession, medical uses, alternate legal control frameworks for cannabis possession, recreational use.

c) Smoking should be allowed on school property.
Issues to be raised: safety of students, litter and loitering in public places, underage students smoking, supervision of smoking areas.

d) Drug use is a normal part of growing up.
Issues to be raised: experimentation, legality, right vs. wrong, pressures and influences such as peers, family, media.

e) You can use drugs without becoming addicted .
Issues to be raised: physiological vs. psychological addiction, frequency, purpose, drug use continuum.

B) Draw a Drug User

Students are divided into four groups. Each group is given a sheet of flipchart paper and a set of markers and told to draw a drug user. Each person is expected to participate, even if only one draws.

Each group presents their picture to the other groups. As an alternative, students may brainstorm words or make a collage from magazine cut-outs to depict their image of a drug user.

Hot Tips for Teachers to Guide Debrief

Discuss the stereotypes present in the pictures. Give the general definition of the term "drug". Discuss what is not shown in the pictures (e.g., coffee or alcohol, elderly people, females, businessmen). Be sure to emphasize there is no stereotypical "image" of a drug user. See background information from Myth 5 (Facts & Myths).

C) Use reflective worksheet questions for small group discussion starters.

D) Use reflective worksheet questions to interview a partner.

Educating Students about Drug Use and Mental Health - Grade 9: Expectation 1 Teaching Learning Strategy 1 & 2

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