Content Area: Health and Physical Education

 

Index: 2.3A Grade 4 CPI 1

 

Standard: 2.3 - Drugs & Medicine

 

Strand: A -   Medicines 

 

Cumulative Progress Indicator: 1 -  The student will distinguish between over-the-counter and prescription medicines.

 

Grade: 4

 

Sample Activities:

 

·        CREATE A NEW MEDICINE - Organize the class into small groups, and distribute several empty containers of over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription medicines to each group. Students read the labels carefully and then answer five basic questions about the medicine (see sample chart below). Reconvene the entire class and have each group present the information on its chart. Ask students what other kinds of information might be on the label and discuss their responses. Students return to their original small groups to design a product, including important information on the label, such as dosage, time, reason for use, and warnings. Students use empty soda bottles or shoe boxes as “medicine containers.” After the medicine package is created, the group designs an ad for the product and tries to “sell” the product to the class. After the ads are presented, discuss the positive and negative aspects of the ads. Each student compares the student-created ads to ads in magazines, newspapers, on the Internet, or on television using a comparison/contrast map. Using the student-generated maps as a springboard for discussion, create a class map. As a completion activity, each student writes three things they learned from this exercise.

 

 

      Variation: Videotape medicine commercials commonly seen on television. Show a commercial just once, then have students try to answer the five questions listed above, using only the information supplied in the ad. Replay the commercial and have students try to complete the chart. Discuss the kinds of information available to the consumer in the ad versus the information listed on a medicine container or bottle.