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  • Student Activities and Printable Worksheets

    Click on the links below to download and print copies of posters and teaching guides featured in the Heads Up series.

    NEW! Stand Up Against Bullying
    This health, life skills, and language arts poster/teaching guide aims to prevent student bullying as well as lower associated risks, such as substance abuse. The lesson, activities, and work sheets will help students build the skills they need to identify potentially harmful situations around them and determine steps they can take to safely intervene if they see a peer in trouble.
    (First published 2017)

    Respect Others. Respect Yourself.
    This ELA and Life Skills poster/teaching guide helps students build healthy communication skills. The techniques covered in the tiered lesson, activities, and work sheets will serve students in all relationships, and in particular could help prevent emotional or physical abuse. Additionally, having strong communication skills will help students to navigate difficult situations, such as peer pressure or conflicts. (First published 2016)

    Drugs + Your Body: It Isn’t Pretty
    This poster/teaching guide includes an eye-catching poster, lesson, and dynamic worksheets designed to provide factual details and critical-thinking questions on the wide-ranging effects drugs have on the developing brain and body. These effects include harmful physical and psychological consequences that affect not only individuals, but also families, friends, and communities. (First published 2012)

    • Order a Free Print Copy of the Poster/Teaching Guide

    Marijuana: Download the Facts 
    The teaching guide to the poster Marijuana: Download the Facts (PDF). This poster and teaching guide are designed for teachers to display and use in the classroom year-round to educate students about the risks of smoking marijuana. The teaching guide includes lesson plans and worksheets that communicate the facts of marijuana use, as well as guide students in analyzing media messages so that they can make educated decisions about drugs. (First published 2011)

    • Order a Free Print Copy of the Poster in English or Spanish

    Drug Facts: Shatter the Myths
    The teaching guide to the poster Drug Facts: Shatter the Myths (PDF). This poster and teaching guide are designed for teachers to display and use in the classroom year-round to remind students of the importance of getting the facts when it comes to drugs and drug abuse. The teaching guide includes a lesson plan and worksheet to help students identify drug facts vs. myths, eye-opening questions and answers from NIDA’s National Drug IQ Challenge, and take-home activities in both English and Spanish. (First published 2010)

    Facts on Drugs: Teen Guide to Making Smart Decisions
    The teaching guide to the poster LIFE’S COMPLICATED ENOUGH: Make Smart Decisions About Drugs (PDF). This important teaching guide is a skill-building program to help students understand the importance of informed decision making. The teaching guide includes turnkey lessons and worksheets that support the idea that when young people know the facts, they have the tools to make smart choices. Find lessons and critical-thinking activities that bring students facts about the science behind teen brain development and decision making, as well as the health risks associated with drug abuse. (First published 2008)

    The Teen Brain: Under Construction
    The teen brain is still developing, so it is particularly vulnerable to the effects of drugs. Drugs interfere with the teen brain’s natural development, affecting not only the brain, but the entire body. Check out the poster and article to learn more about how drugs affect the brain and the body. The accompanying teaching guide includes lessons, discussion questions, and student activities about drug addiction and how drug abuse affects decision making. (First published 2004)

    You Can’t Sniff Away Your Sorrows: Drug Abuse May Cause Addiction, Memory Loss, Heart Failure, Organ Damage, or Death.
    Check out the Heads Up Poster Contest Grand Prize-winning artwork and poster concept by student Ania Lisa Etienne. Then use the lesson strategy, discussion questions, and student worksheet activities to help students learn more about how drugs can affect your brain and your health. (First published 2003)

    Drugs and the Body—It Isn’t Pretty
    Check out the poster and explore student worksheet activities to find out how drugs of abuse affect the brain and body. This poster/teaching guide includes posters in English and Spanish, student worksheet activities, answer key, and web resources. (First published 2002)

     

  • Heads Up Printable Worksheets

    Use these activities to learn more about drugs and how they affect your brain and your body.

    Click on the links below to download and print worksheets featured in the Heads Up series.

    Activity Gone Bust
    Just how important is it to keep your brain healthy? See for yourself. Abusing marijuana can make everyday tasks difficult. THC, the most powerful chemical in marijuana, interferes with normal functioning of the brain. This experiment simulates how basic functions can become difficult under the influence of marijuana. 

    Cross Drugs Off
    Use your brainpower to complete this crossword puzzle about how drug abuse can affect the brain and the body. 

    Q&A—How Drug Abuse Affects the Brain and Body
    Why?. . . How?. . . Have questions about how the body is affected by drugs of abuse? Check out this Q & A to learn more about how drugs can affect the brain, heart, lungs, liver, mouth, skin, bones, and kidney. 

    Tragic Data: Understanding Stats
    A recent survey of drug-related deaths in U.S. metropolitan areas shows that drugs spare no one. They claimed the lives of both men and women in nearly every age group. Study the data table from the survey and answer the questions that follow. 

    How Common Drugs of Abuse Harm
    Read the chart to learn about the effects and risks associated with the more common drugs of abuse. Then take the Pop Quiz to show what you know. 

    A Prescription for Pain
    Check out the graph that shows data on prescription drug abuse. Then use the graph to complete a true or false quiz. 

    Club-Drug Cheat Sheet
    Create your own cheat sheet with the facts about the effects of the club drugs MDMA (ecstasy), LSD, and methamphetamine.

    FAQs on Cocaine
    Get answers to frequently asked questions about cocaine and how it affects the brain.

    Mixed-up About Heroin
    Build a four-sentence paragraph with facts about heroin and the serious risks it poses to your health.

    Nicotine News
    Check out the graph that shows the percentage of teens who use nicotine. Then use the graph to complete a quiz.

    Outsmart the Chart
    Use this chart to review the facts about major drugs of abuse.

    Rave Realities: The Truth About Club Drugs
    Get the facts about the club drugs MDMA (ecstasy), LSD, and methamphetamine.

    Steroids: All-Over Horror
    Read about how steroids can mess with your brain and body. Then complete a diagram to show what you learned.

    The Cocaine Course
    Use this worksheet to record what you know, what you’d like to know, and what you’ve learned about cocaine.

    The Word on Marijuana
    Get the facts about marijuana, and then complete the fill-in-the-blank activity to show what you know.

    Top 10 Things You Need to Know About Inhalants

    True of False? (inhalants)
    Get the facts about inhalants and how they can affect your brain and body.

    What’s the Question?
    Test your knowledge of cocaine, heroin, inhalants, LSD, marijuana, MDMA, and steroids with this Jeopardy-style quiz.

    Your Brain At-a-Glance
    Learn about parts of the brain, and how drugs change how the brain works. After reading, complete a diagram of the brain.

    Cause and Effect: How Drugs Change the Brain
    Drugs of abuse cause changes in the brain that affect the way the drug user thinks and feels. Check out the worksheet “Drugs Change Your Brain,” and then complete this activity by connecting each drug to the effect it has on the brain.

    Drugs Change Your Brain
    Drug abusers may alter their brains forever. Drugs of abuse change the way an abuser’s brain works. Some of those changes might last for minutes. But other changes may be permanent. Check out what drugs can do to the brain, and then complete the fill-in-the-blank activity.

    Messed-Up Messages: Addiction and Your Brain
    Check out this worksheet to learn more about how drug addiction affects the brain.

    Path to a Healthy Future
    The right choices keep your brain at its best. Check out the worksheet “Messed-Up Messages,” and then complete the maze by following the statements that describe how the brain functions normally without drugs.

     Remember Your Brain: A Crossword Challenge
    Test your brain by completing this crossword puzzle about how the brain works and how drugs of abuse change the way the brain sends and receives messages.

    Stop Toxic Effects: Make the Connections
    Drug users crave drugs of abuse because of the way drugs work in the brain. But these drugs are toxic to the human body. Make the connections between inhalants, steroids, marijuana, MDMA (ecstasy), and cocaine, and how they can affect the body.

    How Much Do You Know About Drug Addiction?
    T
    ake this quiz to test how much you know about drug addiction and the effects of drug abuse on the brain.

    Drug Abuse Affects Decision Making
    Read about an experiment that scientists created to find out more about how drug abuse affects decision making. Analyze the data and results and draw your own conclusions.

    What Do You Know About Teens, Drugs, and Disease?
    Use this lesson to reinforce comprehension of the student article “Teens, Drug Abuse, and AIDS: The Deadly Connection.” The teacher lesson plan includes a lesson strategy, discussion tips, and an activity that educates students about the connection between drug abuse and bloodborne illnesses, and tests their knowledge of the topic before and after they read the article.  Use with the worksheet What Do You Know About Teens, Drugs, and Disease?

    Heads Up: The Rising HIV Rates Among Girls and Women
    Use this lesson to reinforce comprehension of the student article “Teens, Drug Abuse, and AIDS: The Deadly Connection.” The teacher lesson plan includes a lesson strategy and activity for students to use scientific data to analyze and draw conclusions about the effects of the worldwide AIDS epidemic on women. Use with the worksheet The Rising HIV Rates Among Girls and Women.

    What Do You Know About Teen Drug Trends?
    Take the quiz to test your knowledge about how drug abuse is linked to AIDS, HIV (the virus that causes AIDS), and hepatitis C.

    How Inhalant Abuse Damages the Brain
    Use this lesson to reinforce comprehension of the student article “Abuse of Inhalants and Prescription Drugs: Real Dangers for Teens.” The teacher lesson plan includes a lesson strategy and activity for students to use scientific data to draw conclusions about the effects of inhalants on brain functioning. Use with the worksheet How Inhalant Abuse Damages the Brain.  

    Obesity and Drug Addiction—What Do You Know?
    Take the quiz to test your knowledge of obesity, drug addiction, and the possible connection between them.

    Dangerous Cravings and the Brain
    Read about an experiment using rats to find out if increasing the number of D2 receptors in rats’ brains would decrease the amount of alcohol consumed by rats that had been trained to prefer alcohol over water. Analyze the results and draw your own conclusions. 

    Drugs and Your Body
    Read short descriptions of what specific drug such as prescription painkillers, inhalants, methamphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy), cocaine, marijuana, nicotine, and alcohol can do to the body. Then complete the true or false activity. 

    Drugs and Your Brain 
    Check out this short article about how drugs such as THC and opioids can adversely affect many areas of the brain, including the cerebral cortex (distorting thinking, perception, and judgment), the cerebellum (distorting coordination and balance), the prefrontal cortex (affecting decisions and promoting risk-taking), and the brain stem (slowing breathing and heart rate). Then complete the activity.

    Peer Influence
    Check out this short article about how peer influence affects decision making. Then, using facts you’ve learned, write about how you might respond to certain scenarios.

    The Science of Teen Decision Making
    Check out this short article and complete the activity to learn more about how the brain works. 

    What Do You Know About Drugs and Your Body?
    Take the quiz to test what you know about drugs and the brain and the body.

     

  • Video: Why Are Drugs So Hard to Quit?

    Quitting drugs is challenging because addiction changes the brain. Watch the video below to find out more.

    http://headsup.scholastic.com/app/uploads/2022/01/Why-Are-Drugs-So-Hard-to-Quit.mp4

  • Posters

    NEW! Respect Others. Respect Yourself.
    Explore the many ways that people can incorporate respect and healthy communication skills into their everyday lives. (First published 2016)

    Drugs + Your Body: It Isn’t Pretty
    This poster provides facts on the wide-ranging effects drugs have on the developing brain and body. The consequences affect not only individuals, but also families, friends, and communities. (First published 2012)

    • For Teachers: Order a Free Print Copy of the Poster/Teaching Guide

    Marijuana: Download the Facts
    Find out how marijuana’s effects can interfere with teens’ lives, including in school and on the road. (First published 2011)

    • For Teachers: Order a Free Print Copy of the Poster in English or Spanish

    Prescription Drugs
    This poster illustrates the double-sided nature of prescription drugs: proper use and abuse. (First published 2011)

    Drug Facts: Shatter the Myths
    This poster promotes the importance of getting the facts from a trustworthy source when it comes to drugs and drug abuse. Shatter the myths and get the facts during the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s National Drug Facts Week. (First published 2010)

    LIFE’S COMPLICATED ENOUGH: Make Smart Decisions About Drugs
    Follow a teen’s journey through the serious short- and long-term effects of drug use, demonstrating the importance of informed decision making. (First published 2008)

    The Teen Brain: Under Construction
    The teen brain is still developing, so it is particularly vulnerable to the effects of drugs. Drugs interfere with the teen brain’s natural development, affecting not only the brain, but the entire body. (First published 2004)

    You Can’t Sniff Away Your Sorrows: Drug Abuse May Cause Addiction, Memory Loss, Heart Failure, Organ Damage, or Death.
    Check out the Heads Up Poster Contest Grand Prize-winning artwork and poster concept by student Ania Lisa Etienne to learn more about how drugs can affect your brain and your health. (First published 2003)

    Drugs and Your Body: It Isn’t Pretty
    This poster provides a graphic tour of how the body is affected by various drugs. A Spanish version is below. (First published 2002)

    Las Drogas y el Cuerpo no son una Buena Combinación
    This Spanish poster provides a graphic tour of how the body is affected by various drugs. An English version is above. (First published 2002)

  • Lesson “Drugs and the Teen Brain”

    As a teacher, you know that teens are at a critical time of development. The brain doesn’t become fully developed until the mid-20s. This fact makes teens especially susceptible to the harmful effects of drugs and alcohol, putting them at a greater risk for addiction as well as damage to the brain. By sharing the article “Drugs and the Teen Brain” and teaching this lesson, you will help students learn how their brain develops and why using drugs and alcohol is especially risky.

    MATERIALS:

    Click below for printables and links to all the lesson materials for “Drugs and the Teen Brain”

    Lesson

    Download All Materials
    (PDF – 6 pages)

    Includes Lesson, Work Sheet, Student Article, and Vocabulary List

    Download Individual
    Lesson Pages:

    • Lesson and Work Sheet Printable (PDF)
    • Work Sheet Printable Only (PDF)
    • Student Article/
      Informational Text (PDF)

    • Digital Interactive Version of Student Article
    • Vocabulary List (PDF)

    Adapted Lesson
    (4th-6th GRADE READING LEVEL)

    Download All Materials
    (PDF – 4 pages)

    Includes Lesson, Work Sheet, Student Article, and Vocabulary List

    Download Individual
    Adapted Lesson Pages:

    • Adapted Lesson and Work Sheet Printable (PDF)
    • Adapted Work Sheet Printable Only (PDF)
    • Adapted Student Article/Informational Text (PDF)

    • Adapted Digital Interactive Version of Student Article
    • Vocabulary List (PDF)

    See below to review the lesson plan.


    SUBJECT AREAS:

    Science Literacy, English/Language Arts, Health/Life Skills


    STANDARDS:

    COMMON CORE
    STATE STANDARDS
    NEXT GENERATION
    SCIENCE STANDARDS
    NATIONAL
    SCIENCE
    EDUCATION
    STANDARDS
    NATIONAL COUNCIL
    FOR THE
    SOCIAL STUDIES
    RST.6-8.1 / RST.9-10.1

    • Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts

    W.6-8.1 / W.9-10.1

    • Write arguments to support claims, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence
    MMS-LS1.A / HS-LS1.A

    • Structure and function

    MS-LS1.D / HS-LS1.D

    • Information Processing

    NCSS practices

    • Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information / engaging in argument from evidence
    • Personal Health
    • Science and technology in society/Science and technology in local, national, and global challenges
    • 8. Science, Technology, and Society


    LESSON:

    CRITICAL-THINKING QUESTIONS:

    1. Describe how your brain changes as you grow. How can these changes affect your behavior or abilities?
      Answers may include that as you grow older, you develop and refine synapses (connections between neurons). These signal pathways allow you to learn, and they support your memory and emotions. Parts of the brain develop at different times. Specific regions of the brain are responsible for tasks such as movement, emotions, and critical thinking. As each region matures, it strengthens a person’s abilities in the tasks related to that region.
    2. Explain the purpose of the prefrontal cortex and the limbic system in the brain. Give examples of types of behavior or activities that are controlled by each of these areas.
      The prefrontal cortex is the area of the brain that is involved in critical thinking and decision making. This area may be active when someone weighs the pros and cons of a decision, tries to solve a problem, or plans for the future. The limbic system is involved in emotions and rewards. This area is active when a certain activity makes you feel sad or happy, such as spending time with friends.
    3. Why are teens more at risk for becoming addicted to drugs than adults? Support your answer with text evidence.
      Answers may include that people can become addicted to drugs because using them causes feelings of pleasure, which causes a release of dopamine in the brain. This chemical helps the brain remember the pleasurable experience. Over time, bursts of dopamine teach the brain to seek out drugs over any other rewarding experience. Teens are more at risk because the teen brain, which relies heavily on the reward center in the limbic system, is more sensitive to the effects of dopamine.


    WRITING PROMPTS:

    • Grades 6–8: Explain how the prefrontal cortex helps to reduce risk-taking.
    • Grades 9–10: The legal drinking age is 21. Do you agree with this policy? Cite text evidence to support your answer.
    • Grades 11-12: Parts of the teen brain are not yet fully developed. Explain why his can be harmful but also beneficial.


    PAIRED READING

    • “Addiction Is a Disease” blog post: March 29, 2016.
      This article describes how drugs can cause brain changes that lead to addiction.
    • Writing prompt: Cite text evidence from the “Addiction Is a Disease” blog entry to describe additional ways that drug addiction harms the brain. Also explain why addiction is considered a disease.


    Student Activity Sheet

    Answers:

    Multiple choice 1. c; 2. b; 3. d; 4. False; 5. b; 6. True; 7. a; 8. True.

    “Now Try This”:

    1. Answers may include that because the critical-thinking area of their brains is still developing, teens rely on the limbic system (involved in rewards and emotions) to make decisions. This may cause teens to make risky decisions that give immediate rewards. Teens’ limbic systems are also more sensitive to dopamine, which may cause them to crave drugs more than adults.
    2. Answers may include that the teen brain is still in development, so exposure to drugs can negatively affect a teen’s neural pathways. Positive experiences, like learning a skill, help the brain build new connections.
  • Stand Up Against Bullying

    The lesson and activities in this program will help students develop awareness and skills to help them respond to situations that involve bullying.

    Click below or scroll down for all the
    turnkey materials needed for this program.


     

    The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have joined Scholastic to develop this grades 6—12 health, life skills, and language arts poster/teaching guide that aims to prevent bullying as well as lower associated risks, such as substance abuse.

    While studies support the importance of preventing aggressive behavior among middle and high school students, they’ve also shown that children and youths who are bullied may suffer long-term negative consequences—including depression, anxiety, and an increased risk for alcohol and drug use. But it’s not only those who are bullied who may experience these consequences. Those who do the bullying—as well as bystanders—can also be affected.

    Bullying creates an unsafe environment for students. However, students can help prevent bullying by standing up and speaking out. The lesson, activities, and work sheets in this program will help students build skills they need to identify potentially harmful situations around them and to determine steps they can take to safely intervene if they see a peer in trouble. By learning how to take action, they can make a difference not only in someone else’s life—but they can help create a safer environment for themselves.

    Download This Poster/Teaching Guide (PDF)

    TOOL BOX
    COMPONENTS: Poster • Lesson and Activity • Work Sheets
    TOPICS: Bullying • Drug and Alchohol Use
    KEY OBJECTIVES:

    • Learn how to recognize situations that involve bullying.
    • Build awareness about the negative consequences of bullying, including an increased risk of drug and alcohol use.
    • Build an understanding about how a bystander’s behavior can impact bullying.
    • Build skills needed to help prevent bullying and safely intervene if someone is in trouble.
    KEY STATISTICS:

    • In a recent national survey, one in five high school students reported having been bullied at school in the prior 12 months. Sixteen percent reported having been cyberbullied.1
    • In a recent report, 25 percent of public middle schools reported that student bullying occurred at least once a week.2
    • Studies have shown that all children and youths involved in bullying—from those who are bullied to those doing the bullying and to bystanders—have a higher risk of mental health problems and addiction.3 These negative effects can last into adulthood.4
    RESOURCES:

    • Federal Partners in Bullying Prevention: StopBullying.gov
    • Prevent Bullying: cdc.gov/features/prevent-bullying
    • Understanding Bullying Fact Sheet: cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/bullying_factsheet.pdf
    • Cyberbullying Fact Sheet for Teens:
      teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/post/four-things-know-about-cyberbullying
    • Bullying Hurts. You can Help.: https://teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/post/bullying-hurts-you-can-help

    SUBJECT NATIONAL HEALTH EDUCATION STANDARDS5 COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS6
    Health/Life Skills Standard 1: Comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease. RI.1 Cite textual evidence
    English Language Arts Standard 2: Analyze the influence of family, peers, culture, and other factors on health behaviors. RI.2 Determine central idea and details
    Standards 4 & 5: Use interpersonal communication skills and decision-making skills to enhance health and avoid or reduce health risks. W.1 Write opinion texts
    Standard 7: Practice health-enhancing behaviors and reduce health risks. W.2 Write informative texts
    Standard 8: Advocate for personal and community health.

     

    LESSON & ACTIVITIES

    Time Required: Two 30-minute class periods plus additional time for optional reinforcement/wrap-up activity.

    Materials:

    • Classroom Poster (flyer-size version)
    • Classroom Poster (full-size version)
    • Work Sheet 1: “Bullying: Recognizing a Problem”
    • Work Sheet 2: “Bullying: Who’s Involved?”

     

    PART 1 | Poster Discussion

    Share with students the flyer-size poster or full-size poster and use it to engage students in a conversation about bullying. The questions and possible answers below 
may help to guide your discussion. You can revisit these after completing the activities:

    • What is bullying? (Bullying is a form of violence among two or more children/youths that can include physical attacks or emotional or social abuse, comprising verbal or written actions such as name-calling, teasing, threats, spreading rumors, or excluding someone from a group. Bullying is unwanted aggressive behavior that involves an observed or perceived imbalance of power and occurs repeatedly over time. Bullying may inflict harm or distress on the targeted youth.)
    • Who is impacted when a child or youth is bullied? How are they affected? (Those affected by bullying include the child or youth who is bullied, who may feel isolated and sad; the child or youth who bullies others, who may or may not feel bad about his or her behavior; and the bystanders, who may be scared that they will also become victims.)
    • Why is it important to stand up and speak up if you witness a peer who is in trouble? (The student may be afraid to ask for help. You could be the person who safely helps him or her get out of a harmful situation. You could help make your environment safer. You may help protect him or her from long-term consequences, including depression, anxiety, and addiction.)
    • Why do you think many students do not take action when they see another student being bullied? (Students may feel sad or scared. They may feel relieved that they are not being bullied. Bystanding students might not want to get involved in such harmful situations.)

     

    PART 2 | Activity – Bullying: Recognizing a Problem

    This activity presents students with scenarios that may or may not involve bullying, and helps them to pay attention to details or clues that may indicate a peer is in trouble.

    Step 1: As a class, quickly brainstorm a few situations that involve bullying. Ask students if they think bullying is always obvious. Could bullying sometimes look like friendly pranks? Refer to the step on the poster front “Take Notice” and discuss why it is important to be able to recognize bullying. (The first step in making a difference is recognizing that a peer is in trouble.)

    Step 2: Hand out the work sheet “Bullying: Recognizing a Problem” (PDF) and have students complete Part 1 of the work sheet in pairs.

    Step 3: When everyone is finished, summarize the key points that students discussed about how you can tell if a peer is being bullied or is struggling in other ways, such as with drugs and alcohol. (There are clues about whether a behavior is bullying, such as: if a group of students is isolating another student, or if messages are mean-spirited, or if one student is repeatedly the target of attacks, etc. It may be a clue that the behavior is not bullying if, for example, it is a one-time joke and the student who is at the center is good friends with the other students.)

    Step 4: Have students complete Part 2 of the work sheet individually and then discuss their answers. Together, make a list of safe actions that students can take when they see a peer in trouble (for example: alert a teacher; reach out to the student in trouble by inviting him or her to join a lunch table or an activity after school; avoid sharing harmful messages, etc.). Highlight the importance of reaching out to a trusted adult. Make a list of the adults at your school with whom students can talk, such as a guidance counselor. Find more advice for educators and students about bullying prevention strategies that have been shown to be effective at stopbullying.gov/what-you-can-do/index.html.

     

    PART 3 | Activity—Bullying: Who’s Involved?

    Step 1: During another class period, distribute the work sheet “Bullying: Who’s Involved?” (PDF) Have students read the descriptions of bullying participants, and then identify the participants in the illustration. (Answers are listed on the work sheet.)

    Step 2: Next, study the scenario in the illustration. Ask for volunteers to act out the individual roles in the scenario. One by one, discuss each of the roles. Ask the players to explain how they would feel in that situation. What are some specific impacts the situation might have in the short term and in the long term?

    Answers will vary, but some possible discussion points include:

    may feel powerful in the short term Student who bullies
    may or may not feel bad in the short or long term about the behavior because he or she bullied or did not help the victim Student who bullies; Follower; Silent bystander
    may turn to alcohol or drugs in the short or long term with the mistaken idea that it will make them feel happier All
    may feel sad or scared to witness frightening interactions Follower; Silent bystander; Defender
    may feel depressed in the short or long term from the bullying experience All
    may feel isolated and alone especially when other students don’t reach out to help Student who is bullied; Follower; Silent bystander; Defender
    may be scared that they will become a victim All
    may feel proud that he or she tries to help the victim Defender

    Step 3: Ask for a volunteer to read aloud the “Also Involved” section on drugs and alcohol. Discuss the “Think About It” questions as a class.

     

    PART 4 | Activity—Reinforcement/Wrap-Up

    As a class, discuss how bullying creates an unsafe environment in your school. According to the U.S. Department of Education, bullying can violate a student’s civil rights—or the legal right to freedom and equality. Discuss the anti-bullying policies in place at your school. Brainstorm ways you could help make your school a safer place. Some ideas might include signing a specific pledge that says you won’t bully other students or creating posters to inform students about the potential health risks of bullying. Then create the necessary materials to put your plan into action.

     

     


    1Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth risk behavior surveillance—United States MMWR: (2016) “Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2015.”

    2Musu-Gillette, et al., National Center for Education Statistics: (2017) “Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2016.”

    3Espelage, et al. (2010). Bullying in North American Schools, 2nd Edition.

    4Radliff, et al. Addiction Behavior: (2012) “Illuminating the relationship between bullying and substance use among middle and high school youth.”

    5CDC, National Health Education Standards, cdc.gov/healthyschools/sher/standards/index.htm.

    6CCSS, corestandards.org

  • Facts on Drugs: Teen Guide to Making Smart Decisions

    This important teaching guide is a skill-building program to help students understand the importance of informed decision making. The teaching guide includes turnkey lessons and worksheets that support the idea that when young people know the facts, they have the tools to make smart choices.

    Click on the links below to download and print copies of the poster, complete teaching guide, and printable worksheets.

    Facts on Drugs: Teen Guide to Making Smart Decisions
    The teaching guide to the poster LIFE’S COMPLICATED ENOUGH: Make Smart Decisions About Drugs. Find lessons and critical-thinking activities that bring students facts about the science behind teen brain development and decision making, as well as the health risks associated with drug abuse.

    The Science of Teen Decision Making
    Check out this short article and complete the activity to learn more about how the brain works.

    Drugs and Your Brain
    Check out this short article about how drugs such as THC and opioids can adversely affect many areas of the brain, including the cerebral cortex (distorting thinking, perception, and judgment), the cerebellum (distorting coordination and balance), the prefrontal cortex (affecting decisions and promoting risk-taking), and the brain stem (slowing breathing and heart rate). Then complete the activity.

    Drugs and Your Body
    Read short descriptions of what specific drugs—such as prescription painkillers, inhalants, methamphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy), cocaine, marijuana, nicotine, and alcohol—can do to the body. Then complete the true or false activity.

    Peer Influence
    Check out this short article about how peer influence affects decision making. Then, using facts you’ve learned, write about how you might respond to certain scenarios.

    What Do You Know About Drugs and Your Body?
    Take the quiz to test what you know about drugs and the brain and the body.

    Printables 
    Download a print copy of:

    NIDA7_teaching_guide.pdf

    NIDA7_teaching_guide.pdf

    NIDA7_lessons.pdf

    NIDA7_lessons.pdf
  • Student Activities and Printable Worksheets

    Click on the links below for printable work sheets, interactive web activities, and quizzes in the Heads Up series.

    Materials are listed in chronological order with the most recent first.

    NEW! Prescription Opioid Use and Abuse
    Students analyze data regarding opioid prescriptions and overdose deaths from these medications. Use with Lesson Plan: Prescription Pain Medications: What You Need to Know. (First published 2016)

    Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

     

    NEW! Practicing Healthy Communication
    In this basic introduction to using peer communication to resolve conflicts or address unhealthy situations, students will think critically while analyzing role-play scenarios and responding to writing prompts. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: Respect Others. Respect Yourself. (First published 2016)

    Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

     

    NEW! Using Healthy Communication to Resolve Conflicts
    More advanced than the communication worksheet above, this worksheet covers when to get help in dating relationships as well as how to respond to various negative situations, including dating violence and drugs. Students will analyze conflict scenarios and respond to critical-thinking questions. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: Respect Others. Respect Yourself. (First published 2016)

    Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

     

    What Should You Say?
    Students apply what they have learned about the science of peer pressure and decision making to respond to a real-life situation they might face. Use with Lesson Plan: The Science of Decision Making and Peer Pressure. (First published 2015)

    Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

     

    Drugs: What’s the “Worst”?
    Students synthesize facts about different drug dangers and use scientific evidence to craft an argument. Use with Lesson Plan: Questions About Drugs—Answers From Scientists. (First published 2015)

    Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

     

    E-Cigarettes: Behind the Marketing
    Students analyze how e-cigarette marketing strategies are designed and how they might influence teens. Additional critical-thinking questions help students evaluate the information contained in ads. Use with Lesson Plan: E-Cigarettes: What You Need to Know. (First published 2015)

    Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

     

    Using Drugs: Who Becomes Addicted?
    Students analyze a chart of research-based risk factors and protective factors for drug addiction. Critical-thinking questions help students apply what they have learned to real life. Use with Lesson Plan: Recovery From Drug Addiction. (First published 2015)

    Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

     

    Marijuana: Perception of Harm vs. Use
    Students analyze statistical information regarding attitudes toward marijuana compared to actual use. Additional critical-thinking questions help students synthesize what they have learned. Use with Lesson Plan: Marijuana: Breaking Down the Buzz. (First published 2014)

    Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

     

    The Power of Pausing
    Students answer critical-thinking questions about possible consequences of real-life scenarios and how pausing could influence the outcomes. Use with Lesson Plan: Pushing Pause. (First published 2014)

    Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

     

    Drugs + Your Body: It Isn’t Pretty (Web Interactive)
    Using dynamic descriptions, graphics, videos, and quizzes, this web interactive demonstrates how drug use can ravage the body. This resource is ideal for classroom study, individual projects, and presentations. (First published 2014)

     

    Train Your Brain
    Students decode scrambled sentences as an experiment in how the brain learns. Then, they answer critical-thinking questions that connect their findings to real-world situations. Use with Lesson Plan: “Wiring” Your Brain. (First published 2013)

    Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

     

    Brain Power!
    Students solve brainteasers and answer critical-thinking questions about how drugs interfere with specific survival abilities in real-world situations. Use with Lesson Plan: The Awesomely Evolved Human Brain. (First published 2013)

    Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

     

    Statistics: More Than Numbers
    Students analyze graphs and use basic statistical probability skills to respond to critical thinking questions about how stimulant use increases the likelihood of certain violent behaviors. Use with Lesson Plan: Drugs + Your Life. (First published 2013)

    Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

     

    Alcohol + Drugs = Magnified Effects
    Students use scientific facts regarding how drugs impact key areas of the body to respond to questions about the health effects and consequences of drug abuse. Use with Lesson Plan: Drugs + Your Body. (First published 2012)

    Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

     

    Mission Control: Understanding the Brain’s Central Control System
    Students use scientific facts regarding key areas of the brain and what they control to respond to questions about the health effects of drug abuse. Use with the Lesson Plan: Drugs + Your Brain. (First published 2012)

    Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

    Drugs + Your Body: It Isn’t Pretty
    These printable worksheets provide factual details and critical-thinking questions on the effects drugs have on the brain and body—including harmful physical and psychological consequences that affect individuals, families, friends, and communities.  Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: Drugs + Your Body: It Isn’t Pretty. (First published 2012)

    Printable Work Sheet 1: The Brain-Body Connection (PDF)
    Students will learn how the brain communicates with the body.

    Printable Work Sheet 2: Drugs + Your Body: It Isn’t Pretty (PDF) (two pages)
    Students will learn the harmful effects of specific drugs on organs.

    Printable Work Sheet 3: Drugs + Your Life: It Isn’t Pretty (PDF)
    Students will think critically about other consequences of drug abuse.

    Printable Work Sheet 4: Drugs + Society: Emergency Room Visits (PDF)
    Students will analyze statistics on emergency room visits due to alcohol and drug abuse.

     

    What Do You Know About “Medical Marijuana”? 
    Students take a quiz to find out what they have learned regarding “medical marijuana” and the FDA approval process for new medications. Use with the Lesson Plan: The Myth of “Medical Marijuana” . (First published 2012)

    Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

     

    The Effects of THC on the Brain 
    Students use scientific facts regarding marijuana to label parts of the brain and respond to critical thinking questions about how marijuana can influence behavior. Use with the Lesson Plan: The Science of Marijuana: How THC Affects the Brain. (First published 2011)

    Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

     

    Marijuana Facts: Use Your Knowledge
    Students use factual information regarding marijuana use to create public service announcements about the drug. Use with the Lesson Plan: Marijuana Facts: Breaking Down the Myths. (First published 2011)

    Download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF) 

     

    Marijuana: Download the Facts
    The following printable work sheets give your students important tools to help them analyze the meaning behind media and social messages. Paired with essential facts about the risks associated with marijuana use, these work sheets will equip your students to make informed decisions. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: Marijuana: Download the Facts. (First published 2011)

    Printable Work Sheet 1: Marijuana Facts (PDF)
    Students will use facts about marijuana use to answer critical-thinking questions.

    Printable Work Sheet 2: Consider the Source (PDF)
    Students will identify differences between fact and opinion.

    Printable Work Sheet 3: Think It Through (PDF)
    Students will “read” and understand editorial cartoons.

    Printable Work Sheet 4: Analyzing Media Messages (PDF)
    Students will identify and analyze hidden messages in popular music to understand how that exposure might influence their decision making.

    Classroom Poster (PDF)

     

    Web Hunt: Myths vs. Facts: Prescription Drugs
    There’s a lot of information out there about prescription drugs for teens to consider, and it can be tough to distinguish myths from facts. In this online Web Hunt, students research facts about prescription drugs from the scientists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). (First published 2011)

     

    What Do You Know About Prescription Stimulants?
    Students take a quiz to find out what they have learned about prescription stimulants. Use with Lesson Plan: Prescription Stimulants. (First published 2011)

     

    What Do You Know About Prescription Pain Medications?
    Students take a quiz to find out what they have learned about prescription pain medications. Use with Lesson Plan: Prescription Pain Medications. (First published 2011)

     

    Q&A on Prescription Drugs 
    Students read answers to frequently asked questions about prescription drugs and then answer critical-thinking questions. Use with Lesson Plan: Straight Talk on Prescription Drugs. (First published 2010)

     

    Drug Facts vs. Myths (PDF) (English Version) 
    Students complete a four-step activity to identify facts vs. myths regarding a question they have about drugs. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: Drug Facts: Shatter the Myths. (First published 2010)

    Download the Spanish Version of this activity (PDF)

     

    Questions from the National Drug IQ Challenge (PDF)(English Version)

    Students test their drug smarts by answering questions from the National Drug IQ Challenge. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: Drug Facts: Shatter the Myths. (First published 2010)

    Download the Spanish Version of this activity (PDF)

    Students can take the complete National Drug IQ Challenge online at: drugfactsweek.drugabuse.gov/IQchallenge.php

     

    Web Hunt: Questions About Drugs, Answers from Science 
    Every day, teens are bombarded with messages about drugs and drug abuse through music, movies, TV, the Internet, and their friends. How can you find out what the truth is about drugs? In this online Web Hunt, students discover facts from the scientists at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). (First published 2010)

     

    Role-Play: Facts Into Action 
    Students role-play in hypothetical situations involving tobacco, alcohol, and prescription drugs. Students put facts about drugs into action to tell what action they would take in each scenario, and why, and the consequences they might face. Use with Lesson Plan: Facts Into Action. (First published 2010)

    The Case of the Teen Brain
    Students learn more about the teen brain by studying this article, based on research by a real NIDA scientist. Then they complete questions about the research and the scientific method. Use with Lesson Plan: TSI: Teen Science Investigations. (First published 2010)

    Getting the Facts About Drugs and Addiction
    Students find facts to answer real questions asked by teens during NIDA’s Drug Facts Chat Day.Use with Lesson Plan: Real Questions, Real Answers About Drugs. (First published 2009)

    What Do You Know About “Rehab” and Drug Addiction?
    Students take a quiz to find out what they know about treatment for drug addiction. Use with Lesson Plan: The Truth About “Rehab” and Drug Addiction. (First published 2009)

    What Do You Know About Stimulants?
    Students take a quiz to find out what they know about stimulants. Use with Lesson Plan: Stimulant Addiction. (First published 2009)

    Trends in Teen Drug Use
    Collecting, graphing, and analyzing data are key parts of scientific research and reporting. Students study a line graph to analyze national trends in teen drug use from 1996 to 2007, and then answer related questions. Use with Lesson Plan: Teen Science-Investigators. (First published 2008)

    What Do You Know About Genetics and Addiction?
    Students take a quiz to find out what they know about genetics and its role in addiction. Use with Lesson Plan: Genetics and Addiction. (First published 2008)

    The Science of Teen Decision Making (PDF)
    Students read a short article and complete a fill-in-the-blank activity to learn more about how the brain works. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: Facts on Drugs: Teen Guide to Making Smart Decisions. (First published 2008)

    Drugs and Your Brain (PDF)
    Students read a short article about how drugs such as THC and opioids can adversely affect many areas of the brain, including the cerebral cortex (distorting thinking, perception, and judgment), the cerebellum (distorting coordination and balance) and the prefrontal cortex (affecting decisions and promoting risk-taking), and the brain stem (slowing breathing and heart rate). Then they complete a multiple-choice activity. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: Facts on Drugs: Teen Guide to Making Smart Decisions. (First published 2008)

    Drugs and Your Body (PDF)
    Students read short descriptions of what specific drugs such as prescription painkillers, inhalants, methamphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy), cocaine, marijuana, nicotine, and alcohol can do to the body. Then they complete the true-or-false activity. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: Facts on Drugs: Teen Guide to Making Smart Decisions. (First published 2008)

    Peer Influence (PDF)
    Students read a short article about how peer influence affects decision making. Then, using facts they learn, they write about how they might respond to certain scenarios. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: Facts on Drugs: Teen Guide to Making Smart Decisions. (First published 2008)

    What Do You Know About Drugs and Your Body? (PDF)
    Students take a quiz to find out what they know about drugs and the brain and the body. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: Facts on Drugs: Teen Guide to Making Smart Decisions.  (First published 2008)

    Teens and Decision Making: A Quiz
    Students take a quiz to find out what they know about the teen brain and how teens make decisions. Use with Lesson Plan: Teens and Decision Making. (First published 2008)

    Creating a Personal Health Journal
    A personal health journal is a great way for teens to keep track of all that’s going on as they learn more about themselves and their health. This worksheet provides tips for students when creating a health journal to record information and questions about their health. Use with Lesson Plan: Teen Health: Talking With Your Doctor. (First published 2008)

    What Do You Know About Hydrocodone?
    Students take a quiz to find out what they know about hydrocodone and other commonly abused prescription drugs. Use with Lesson Plan: The Truth About Hydrocodone. (First published 2008)

    What Do You Know About Impairment From Drug Abuse?
    Students take a quiz to find out what they know about drug abuse, impairment, and the dangerous consequences of “drugged driving.” Use with Lesson Plan: Drug Abuse and Impairment. (First published 2007)

    What Do You Know About the Health Effects of Drug Abuse?
    Students take a multiple-choice quiz to find out what they know about the health effects of drug abuse and addiction.Use with Lesson Plan: Heath Literacy and Drug Abuse. (First published 2007)

    What Do You Know About Stress and Drug Abuse?
    Students take a multiple-choice quiz to find out what they know about stress and its connection to drug abuse. Use with Lesson Plan: Stress and Drug Abuse. (First published 2007)

    What Do You Know About Tobacco Addiction and Secondhand Smoke?
    Students take a multiple-choice quiz to find out what they know about tobacco addiction and secondhand smoke. Use with Lesson Plan: Tobacco Addiction and Secondhand Smoke. (First published 2006)

    What Do You Know About the Science of Addiction?
    Students take a multiple-choice quiz to find out what they know about drugs and drug addiction. Use with Lesson Plan: The Science of Addiction. (First published 2006)

    Obesity and Drug Addiction—What Do You Know? (PDF)
    Students take a quiz to test their knowledge of obesity, drug addiction, and the possible connection between them. Use with Lesson Plan: Obesity and Drug Addiction (PDF). (First published 2005)

    Dangerous Cravings and the Brain (PDF)
    Students read about an experiment using rats to find out if increasing the number of D2 receptors in rats’ brains would decrease the amount of alcohol consumed by rats that had been trained to prefer alcohol over water. Then students analyze the results and draw conclusions. Use with Lesson Plan: Dangerous Cravings and the Brain (PDF). (First published 2005)

    What Do You Know About Teen Drug Trends? (PDF)
    Students take a quiz to test their knowledge of teen drug-use trends, including inhalants, OxyContin®, and Vicodin®, three substances that present a special risk for teens. Use with Lesson Plan: What Do You Know About Teen Drug Trends? (PDF). (First published 2005)

     

    How Inhalant Abuse Damages the Brain (PDF)
    Students read about a scientific study to find out which parts of the brain are damaged by solvents, such as spray paint and paint thinner, and how the damage correlates with loss of mental functions. Then they analyze the results of the study. Use with Lesson Plan: How Inhalant Abuse Damages the Brain (PDF). (First published 2005)

    What Do You Know About Teens, Drugs, and Disease? (PDF)
    Students take a quiz to test their knowledge of how drug abuse is linked to AIDS, HIV (the virus that causes AIDS), and hepatitis C. Use with Lesson Plan: What Do You Know About Teens, Drugs, and Disease? (PDF). (First published 2004)

    Heads Up: The Rising HIV Rates Among Girls and Women (PDF)
    Students read about how epidemiologists study data showing how infection rates change over time in order to understand how AIDS is affecting women. Then they analyze the data and draw conclusions. Use with Lesson Plan: Heads Up: The Rising HIV Rates Among Girls and Women (PDF). (First published 2004)

    How Much Do You Know About Drug Addiction? (PDF)
    Students take a quiz to test how much they know about drug addiction and the effects of drug abuse on the brain. Use with Lesson Plan: Heads Up: How Much Do You Know About Drug Addiction? (PDF). (First published 2004)

    Drug Abuse Affects Decision Making (PDF)
    Students read about an experiment that scientists created to find out more about how drug abuse affects decision making. Then they analyze the data and results and draw conclusions. Use with Lesson Plan: Heads Up: Drug Abuse Affects Decision Making (PDF). (First published 2004)

    Messed-Up Messages: Addiction and Your Brain (PDF)
    This worksheet provides a short article for students to learn more about how drug addiction affects the brain. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: You Can’t Sniff Away Your Sorrows. (First published 2003)

    Path to a Healthy Future (PDF)
    The right choices keep your brain at its best. Students read “Messed-Up Messages,” and then complete a maze activity by following statements that describe how the brain functions normally without drugs. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: You Can’t Sniff Away Your Sorrows. (First published 2003)

    Drugs Change Your Brain (PDF)
    Students learn how drug abuse can change the way the human brain works, and may alter the brain forever. Then they complete a fill-in-the-blank activity.Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: You Can’t Sniff Away Your Sorrows. (First published 2003)

    Cause and Effect: How Drugs Change the Brain (PDF)
    Students read “Drugs Change Your Brain” to learn how drugs of abuse cause changes in the brain that affect the way the drug user thinks and feels. Then they complete the activity by connecting each drug to the effect it has on the brain. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: You Can’t Sniff Away Your Sorrows. (First published 2003)

    Stop Toxic Effects: Make the Connections (PDF)
    Students learn the toxic effects of drugs on the human body. Then they complete the activity by connecting inhalants, steroids, marijuana, MDMA (ecstasy), and cocaine with how they can affect the body. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: You Can’t Sniff Away Your Sorrows. (First published 2003)

    Remember Your Brain: A Crossword Challenge (PDF)
    Students test their brains by completing this crossword puzzle about how the brain works and how drugs of abuse change the way the brain sends and receives messages. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: You Can’t Sniff Away Your Sorrows. (First published 2003)

    A Prescription for Pain (PDF)
    In this graph-reading activity, students study a graph that shows data on prescription drug abuse. Then they use the graph to complete a true-or-false quiz. Use with Activity Book: 14 Drug Education Activities (First published 2003)

    Club-Drug Cheat Sheet (PDF)
    Students create their own cheat sheets on the facts about the effects of the club drugs MDMA (ecstasy), LSD, and methamphetamine.Use with Activity Book: 14 Drug Education Activities. (First published 2003)

    FAQs on Cocaine (PDF) 
    This worksheet provides answers to frequently asked questions about cocaine and how it affects the brain. Use with Activity Book: 14 Drug Education Activities. (First published 2003)

    Mixed-up About Heroin (PDF)
    Students build a four-sentence paragraph using facts about heroin and the serious risks it poses to your health. Use with Activity Book: 14 Drug Education Activities. (First published 2003)

    Nicotine News (PDF)
    Students study a graph that shows the percentage of teens who use nicotine. Then they use the graph to complete a quiz. Use with Activity Book: 14 Drug Education Activities. (First published 2003)

    Outsmart the Chart (PDF) 
    Students can use this chart to review facts about major drugs of abuse. Use with Activity Book: 14 Drug Education Activities. (First published 2003)

    Rave Realities: The Truth About Club Drugs (PDF)  
    Use this worksheet to give students the facts about the club drugs MDMA (ecstasy), LSD, and methamphetamine. Use with Activity Book: 14 Drug Education Activities. (First published 2003)

    Steroids: All-Over Horror (PDF)  
    Students read about how steroids can mess with your brain and body. Then they complete a diagram to show what they’ve learned. Use with Activity Book: 14 Drug Education Activities. (First published 2003)

    The Cocaine Course (PDF)
    Have students use this KWL worksheet to record what they know, what they want to know, and what they learn about cocaine. Use with Activity Book: 14 Drug Education Activities. (First published 2003)

    The Word on Marijuana (PDF)
    Students study a glossary of terms related to marijuana, and then complete a fill-in-the-blank activity to show what they know. Use with Activity Book: 14 Drug Education Activities. (First published 2003)

    Top 10 Things You Need to Know About Inhalants (PDF)
    This worksheet provides important facts for students about inhalants and how they can affect your brain and body.Use with Activity Book: 14 Drug Education Activities. (First published 2003)

    Inhalants: True or False? (PDF)
    Students read “Top 10 Things You Need to Know About Inhalants,” and take a true-or-false quiz to show what they know.Use with Activity Book: 14 Drug Education Activities. (First published 2003)

    What’s the Question? (PDF)  
    This Jeopardy-style quiz tests students’ knowledge of cocaine, heroin, inhalants, LSD, marijuana, MDMA (ecstasy), and steroids.Use with Activity Book: 14 Drug Education Activities. (First published 2003)

    Your Brain At a Glance (PDF)
    Students learn about parts of the brain, and how drugs change how the brain works. After reading, students complete a diagram of the brain.Use with Activity Book: 14 Drug Education Activities. (First published 2003)

    Tragic Data: Understanding Stats (PDF)
    Students study a data table from a survey of drug-related deaths in U.S. metropolitan areas and analyze the data to answer questions. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: Drugs and the Body—It Isn’t Pretty. (First published 2002)

    Activity Gone Bust (PDF)
    Students conduct an experiment that simulates how basic functions can become difficult under the influence of marijuana. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: Drugs and the Body—It Isn’t Pretty. (First published 2002)

    Cross Drugs Off (PDF) 
    Students complete a crossword puzzle about how drug abuse can affect the brain and the body. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: Drugs and the Body—It Isn’t Pretty. (First published 2002)

    Q&A—How Drug Abuse Affects the Brain and Body (PDF)
    This Q & A activity answers questions students may have about how drugs can affect the brain, heart, lungs, liver, mouth, skin, bones, and kidneys. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: Drugs and the Body—It Isn’t Pretty. (First published 2002)

    How Common Drugs of Abuse Harm (PDF)
    Students read a chart to learn about the effects and risks associated with the more common drugs of abuse. Then they take a pop quiz to show what they know. Use with Poster/Teaching Guide: Drugs and the Body—It Isn’t Pretty. (First published 2002)

    Short-Term Memory Quiz
    This quick quiz will assess short-term memory, which can be affected by marijuana and other drugs. Students will be given 30 seconds to look at a list of 15 words. They will be scored on how many words they can recall.

     

  • Lesson: “Recovery from Drug Addiction”

    Accounts about drug addiction often lack facts about why addiction has such a powerful hold on those afflicted. But science reveals that addiction is a chronic disease that changes the brain—and shows why treatment and recovery can be a long and challenging process. It is currently impossible to predict who will become addicted to drugs. But one thing is certain: Drug addiction can never happen in people who never use drugs. We hope you share this important article with your students.

    MATERIALS:

    Student Article/Informational Text:
    Students will gain a scientific understanding of the challenges of drug addiction, relapse, and recovery.

    > HTML version
    > PDF version
    > Digital interactive version
    > Leveled version (PDF) – grades 4-5 reading level

    Student Work Sheet:
    Students analyze a chart of research-based risk factors and protective factors for drug addiction. Critical-thinking questions help students apply what they have learned to real life.

    > PDF version
    > HTML version

    Additional Tools (PDF):
    Grade-tiered resources to support teaching the lesson and student article:

    • Answer Key for Critical-Thinking Questions and Student Work Sheet
    • Academic and Domain-Specific Vocabulary Lists
    • Expanded Writing Prompts
    • Expanded Paired-Text Reading Suggestions
    • Expanded Standards Charts for Grades 6-12

    The PDFs above meet Section 508 accessibility guidelines.


    STANDARDS:

    SUBJECT COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
    FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
    NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES
    Science Literacy RI.1 Cite textual evidence LS1.A Structure and Function Structure and Function in Living Things Individual Development and Identity
    English Language Arts RI.2 Central idea and details LS1.D Information Processing Personal and Community Health
    Health/Life Skills W.2 Write informative texts


    LESSON:

    CRITICAL-THINKING QUESTIONS:

    Grades 6-8:

    a. How does drug addiction affect a person’s life?

    b. Why is it important for a drug treatment plan to support a person’s mental, physical, and emotional health?

    Grades 9-10:

    a. What impact might drug addiction have on a person’s emotions, relationships, and employment?

    b. In your own words, explain what makes an effective treatment plan and how it might help someone in recovery deal with triggers.

    Grades 11-12:

    a. How might drug addiction impact a person’s emotions, relationships, and employment? Infer how these impacts could have long-term consequences for the person’s future.

    b. Analyze the components of an effective treatment program described in the sidebar “Recovery: Finding the Right Support.” How might these components support a person through recovery and when experiencing a trigger?


    WRITING PROMPTS:

    Instruct students to use evidence from the article in their responses to the writing prompts.

    • Grades 6-8: Explain two obstacles a person in recovery from drug addiction might face.
    • Grades 9-10: How could a local community center support people trying to recover from drug addiction?
    • Grades 11-12: How might the stigma currently associated with drug addiction be an obstacle to a person’s recovery? How can a strong support system help him or her overcome this?


    PAIRED READING:

    • Grades 6-12: “The Truth About ‘Rehab’ and Drug Addiction,” scholastic.com/headsup/rehab
    • Grades 6-12: “Drugs & Health Blog Teaching Guides” (compilations of blog posts), teens.drugabuse.gov/addiction-blog
    • Grades 6-12: “Drug Facts—Brain and Addiction,” teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-facts/brain-and-addiction


    ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

    • Video: “Anyone Can Become Addicted,” teens.drugabuse.gov/videos/videos/anyone-can-become-addicted-drugs
    • Video: “Personal Perspectives on Teen Drug Abuse,” youtube.com/watch?v=RvYpxLwRwDE
    • Event: “National Drug Facts Week,” January 26-February 1, 2015, teens.drugabuse.gov/national-drug-facts-week


    RESOURCES AND SUPPORT:

    • Teaching resources and drug info: headsup.scholastic.com/teachers and teens.drugabuse.gov
    • Immediate help for a crisis: 1-800-273-TALK
    • To locate a treatment center: 1-800-622-HELP or findtreatment.samhsa.gov
  • Recovery From Drug Addiction

    Addiction is a brain disease because drugs change how the brain works. People who are addicted can’t stop using drugs even when they really want to. Their priorities change and getting drugs can become more important than their loved ones, responsibilities, and life goals. Drug addiction can be treated, but recovery can take time—sometimes a long time. Like other chronic diseases such as heart disease, drug addiction often requires treatment throughout a person’s life. Even after a period of time without using drugs, an addicted person may have a relapse, meaning they start to use again. Relapse requires more or different treatment in order for him or her to stop using drugs again.

    Why do some people become addicted while others do not?
    A person’s risk for drug addiction is affected by several factors:

    • Genetics—some genes make people more prone to becoming addicted;
    • Family and social environment—negative influences can include peer pressure; physical or sexual abuse; stress; poor relationships with parents or friends; and availability of drugs;
    • Mental health—mental illness could place some people at a greater risk for addiction;
    • Age—the younger a person is when drug use begins, the greater the chance for addiction.

    One thing is certain: Drug addiction can never develop in people who never use drugs.

    Recovering From Addiction
    In 2012, 23 million people in the United States needed treatment for alcohol/drug use.1 Of those 23 million people, however, only 4 million actually got treatment, making recovery even more challenging. Most people who succeed in treatment commit to a lifelong process of recovery: getting more treatment when needed; living a healthy lifestyle; and relying on family, friends, and others in recovery for support.

    Why Does Relapse Happen?
    Relapse happens because drugs change the wiring in a person’s brain. Once addicted, a person is at high risk of using drugs when “triggered.” Like patients with other chronic diseases (such as asthma and diabetes), patients with addiction must learn to carefully manage their condition to avoid relapses.

    What are “Triggers”?
    Triggers can be situations (including stress), people, smells, and even songs that remind someone of using drugs. These cause the brain to release the chemical dopamine—which signals pleasure—and creates intense drug cravings. Triggers differ for each person and are often subconscious—meaning that the person isn’t aware of what is happening. Treatment helps people learn how to handle their triggers without using drugs.

    Challenges of Recovery
    Recovery from drug addiction means overcoming obstacles:

    1. Finding and paying for the right treatment—for as long as it is needed.
    2. Maintaining permanent lifestyle changes to avoid drug use. A strong support system of family, friends, and/or others in recovery can help.
    3. Avoiding triggers by staying away from drug users or parties with drugs, or other situations that might lead to drug cravings.

    Addiction is a long-term condition and avoiding relapse is an ongoing challenge, even after many years in recovery. The sooner treatment is started, or restarted after relapse, the faster someone can get healthy.


    Recovery: Getting the Right Support

    A successful treatment plan for drug addiction puts different types of support together in a way that works for each person’s particular situation. When relapse happens, it’s time to step back and adjust the plan, which can be constructed from many different types of support, including:

    • Treatment for the addiction
    • Recovery support groups
    • Safe, healthy, and fun activities
    • Support of family and/or friends
    • Working to complete life goals (e.g., education)
    • Protection from abuse or trauma
    • Meditation and self-monitoring
    • Treatment for mental illness or stress

    To Get Help for Drug Problems:
    teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-problem-help


    How the Brain Changes and Recovers From Drug Use

    The images2 above show that once addicted to drugs, the brain can be affected for a long time, although recovery is possible.

    • The first image shows a normal-functioning brain without drugs. A lot of yellow means lots of brain activity.
    • The next two images show the brain of someone addicted to cocaine, but who has not used in 10 days and again in 100 days. The amount of brain activity (yellow) increases over time.


    1NSDUH, 2012. Population figures include people ages 12 or older. 2NORA D. VOLKOW, 1992, NIH.

  • Using Drugs: Who Becomes Addicted?

    Anyone who uses drugs is at risk for becoming addicted. Genes, family and environment, age, and mental health all influence an individual’s risk for using drugs and also for becoming addicted. Some factors make a person more vulnerable, while other factors have a protective effect. To find out more, study the factors below, and then answer the questions that follow.

    Think It Through (Write your answers on separate paper.)

    1. Select three risk factors and three protective factors from the list above. Then, for each factor (total of six), provide a specific, real-life example that shows how it contributes to risk or protection.
    2. Which factors are teens able to control? Which factors do teens have limited or no control over?
    3. What are some ways teens can work to manage the factors they have limited or no control over?
    4. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the biggest risk is being around other teens who abuse drugs. Why do you think that would that be particularly dangerous?

    Click here to download and print a copy of this Work Sheet (PDF)

  • Compilations of Past Issues

    Drug education materials for classroom use are organized into two sections on this page:

    • Annual Compilations
    • Posters and Poster/Teaching Guides

     

    Annual Compilations   

    NEW! School Year 2020—2021 Compilations — A collection of science/ELA student articles, lessons, and activities that help students understand important and timely facts on health and drug and topics. In the 2020—2021 compilations, students will learn about the health risks of nicotine for teens; facts about the use and misuse of prescription stimulants; and healthy ways to cope with stress.

      •  Download Student Edition [PDF 2.2 MB]

      •  Download Teacher Edition [PDF 2.4 MB]

     

     

     

    School Year 2019—2020 Compilations — A collection of science/ELA student articles, lessons, and activities that help students understand important and timely facts on health and drug and topics. In the 2019—2020 compilations, students will learn about the health risks of marijuana for teens; facts about opioids and the opioid crisis in America; and the health impacts of screen time on teen health and well-being.

      •  Download Student Edition [PDF 4.8 MB]

      •  Download Teacher Edition [PDF 2.1 MB]

      •  Order Copies of Student Edition

      •  Order Copies of Teacher Edition

     

     

    School Year 2018—2019 Compilations — A collection of student articles and teacher lesson plans in science, health, and language arts that help students understand facts about important and timely drug education topics. Students will learn about brain development in adolescence and the harmful effects of drugs; find out about the health dangers and risks for teens of e-cigarettes; and understand why it is not safe to take medications with other substances.

      •  Download Student Edition [PDF 4.8 MB]

      •  Download Teacher Edition [PDF 2.3 MB]

      •  Order Copies of Student Edition

      •  Order Copies of Teacher Edition

     

     

    School Year 2017—2018 Compilations — A collection of articles and teacher lesson plans in science, health, and language arts that help students understand facts about important and timely drug education topics. Students will learn about the role of genetics in a person’s risk for addiction; find out about the dangers of synthetic drugs; and build skills to help them separate good science from misinformation in the news and on the Internet.

      •  Download Student Edition [PDF 5 MB]

      •  Download Teacher Edition [PDF 2.1 MB]

      •  Order Copies of Student Edition

      •  Order Copies of Teacher Edition

     

     

    School Year 2016—2017 Compilations — A collection of articles and teacher lesson plans in science, health, and language arts designed to help students understand facts about timely and important drug education topics. Students will have the opportunity to: find out how brain imaging techniques work and how they provide scientists with key information about drug use; learn about how stress affects the body and healthy ways to cope with it; and understand important facts about America’s opioid overdose crisis and how to stay safe.

      •  Download Student Edition [PDF 4.9 MB]

      •  Download Teacher Edition [PDF 1.2 MB]

      •  Order Copies of Student Edition

      •  Order Copies of Teacher Edition

     

     

    School Year 2015—2016 Compilations — A collection of articles and teacher lesson plans designed to teach students the facts about timely and practical topics in drug education. Students will have the opportunity to: find unbiased, scientific answers to their questions about drugs and health; understand how their brains make decisions and how to better navigate peer-pressure situations; and receive information on the bodily risks associated with opioid medications.

      •  Download Student Edition [PDF 8.7 MB]

      •  Download Teacher Edition [PDF 3.9 MB]

      •  Order Copies of Student Edition

      •  Order Copies of Teacher Edition

     

     

    School Year 2014—2015 Compilations — A collection of articles and teacher lesson plans designed to teach students the facts about timely and practical topics in drug education. Students will have the opportunity to: sort out questions about marijuana amid shifting perceptions and laws; gain a scientific understanding of drug addiction, relapse, and recovery; and learn facts about e-cigarette risks and evaluate e-cigarette marketing.

      •  Download Student Edition [PDF 1.8 MB]

      •  Download Teacher Edition [PDF 5.8 MB]

     

     

     

    School Year 2013—2014 Compilations — A collection of articles and teacher lesson plans designed to teach students about the extraordinary complexities of the brain, including such topics as how drugs overload the brain’s reward system; how actions in youth impact the brain’s efficiencies through synaptic pruning; and why teen brains are inclined toward impulsivity as well as the benefits of “pausing” before making decisions.

      •  Download Student Edition [PDF 5.3 MB]

      •  Download Teacher Edition [PDF 1.6 MB]

     

     

     

    School Year 2012—2013 Compilations — A collection of articles and teacher lesson plans designed to teach students about the wide-ranging effects of various drugs on the brain, body, and life. 

      •  Download Student Edition [PDF 2.8 MB]

      •  Download Teacher Edition [PDF 1.2 MB]

     

     

     

    School Year 2011—2012 Compilations — A collection of articles and teacher lesson plans designed to teach students about marijuana, including topics such as breaking down myths about marijuana, the science of how marijuana affects the brain, and the myth of “medical marijuana.”

    nida8_stu_comp_cover.jpg

    • Download Student Edition [PDF 1.1 MB] 

    • Download Teacher Edition [PDF 934 KB] 

     

     

     

    School Year 2010—2011 Compilations — A collection of articles and teacher lesson plans designed to teach students about the repercussions of abusing prescription pain medications, including topics such as the difference between the proper use and abuse of prescription drugs, prescription stimulants, and facts from a leading scientist on the dangers of abusing prescription drugs.

    nida8_stu_comp_cover.jpg

    • Download Student Edition [PDF 1.28 MB] 

    • Download Teacher Edition [PDF 664 KB] 

     

     

     

    School Year 2009—2010 Compilations — A collection of articles and teacher lesson plans designed to teach students about the repercussions of drug use, including topics such as answers to questions about drugs commonly asked by teens, teen research in addiction science, and how to use facts to help make smart decisions when it comes to drugs.

    nida8_stu_comp_cover.jpg

       •  Download Student Edition [PDF 6.7 MB]

       •  Download Teacher Edition [PDF 1.3 MB]

     

     

     

    School Year 2008—2009 Compilations — A collection of articles and teacher lesson plans designed to teach students about the repercussions of drug use, including topics such as genetics and drug addiction, teen research in addiction science, facts about stimulants, and drug rehabilitation.

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       •  Download Student Edition [PDF 1.6 MB]

       •  Download Teacher Edition [PDF 524 KB]

     

     

     

    School Year 2007—2008 Compilations — A collection of articles and teacher lesson plans designed to teach students about the repercussions of drug use, including topics such as consequences of impairment from drug abuse, facts about hydrocodone, how to talk with your doctor about your health, and the brain science behind teen decision making.

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       •  Download Student Edition [PDF 1.2 MB]

       •  Download Teacher Edition [PDF 344 KB]

     

     

     

    School Year 2006—2007 Compilations — A collection of articles and teacher lesson plans designed to teach students about the repercussions of drug use, including topics such as the science of addiction, effects of tobacco addiction, the connection between stress and drug abuse, and the health risks associated with drug abuse.

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       •  Download Student Edition [PDF 2.3 MB]

       •  Download Teacher Edition [PDF 180 KB]

     

     

     

    School Year 2005—2006 Compilations — A collection of articles and teacher lesson plans designed to teach students about the repercussions of drug use, including topics such as methamphetamine, inhalants, prescription drugs, and influences on teen decision making.

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       •  Download Student Edition [PDF 1.4 MB]

       •  Download Teacher Edition [PDF 688 KB]

     

     

     

    School Year 2004—2005 Compilations  — A collection of articles and teacher lesson plans on the repercussions of drug use, including topics such as the science of drug addiction, the teen brain, the connection between drug abuse and AIDS, abuse of inhalants and prescription drugs, and the connection between drug addiction and obesity.

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       •  Download Student Edition [PDF 1.7 MB]

       •  Download Teacher Edition [PDF 864 KB]

     

     

     

    School Year 2003—2004 Compilations — A collection of articles and teacher lesson plans designed to teach students about the repercussions of drug use, including topics such as cocaine, LSD, and prescription painkillers.

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       •  Download Student Edition [PDF 4.2 MB]

       •  Download Teacher Edition [PDF 548 KB]

     

     

     

    School Year 2003—2004 Skills Book  — A collection of 16 reproducible skills pages full of facts and activities on drugs of abuse.

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       •  Download Skills Book [PDF 13.7 MB]

     

     

     

     

    School Year 2002—2003 Compilations — A collection of articles and teacher lesson plans designed to teach students about the repercussions of drug use, including topics such as tobacco, marijuana, ecstasy, inhalants, heroin, and steroids.

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       •  Download Student Edition [PDF 16.1 MB]

       •  Download Teacher Edition [PDF 2.4 MB]

     

     

    Heads Up: Real News About Drugs and Your Body is an educational collaboration between the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and Scholastic Inc. The series provides science-based information about the effects of drugs and drug abuse on the brain and body through articles distributed in Scholastic classroom magazines for grades 6–12. Posters and poster teaching guides, as well as annual compilations of student and teacher editions, are available as the following free Adobe PDF downloads, or by ordering them free through NIDA.

     

    Posters and Poster/Teaching Guides 

    Poster/Teaching Guide: Stand Up Against Bullying (2017) — The lesson and activities in this program will help students develop awareness and skills to help them respond to situations that involve bullying. Includes a classroom poster, lessons and activities, and work sheets.

      •  Download Poster & Teaching Guide [PDF 3.7 MB]

      •  Order Copies

     

     

     

    Poster/Teaching Guide: Respect Others. Respect Yourself. (2016) — This guide develops students’ understanding of how respect is key to healthy behaviors and building healthy relationships. Includes a classroom poster, lessons and activities, and work sheets.

      •  Download Poster & Teaching Guide [PDF 3.7 MB]

      •  Order Copies

     

     

     

    Poster/Teaching Guide: Drugs + Your Body: It Isn’t Pretty (2012) — A graphic tour of how various drugs of abuse affect the body, focusing on the brain, lungs, mouth, skin, heart, and risk of death. Includes a classroom “body” poster with facts, along with four skills sheets.

      •  Download Poster [PDF 7.8 MB]

      •  Download Lessons and Activity Reproducibles [PDF 3.8 MB]

      •  Order Copies

     

     

    Poster/Teaching Guide: Marijuana—Download the Facts — Paired with essential facts about the risks of marijuana use, critical-thinking activities that help students analyze the meaning behind media and social messages. 

      •  Download Poster [PDF 985 KB]

      •  Download Poster—Español [PDF 2.4 MB]

      •  Download Lessons and Activity Reproducibles [PDF 4.67 MB]

      •  Order Copies—Español & English

      •  Order Copies—English

     

     

    Poster: Prescription Drugs — This classroom poster graphically illustrates the double-sided nature of prescription drugs. 

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       •  Download Poster [PDF 418 KB]

       •  Order Copies

     

     

     

     

    Poster/Teaching Guide: Facts on Drugs—Teen Guide to Making Smart Decisions — This poster teaching guide helps students understand the serious short- and long-term effects of drug, tobacco, and alcohol use, as well as the importance of informed decision making.

    INS

       •  Download Poster [PDF 1.16 MB] 

       •  Download Lessons and Activity Reproducibles [PDF 1.18 MB] 

     

     

     

    Double-Sided English/Spanish Poster: Drugs and the Body—It Isn’t Pretty (Updated 2019) — A graphic tour of how the body is affected by using drugs. Includes an annotated “body” poster for your classroom wall.

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       •  Download Double-Sided Poster English/Spanish [PDF 7.7 MB]

       •  Download Poster—English side [PDF 7.4 MB]

       •  Download Poster—Spanish side [PDF 7.4 MB]

       •  Order Copies of Double-Sided English/Spanish Poster

A heads up about Heads Up

The Heads Up student site will no longer be available after June 30, 2022.

DOWNLOAD NOW Any materials you would like to save can be

downloaded now through June 30th.