Content Area: Health and Physical Education

 

Index: 2.3B Grade 8 CPI 8

 

Standard: 2.3 - Drugs & Medicine

 

Strand: B - Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs

 

Cumulative Progress Indicator:  8 -  The student will investigate the legal and financial consequences of the use, sale, and possession of illegal substances.

 

Grade: 8

 

Sample Activities:

 

·        REASONS NOT TO USE - Share statistics on the number of teenagers who do not use drugs. Talk about how the media often focuses on teenagers who use drugs, rather than the majority of teens who do not. Divide the class into small groups to discuss the risks and consequences of substance use, looking at short-term and immediate risks and consequences. Each group develops a list of reasons not to use drugs and then must reach consensus on the top three reasons. A spokesperson for each group summarizes the discussion and presents the top three reasons to the class. (Have a scribe record the top three reasons from each group on a large sheet of newsprint.) The entire class ranks the reasons and comes to consensus on the top three. In a brief journal entry, students predict if these reasons will change as they get older.

 

·        RULES AND LAWS - Ask the students: “Why it is necessary to have specific rules and laws to deal with individuals using drugs?” Define and discuss school rules and local, state, and federal statutes as well as the penalties imposed for violations. Students create a sample school district substance abuse policy and share it with school administrators. Invite the principal or chief school administrator to discuss the sample policy and compare it to existing  school rules and policies.

Variation: Plan and execute a debate regarding one or more of the following: school district substance abuse policies; drug screening of student athletes; random drug testing of students; state, local, and school smoking laws.

Variation: Students prepare an orientation session for incoming students and include information on school rules and substance abuse policies.

 

·        MOCK TRIAL - Hold a mock trial based on an ATOD incident involving a teen. Students write the script and perform the trial for younger students, who serve as jury and rule on the outcome of the case.

 

      Variation: Invite an attorney to speak on ATOD laws or real-life case studies of adolescents with ATOD problems. Ask the speaker to discuss how juvenile arrests impact career options, voting privileges, and driving privileges.

 

·        SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND CRIME - Students gather and analyze statistical data on DUI arrests, car crashes related to substance use, and juvenile arrests. Students compare the data over a 5 to 10 year period and draw conclusions. Next, have students compare data from other towns, counties, or states. Students respond, in writing, to the following question: “What can be done to decrease the number of these incidents?” Students share information and responses.