The Lowdown on Discussing Drugs and Alcohol in the Classroom

Drug and alcohol use among teens is a huge issue surrounding junior high and high school students, parents, and teachers. The statistics in Joann’s post confirm the need for an ongoing classroom conversation about the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol. Media portrays the glamour of using these substances, but in many schools there aren’t classroom activities or discussions on the topic. Joann highlighted three quality free resources on The Gateway that can help bring this important topic into your classroom. Whether you need a single activity or an entire unit, you will be able to find a good starting point in her column.

Although drug and alcohol education seems to fit best in the health classroom, a little creative thinking can fit it into other subjects as well. Since each teacher and school has different needs for lessons on the subject, this post is a compilation of links and a bunch of different ideas of how to present this tough material to your students. We would love your suggestions as well!

The themes, events, and characters in books can be a wonderful jumping-off point for introducing new subjects. Classic and modern literature can spark valuable discussions about drugs and alcohol in an English or language arts classroom. A few books on the topic were recommended by other educators:
Autobiography of My Dead Brother and The Beast by Walter Dean Myers
Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood by Korin Zailickas.
There are lots of good books out there; you just need to be sure you find one your students can relate to. Another interesting approach to bringing drug education into the language arts classroom is in The Magic Bullets, a resource catalogued on The Gateway. This activity is presented as a pure literature unit, and it uses an old German folk tale to help students think about themes of drug use without directly talking about the subject. T

Social Studies teachers can explore the social issues surrounding teenage drug and alcohol use. The Learning Network, a blog connected to the New York Times is a valuable tool for connecting current events to important social issues like this. Altered States: Reflecting on State Medical Marijuana Laws lets students debate the issues surrounding drug policies. Take Me Out of the Ballgame helps students realize the implications of both legal and illegal drug use.

Students can research drug and alcohol abuse that led to a well known person’s death. Maybe they can study the history of popular drugs among teenagers throughout the decades. Maybe they can choose their own topic from a list of ideas you generate. Whichever topic you choose, give them some options for presentations to make the project more meaningful to the presenters and the class. Some favorite tools of mine include Glogster, Animoto, ToonDoo, and Blabberize, although some of your students might prefer to do a skit in front of the class or make a traditional poster.

The Learning Network also has some resources that would work well in a health or science classroom. The Straight Dope explores the role of dopamine, helping students understand the physiological changes created by drug and alcohol use. Staying Healthy focuses on the dangers of binge drinking. Some students may not realize the statistics of students being sent to the hospital or even dying from “just one night of drinking.” It is important to remember the problems associated with legal drugs as well. For many students, these are easier to obtain than alcohol. A New York Times article about the “choking game” led to this interesting resource. We will continue to add these constantly updated lessons to the Gateway.

And finally, a couple of more great free resources on The Gateway for you to check out:
Assessing Media's Influence Project, where students study how the media portrayal of drugs and alcohol can affect their decisions, and In the Mix - The Drug Dope Show, a PBS talk-show format activity where students research and discuss different issues surrounding drug and alcohol use.

Once you design or choose an activity to use in your classroom, look at it carefully to be sure it doesn’t come across as confrontational to your students. If they think you are assuming you are “right” and they are “wrong” from the beginning, your lesson can get off on the wrong foot. Allowing your students to examine each side of the issues, rather than only presenting them the side of the issue you want them to learn gives them a sense of ownership. Many teenagers balk at the idea of just doing something because an adult says it’s the right thing to do. They need to figure out that it is right for themselves, which can take a lot of careful guidance from you, the teacher, to make sure the learning is their own. Many of the lessons and activities presented above allow students to research subjects and work through the answers on their own. Please browse through these links, and let us know what works for you in your classroom.

Dazed and Confused

According to a recent CDC survey, one in five U.S. high school students say that they have taken prescription drugs without a doctor’s prescription. The survey also found that 72% of high schoolers had used alcohol in the past year, while 37% had used marijuana. Clearly, drugs and alcohol continue to be attractive to teens, despite various drug education programs and public service announcements to alert them to the dangers of such behavior.

Teens and adolescents are bombarded daily with lyrics, images, and information about drugs, some of it correct, much of it not. Music with drug references is nothing new, but the frequency with which drug and alcohol references appear in songs has increased dramatically over the past decade. Eminem’s latest release, Relapse, for example, is riddled with drug and alcohol references – and remains a favorite album with the middle- and high school crowd. Watch any televised sporting event, and kids are exposed to numerous ads glorifying drinking (ever see any alcohol ads featuring old, overweight, or unattractive people? Thought not). So, just how do parents and educators combat the slick allure of drugs and underage drinking when celebrities and other media types appear to revel in it?

Most experts agree that drug education has to start early with age-appropriate materials and discussions; the subject should also be consistently addressed throughout the K-12 years and into college. My picks this week focus on drug and education materials from a variety of sources for use in the classroom. The first two resources are provided by the American Council for Drug Education, a substance abuse education and prevention agency that develops educational programs and materials based on current scientific research on drug use and its impact on society. The third resource, “It’s My Life: Dangers of Drug Abuse” is a product of PBS, which offers high-quality TV programming and online content to tens of millions of people each day. As always, please check our Facebook and Twitter pages throughout the week, where we will post links to more drug education resources for a variety of ages.

People We Trust
Subjects: Safety
Grade: K-3
The goal of this lesson is to teach young children how to identify the appropriate persons from whom he or she can safely take medicine.

Peer Pressure
Subjects: Literature, Safety
Grade: 7-8
This lesson uses segments of Mark Twain’s novel Tom Sawyer to discuss and illustrate peer pressure. Students also learn to identify ways to cope with peer pressure to use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.

It’s My Life: Dangers of Drug Abuse
Subjects: Health, Safety
Grade: 5-12
Studies have shown that experimentation with drugs often begins in early adolescence. In this lesson, students will understand that they will be faced with a variety of decisions regarding their health – some of them involving illicit substances. They will evaluate the health hazards of legal and illegal drugs, and explain the advantages of remaining drug-free. Students will also describe the short- and long-term health risks of using drugs.

~Joann's Picks - 7/31/2010~