Smarter Than Smoking
Secrets They Keep Poster
A colorful, thought-provoking infographic identifies 12 harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke. It provides a sober warning for smokers and those exposed to secondhand smoke.
Scholastic
Marijuana Facts
Can marijuana really hurt you? Three medical facts and three discussion questions prompt teenagers to consider the ramifications of using marijuana recreationally.
Curated OER
Alcohol and Its Impact on the Brain
Students examine water as it changes states. In water and ice instructional activity students study the water cycle and what happens to it as it changes state.
Curated OER
Under the Influence
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.
Curated OER
Getting Up the Nerve
Students examine the basics of the nervous system through an interactive program. They discover how the brain is linked to muscle movement. They can test cells through the interactive program to see how it reacts to different stimuli.
Curated OER
Constant Craving
Students experience the effect of sensory stimulation through a guided visualization. They explore possible genetic relationships between drug addiction and the nervous system by reading and discussing, "Genetic Studies Promise a Path to...
Curated OER
Depression and Cannabis
In this current events learning exercise, students read an article about cannabis reducing depression and complete eight true or false questions, 10 synonym matching questions, and a cloze activity based on the article.
Curated OER
Ethyl Alcohol
In this ethyl alcohol learning exercise, students read about the characteristics of ethanol including the effects it has on the body when ingested and digested. This learning exercise has 2 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Inside Story: Your Body, Your Health
Young scholars research about different genetic disorders. In this biology lesson, students create a poster highlighting facts about the disorder. They present their findings in class.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: How Do Drugs Affect the Brain?
Sara Garofalo explains how some drugs can alter the communication between cells in the brain.
National Institute on Drug Abuse
National Institute on Drug Abuse: Brain Power! The Nida Junior Scientist Program
This program uses scientific techniques to examine how drugs effect the brain. Its ultimate goal is to present students with the negative effects of substance abuse and show the benefits of staying substance free. Each of the lessons...
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Understanding the Opioid Epidemic: How Opioids Change the Brain: Lesson Plan
In this lesson module, to be used with the program Understanding the Opioid Epidemic, students will understand that addiction is medically classified as a disease. They will learn about brain structure and functioning and how they are...
Other
University of Nebraska at Omaha: Brains Rule! Games: Ecstasy Invaders
Go on a mission inside a nerve cell to find out about how neurons produce and release neurotransmitters to communicate with other neurons. Learn what happens to these brain chemicals when the drug ecstasy interrupts the process.
Other
Drugs and the Brain: Lsd
This website includes a very brief overview of how LSD affects the brain and causes hallucinations. Also, there is a list of "common street names" and an explanation of LSD's "legal status" as a Schedule I drug.
Other
Partnership for a Drug Free America: Herbal Ecstasy
Organized into several very brief sections, this website from Partnership for a Drug-Free America is a good overview of the designer drug called ecstasy. Learn what the slang names of this drug are and how the drug affects the body and...
National Institute on Drug Abuse
National Institute on Drug Abuse: Marijuana: Facts for Teens
This article, organized in question/answer format, provides information for teens about marijuana use. Here, you can learn why teens smoke marijuana and how marijuana affects the bodies and brains of those who use it.
Other
On Science: Addicting Kids to Nicotine
Summarizing research found at the Mayo Clinic, this article explains why kids, who have only smoked a few cigarettes, "experience the same symptoms of nicotine addiction as adults who smoke heavily." Learn about how nicotine affects the...
BBC
Bbc: Gcse Bitesize: The Nervous System
An animal's response to a stimulus is coordinated by its central nervous system (CNS). Neurons carry electrical impulses, and are connected by synapses. Some drugs and toxins affect how impulses pass from one neuron to the next across a...