Students examine drug and alcohol abuse by American teens. In this health journalism lesson, students read the USA Today article titled "Boomers Assess High School", respond to discussion questions regarding the article, and...

Students examine the reasons people use alcohol and discuss the negative things that can happen when mixing sex and alcohol. In this lesson on risky behavior, students explore the ways in which they can reduce the risks involved when...

In this practice scenario and describing how to handle them learning exercise, students read three scenarios about peer pressure and alcohol, write how they would react, explain their decisions, and tell specifically what they might say...

Young scholars discuss a video about drug and alcohol abuse and their connection to risk-taking. They answer questions on a risk factor sheet about the use of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol. They discuss long and short term goals and how...

A picture speaks a thousand words, no matter how old! Scholars use political cartoons from the era of Prohibition and the Temperance Movement to analyze what, a primary document (in this case, a bootlegger's notebook) is telling them...

Telling young people to just say no can be difficult in a world that inundates them with messages to just say yes. A lesson on media messages encourages teenagers to analyze song lyrics and advertisements that mention drugs...

In this alcohol abuse learning exercise, students create a flowchart to show the path that alcohol takes in the body, then write five negative and dangerous things that might happen if someone consumes too much alcohol.

Why do people use drugs? What are the consequences? The alternatives? How can young people resist the pressures to use drugs? The Project Alert drug prevention program provides middle schoolers with the information they need and the...

In need of a scripted instructional activity anyone can deliver? Along with a teaching script, you'll find several scenarios for learners to consider. They'll discuss decision making and goal setting as they relate to each scenario....

Life is all about choices, and a healthy life tends to involve a lot of healthy choices. Guide teenagers toward a life full of nutritious food, regular exercise, and responsible decisions with a series of lessons on healthy habits for...

Sixth graders listen to a story titled "Thin Ice!" then partake in a whole-class discussion asking and answering questions about what was read. Scholars brainstorm risky behaviors in preparation for a game of RISKO—a game similar to...

Young scholars examine statistics of teenagers using alcohol and marijuana. In groups, they brainstorm the reasons why they believe usage is higher than in years past. As a class, they role-play different roles in scenerios to help them...

Students, in groups, research the physical, psychological and social effects of alcohol and marijuana on the people who use them. They prepare a class presentation with their research.

In this activity, students list people who influence them and people they influence, rate the influences on a scale from rarely to always, and describe the influences as positive, negative, or both. Students write thirty short answers.

Teenage brains are different! Understanding that the teenage brain is still developing and thus more impacted by substance abuse is the key concept in a three-lesson high school health unit. Participants learn about how the brain and...

Fifth graders identify short and long term effects of alcohol use. In this effects of alcohol lesson plan, 5th graders participate in activities to understand what it feels like to have alcohol in their system. With the teacher they make...

What is substance abuse? What is the difference between a depressant and a stimulant? Here is a comprehensive unit on drug use, including three lessons with such activities as categorizing and defining key terms, identifying...

Students have a general discussion what illegal drugs and harmful substances are, some reasons people use them, and how those people's behavior changes.

High schoolers examine the effects of drinking on decision making. In this alcohol use instructional activity, students discover how their decision making skills are hindered when drinking. High schoolers discuss how HIV is and is not...

Students research underage drinking and read a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association about the issue. They interview experts on substance abuse and liquor store owners about their policies. Students publish their...

Middle schoolers warn others about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse. In this personal health lesson, students research the effects of addiction and share their findings with their classmates. Middle schoolers then create posters or...

Learners investigate the interference of various drugs on an embryo through experimentation. This is an open-ended lab to allow students to see effects of various chemicals humans choose to put in their bodies and create questions they...

Students conduct experiments on fertilized chicken embryos to determine the possible developmental effects that various recreational drugs (caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and aspirin) might have on them.

Students examine the effects of teen drinking. In this personal health lesson plan, students research alcohol's effect on the teen brain. Students discuss their findings about the alcohol-brain connection and create brain maps.