National Institute of Drug Abuse
Nurturing My Mental and Emotional Health
One exercise does not necessarily work for all! A resource from the National Institutes of Health provides tweens and teens with exercises to help them cope with anxiety and stress. Participants note their stress levels before and after...
BW Walch
Vending Machine Bans Increase in Schools Nationwide
Does a ban on vending machines infringe on student rights, or do school officials have an obligation to monitor foods sold on school grounds? Your class members will explore the educational, health, and financial issues related to...
Curated OER
Anger, Aggression and Adolescents
Students examine the relationship between anger, aggression and teenagers. As a class, they share a difficult situation in their own lives and review the techniques to properly deal with it. In groups, they discuss how they feel about...
PBS
Stories of Painkiller Addiction: The Cycle of Addiction
Drug addiction, including prescription drug addiction, begins with a reason that's different for every user. High schoolers learn more about the reasons people begin abusing drugs with a set of videos and worksheets that discuss four...
Generation Rx
My Generation Rx: Plot Twists
How can prescription drugs be dangerous if they were prescribed by a doctor? Is it okay to share your prescription drugs with friends if they really need them? Clear up any common misconceptions about prescription drugs with a set of...
Childnet International
Crossing the Line: Cyberbullying
Members of the LGBTQ community are more likely to be bullied online than their peers—and bystanders who do nothing can be as problematic as the bullies themselves. Middle schoolers explore ways to protect themselves and others on the...
PBS
Stories of Painkiller Addiction: Prescription Drug Abuse Awareness Campaign
The I-STOP law was designed to regulate the distribution and tracking of prescription drugs. After reading an article about its signing and implementation, middle and high schoolers work together to come up with their own ideas for an...
Curated OER
More of, Less of
Have your class discuss behaviors they like from other people. They will then get into groups and list behaviors they want to see more of from people in their community, classroom, or school. This is a great Character Counts lesson!
Curated OER
Puberty/Adolescence, Day 2: "Who AM I? Where Am I Going?"
A great unit! There is a lot of content that is personal so make sure you have created a safe zone in your classroom before doing this lesson. It will have much more meaning if your learners share their life with others in the class....
Curated OER
Puberty
Introduce the topic of puberty. This presentation breaks it down into bite-sized pieces: physical changes, mental changes, emotional changes, and social changes. There is some basic information in each section, which hopefully opens it...
Curated OER
Drug and Alcohol Awareness
Fourth graders examine the statistics when it comes to teens and drug and alcohol abuse. In groups, they research the side effects of four different drugs. Using the information, they perform a skit, or puppet show to share their data...
Baylor College
Body Mass Index (BMI)
How do you calculate your Body Mass Index, and why is this information a valuable indicator of health? Class members discover not only what BMI is and practice calculating it using the height and weight of six fictitious individuals, but...
Curated OER
Live By the Gun, Die By the Gun
Students view a PBS "In the Mix" video about handgun violence and gun safety laws. They participate in a discussion about the video, speculate about the causes of gun violence and its prevalence in the U.S. and identify current gun laws.
Curated OER
Boomers Assess High School
Students examine drug and alcohol abuse by American teens. For this health journalism lesson, students read the USA Today article titled "Boomers Assess High School", respond to discussion questions regarding the article, and complete an...
Curated OER
Journey to Synergy on the path of Gandhi and King
Students explore the concept of synergy. In this peace and tolerance lesson plan, students read sections of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Covey and then discuss how Gandhi and King mastered the art of synergy. Students then...
Curated OER
Family Law - Domestic Violence
Young scholars take a closer look at domestic violence. In this family law lesson plan, students participate in a classroom simulation that requires them to define domestic violence and young scholars then discuss teen dating violence....
Curated OER
CLOSE TO HOME - Overboard
Students read a comic about a teen drug overdose that leads to death. In this drug awareness lesson, students role play characters in the story that react to the death of their friend due to drug use in an online forum. Students evaluate...
Curated OER
Safe Driving
Students explore the implications of teen driving. In this personal health lesson, students research and discuss impaired driving, seat belt usage, speeding, and distracted driving. Students then create public awareness marketing...
Curated OER
The Kids are All-Right
Pupils explore alcohol abuse. In this health journalism lesson, students read the USA Today article titled "The Kids are All Right", respond to discussion questions regarding the article, and complete an activity based on the content of...
Curated OER
Cities Crack Down on Raves
Students explore personal health issues. In this health journalism lesson, students read the USA Today article titled "Cities Crack Down on Raves", respond to discussion questions regarding the article, and complete an activity based on...
Scholastic
Prescription Drug Abuse: Teens in Danger
Students identify the most abused prescription drugs. In this drug awareness lesson, students discuss the harmful effects of taking drugs prescribed to someone else. They take a quiz before and after the lesson to check how much they...
Common Sense Media
Cyberbullying: Crossing the Line
Teach pupils to identify different forms of cyberbullying, including harassment, deception, “flaming,” and threats to safety, as well as how to handle a situation in which cyberbullying might be involved.
Curated OER
Objections to Condoms
Be aware that this topic is intended for mature teens. This is a breif, yet poignant activity about responding to an objection to the use of a condom. Completing a worksheet allows students to have a take-home that they can reflect on...
Curated OER
Let's Talk About Sex
Pupils discuss abstinence. In this self-discipline lesson, students discuss the concept of sexual self-discipline in relationships, dress, and conduct.