Content Area: Health and Physical Education

 

Index: 2.3B Grade 6 CPI 6

 

Standard: 2.3 - Drugs & Medicine

 

Strand: B - Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs

 

Cumulative Progress Indicator:  6 - The student will describe the physical and behavioral effects of each classification of drugs.

 

Grade: 6

 

Sample Activities:

 

·        RACING AGAINST ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, AND OTHER DRUGS - For this activity, design a relay race where students must place water, one teaspoon at a time, in a bottle. Divide the class into teams. Tell students they must be extremely careful not to spill any of the water as they move quickly to fill the bottle. After the race, ask each team what was the hardest part of the race. “How might a person under the influence of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs might perform in such a race? Would the team have problems completing the task? How would team members handle such a situation?” Explain that even simple tasks require coordination, clear thinking, patience, and teamwork. Each student discusses, in writing, how each of those qualities mightbe affected when a person is under the influence of alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs.

Variation: After the physical activity above, students list several activities they enjoy and write how those activities might be affected if they used alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs.

 

·        PEER LEADERS SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF ATODS - Invite junior high or high school peer leaders to meet with small groups to discuss how alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs can interfere with extracurricular activities (e.g., sports, clubs, dances, trips). Be sure the peer leaders discuss school and sports rules and sanctions. Students discuss the presentation and write a reaction to it.

 

·        PEOPLE WHO CAN HELP WITH ATOD PROBLEMS - A variety of community leaders and healthcare providers can be involved in treatment programs for individuals with substance abuse problems (e.g., an emergency room physician, nurse, psychiatrist, psychologist, paramedic, social worker, substance abuse counselor, minister, police officer). Invite a panel of these professionals to discuss their roles in substance abuse prevention and treatment. Panelists relate some of their observations about the effects of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs on young people. After the panel presentation, students write a journal entry reacting to the panel.

 

·        EFFECTS OF ATODS ON PROBLEM SOLVING - Divide the class into small groups, and give each group blocks or popsicle sticks. Direct each group to design and build something (e.g., a bridge, house, skyscraper). Provide minimal direction for the project. Assign one person in each group to serve as an observer. Observers cannot speak or contribute to the discussion, only watch and record what happens. After a specific time limit, each
observer describes what happened in his/her group. Ask: ”How might the group process differ if one or more group members were under the influence of alcohol or another drug?” Relate this to the accomplishment of school and work-related tasks.

 

·        ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, AND OTHER DRUGS: IMPACT ON YOUR HEALTH - Create a large grid on the chalkboard or on newsprint, similar to the one below.

 

      SAMPLE: HEALTH IMPACT GRID
 

 

 

      Create a deck of cards with facts about the four substances listed and the ways they impact four areas of health (listed at the top of the chart). Divide the class into several teams. Give each team an even number of cards (each team gets different colored cards). Students discuss the information on the cards and decide where the cards fit on the grid. Teams are given a chance to place a card on the correct spot on the grid and justify their answer. Another team can challenge the placement or justification, but they will lose a card if they challenge incorrectly. Only correct responses stay on the grid. At the end, tally the number of correctly placed cards for each team and offer a reward.