Scholastic
Marijuana: Breaking Down the Buzz
Teenagers get the real information about marijuana use based on the history of tobacco legislation and research. As they read an educational passage about marijuana laws, science, and changing attitudes, they address their preconceptions...
NPR
The History of America’s Weed Laws
To understand the laws regarding marijuana use in the United States, you can go all the way back to the 1800's to learn about farming hemp, or you can go back to 2018 when California became the sixth state to legalize recreational...
Scholastic
The Science of Marijuana—How THC Affects the Brain
Marijuana can affect every part of a user's life—starting with the delicate nervous centers of the brain. An informative article and worksheet prompt teenagers to learn more about how the THC found in most forms of marijuana can...
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.
US National Library of Medicine
Drug Use and Abuse: Past and Present
Pick your poison: tobacco, alcohol, opiates, cocaine, or marijuana. An online exhibition launches a research project that asks groups to select one of the five drugs and gather information on how the use of the drug and the regulations...
Curated OER
The Medical Marijuana Debate
Students, in groups, prepare presentations about issues surrounding the debate over medical marijuana use in Canada.
Scholastic
Consider the Source
Who is more trustworthy when it comes to marijuana: a high school student, or The National Institute on Drug Abuse? Sources matter when reading informational text. Help teenagers discern which facts are true with an activity that focuses...
Curated OER
Alcohol and Marijuana "Gateway Drugs"
Ninth graders use the internet to research the effects of alcohol and marijuana. They present strategies for resisting peer pressure.
Curated OER
Intoxication: In the Arms of Morpheus
A comprehensive lesson that takes a look at psychoactive plants with this one focusing on the opium poppy. Information about the history, culture, use, source and effects are discussed. There are weblinks to reliable sources about drugs...
Curated OER
Medical Marijuana - Legitimate Use Or Legalized Abuse?
High schoolers, in groups, discuss opinions about medical marijuana use. They form their own opinion about the U.S Supreme Court case involving this issue.
Curated OER
Marijuana: Help Someone Kick the Habit
Students define substance abuse, assess how they and their friends have been affected by marijuana, evaluate how pot users are hurting themselves, and explore how teens can stay away from or stop smoking pot.
Curated OER
An Investigation of the Effects of Marijuana and Alcohol
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.
Curated OER
Marijuana
Students identify the main parts of the body that are affected by using marijuana.
Curated OER
Three Factors Threaten Teens
Students explore alcohol, cigarette, and marijuana use. In this health journalism instructional activity, students read the USA Today article titled "Three Factors Threaten Teens", respond to discussion questions regarding the article,...
Scholastic
Think it Through
What does the media tell the teenagers about using marijuana? Help class members decipher what they are being told about drug use with a lesson on editorial cartoons, subliminal messages, and critical thinking skills.
Curated OER
This Is Your Brain on Pot
Students explore the causes and effects of marijuana addiction and research how THC affects different areas of the brain. They synthesize their knowledge by creating print advertisements that inform teenagers about the physiologic danger...
Curated OER
Statistical Drug Abuse and Adolescents in the U.S.A.
Students 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...
National Institute on Drug Abuse
The Brain's Response to Drugs
Marijuana affects the brain differently than inhalants, which have a different effect than opioids. Elementary and middle school classes read about these drugs as well as nicotine, methamphetamine, hallucinogens, and steroids before...
Curated OER
Acting Out
Sixth graders investigate peer pressure, gangs, drinking, and using drugs. In small groups, they conduct research, develop, edit, and write a three-minute script, and perform the script for the class.
Curated OER
Boomers Assess High School
Students examine drug and alcohol abuse by American teens. In this health journalism instructional activity, students read the USA Today article titled "Boomers Assess High School", respond to discussion questions regarding the article,...
PBS
Stories of Painkiller Addiction: Myth or Fact
Are opioids the most abused drug after marijuana? How hard is it for young people to obtain painkillers without a prescription? Middle and high schoolers explore the growing epidemic of opioid addiction with a lesson that prompts them to...
Curated OER
Identifying an Author's Purpose
Students read, "Research Shows TV PSAs Effective In Reducing Teen Marijuana Use", discuss the article with questions imbedded in the instructional activity and write their own PSA.
Scholastic
Analyzing Media Messages
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 and/or...
Curated OER
Avoid Destructive Behaviors
Students describe strategies to avoid destructive behaviors. They discuss drug tests at work, the costs of drug use to employers and the types of behaviors that put individuals at risk.