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MODULE ONE
FACTS & MYTHS ABOUT DRUGS & ALCOHOL (INC VAPING)
Years 9 & 10 Band, Health & Physical Education
FOCUS AREA:
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Alcohol & Other Drugs
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Food & Nutrition
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Mental Health & Wellbeing
LESSON PLAN:
Facts & myths about drugs & alcohol (inc vaping) - 45 minutes
TOPICS:
1. Teen brain development & the architecture of the brain
2. Facts & myths about drugs - cannabis, alcohol, ice & ecstasy
3. Facts & myths about vaping
Close - out of session assignment allocated
SUGGESTED SESSION TIME ALLOCATIONS:
15 minutes
10 minutes
15 minutes
5 minutes
NOTE ON FLEXIBILITY:
Teachers may prefer to allocate 2 or more 45 minute sessions to this module, to allow students more time to respond online and re-watch videos. This would be particularly relevant, if additional, longer-term projects were determined as useful to consolidate and share knowledge and findings in the wider community.
FACTS & MYTHS ABOUT
DRUGS & ALCOHOL
(INC VAPING)
Introductory Notes:
It is important for teachers & facilitators to understand that social and emotional learning fosters the ability to make positive choices about how we behave. As teens, students need to build up the ‘tool kit’ of life skills to strengthen their decision-making skills.
These include:
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self-awareness
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self-concept
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social awareness
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social management
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critical thinking
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problem solving
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reflecting & analysing
These can be incorporated through the segment via online group discussion. Additionally, when face to face group opportunities present themselves use may be made in pedagogy such as role-play, debating, presentations at assemblies, and local community groups. Teachers will also know that our experiences and actions affect the way our brains develop and positive role models and interactions from family members and others such as club leaders, coaches, teachers, friends and social groups.
Quality feedback, reactions and experiential learning add to the teen’s ‘tool kit’ by helping them to learn:
• Strategies for relating and interacting with others
• Assertive behaviour skill
• How to establish and manage changing relationships – offline and online
• General health and wellbeing activities
• What impact Social / emotional health has on general well being
• Observe real resilience skills in action that support resilient behaviour
• See how others demonstrate coping skills and help seeking strategies
Topic 1 - Teen brain development and the architecture of the brain
BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS & FACILITATORS
The vulnerable teen brain
One choice prevention toolkit
ONLINE CLASSROOM TASK 1
Your special teenage brain
UNDER
CONSTRUCTION
Students report back where the use of alcohol and drugs could impact on their ability to make healthy and safe choices and describe how this could happen during teen brain development.
OR
Students to prepare note on the above to add to a portfolio of work on the subject of 'analysing and applying health information from a range of sources to health decisions and situations'.
ONLINE CLASSROOM TASK 2
Choose one video below and ask students to reflect on 5 key facts, including names of some parts of the brain and their function. Priority focus should be about facts mentioned about how drugs affect the brain.
Human brain - major structures and their functions:
OR
Neuroscience basics - human brain anatomy and lateralisation of brain function, 3D animation:
Topic 2 - Facts and myths about drugs & alcohol
ONLINE CLASSROOM TASK
Quiz on Cannabis
Using ONE or MORE of these resources, students answer the questions about a range of drugs. Class discussion can be facilitated after each quiz has been taken. This exercise could be expanded into an out of class assignment, if time is differently allocated. Students can be asked what they learned from the quizzes.
OR
Quiz on Alcohol
Quiz on Ecstasy
Quiz on Ice
(methamphetamines)
Quiz on Drugs
(includes all of the above)
Ask students to research facts about drugs from the following websites and develop their own quiz (with an answer sheet). The questions should cover at least 10 questions, include 3 drug types, their health risks and harms. Their quizzes could be shared with the class, showing their references.
THC Research
Commonly used drugs charts
Library
12 Illegal Street Drugs
Topic 3 - Facts and myths about vaping
BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS AND FACILITATORS
The following websites provide current information about vaping and its harms to the teen brain. Teachers & facilitators may choose to share one or more of these with students, once these have been previewed. Ask students to develop a quiz on the information discussed. This could be an online quiz or hard copy version. Students should also include an answer sheet with their quiz.
*Teachers should verify students' answers to ensure their information is accurate and safe.
6 things you should know about vaping
Vaping: the hit your brain takes
Dakota's story
Vaping info sheet
The increasing prevalence of vaping
Doctor's warning about dangers of vaping
ONLINE CLASSROOM TASK
SUITED TO AN EXTENDED
PORTFOLIO / HOMESTUDY PROJECT
AIM:
To develop a documented response that provides examples of where health information on vaping and drug use has been analysed and applied from a range of sources to result in good health decisions and outcomes.
TASK:
Ask Students to find out more about vaping and its effects on the teen brain. They may include investigations on the many accounts of young people who have been hospitalized because of vaping. Students could present their findings online, graphically in a PowerPoint, a display in the school library and/or at a school assembly. A range of references should be documented.
Links to the Australian Curriculum
KEY LEARNING AREAS:
Health and Physical Education
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ACPPS092 - Propose, practice and evaluate responses in situations where external influences may impact on their ability to make healthy and safe choices
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ACPPS095 - Critically analyse and apply health information from a range of sources to health decisions and situations
Want to get involved?
REACH OUT
If you are interested in participating at any level, or want more information, please contact Jo Baxter at Drug Free Australia