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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?
Take 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.
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Videos on Drugs and Addiction
Watch these videos to find out more about the health and life effects of drug use and addiction.
Videos are organized into two chronological sections on this page:
Narrative Videos
Why Are Drugs So Hard to Quit?
Quitting drugs is challenging because addiction changes the brain. (First published 2014)Scientist Raises Concerns About E-Cigarettes
A scientist discusses e-cigarette concerns. (First published 2013)Anyone Can Become Addicted to Drugs
Find out how drug addiction happens and why anyone can become addicted. (First published 2012)Life’s Complicated Enough
A teen speaks about how she became involved in drugs, and her path to recovery. (First published 2009)Steroids Don’t Work Out
Get the facts on the dangers and consequences of steroid abuse from a scientist at the National Institute on Drug Abuse. (First published 2009)Animated Infographics
Monitoring the Future 2014 Survey Results
This annual survey of teens showed high rates of e-cigarette use and fewer concerns about marijuana’s risks. (First published 2015) -
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 “A Dangerous Mix”
Many teens regularly take medications and over-the-counter drugs. But they may not know that mixing substances can cause unexpected and potentially dangerous effects. Those risks are even greater when alcohol and illicit drugs are involved. By sharing the student article “A Dangerous Mix,” teaching the lesson, and handing out the activity sheet, you will help students be smart about medicine safety.
MATERIALS:
Click below for printables and links to all the lesson materials for “A Dangerous Mix”
Lesson
Download All Materials
(PDF – 8 pages)
Includes Lesson, Work Sheet, Student Article, and Vocabulary List
Adapted Lesson
(4th-6th GRADE READING LEVEL)Download All Materials
(PDF – 8 pages)Includes Lesson, Work Sheet, Student Article, and Vocabulary List
See below to review the lesson plan.
SUBJECT AREAS:
Science Literacy, English/Language Arts, Health/Life Skills
STANDARDS:
COMMON CORE
STATE STANDARDSNEXT GENERATION
SCIENCE STANDARDS PRACTICESNATIONAL
SCIENCE
EDUCATION
STANDARDSNATIONAL COUNCIL
FOR THE
SOCIAL STUDIESRST.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
- 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:
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What is an active ingredient? Where can it be found? Give an example of an active ingredient.
An active ingredient is the part of a drug that has an effect on the brain or body such as causing alertness or slowing breathing. Active ingredients can be found in drugs and alcohol, over-the-counter and prescriptions medications, and even natural substances like food, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Examples may include caffeine, decongestants, stimulants in ADHD medications, etc. -
Explain why it is important to check the ingredients in any over-the-counter medications before taking them.
Answers may include that many over-the-counter medications contain the same active ingredients. Mixing these medications may cause you to take too much of a chemical, which may be harmful to your body. -
Why might someone who mixes alcohol and drugs end up in the emergency room? Use evidence to support your answer.
Alcohol increases the effects of many drugs. This can cause dangerous complications that may impair a person’s breathing, such as with sedatives or opioids, or dangerously increase a person’s heart rate, such as with stimulants like cocaine and methamphetamine.
WRITING PROMPTS:
- Grades 6–8: Why is it important to tell your doctor about any vitamins or herbal supplements you are taking?
- Grades 9–10: Describe how the effect of a medication may change if it is mixed with another substance. Give an example.
- Grades 11-12: Explain why mixing drugs and alcohol can increase your risk of death.
PAIRED READING:
- “Non-Addictive Drugs: Are They Always Safe?” This paired text describes why even over-the-counter medications should be used with caution.
- Writing prompt: Explain why it is important to follow directions on an OTC medication. Describe two possible risks if you misuse the drug. Have students use text evidence from “Non-Addictive Drugs: Are They Always Safe?” and “A Dangerous Mix” to support their answers.
Activity Sheet Answers
- The active ingredient in the medication is chlorpheniramine maleate.
- Assuming an age of 12 and up: You can take a maximum of 12 pills per 24 hours.
- Answers may include that a person shouldn’t drive a vehicle when taking this medication because the medication can cause the person to be drowsy.
- Alcohol, sedatives, and tranquilizers.
- A sedative is a substance that slows breathing and heart rate and causes drowsiness. This is similar to the medication’s side effects. When the substances are combined, the effects could be amplified, causing the person’s breathing to slow too much. It could also result in other side effects. This is also true for alcohol, which can amplify the effects of medications.
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Lesson “Opioids: What You Need to Know”
Your students may have already heard about the opioid crisis. An average of 130 people die every day from an overdose. But even if students have seen the headlines, they might not know what these drugs are—and their dangers. The student article “Opioids: What You Need to Know” and activity sheet “What Causes Addiction?” will help students understand important facts about opioids and guide them on how to be safe. Sharing these materials with your students will support them in making smart decisions and staying healthy.
MATERIALS:
Click below for printables and links to all the lesson materials for “Opioids: What You Need to Know”
Lesson
Download All Materials
(PDF – 7 pages)
Includes Lesson, Work Sheet, Student Article, and Vocabulary List
Adapted Lesson
(4th-6th GRADE READING LEVEL)Download All Materials
(PDF – 7 pages)Includes Lesson, Work Sheet, Student Article, and Vocabulary List
See below to review the lesson plan.
SUBJECT AREAS:
Science Literacy, English Language Arts, Health/Life Skills
STANDARDS:
COMMON CORE
STATE STANDARDSNEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS (NGSS) PRACTICES 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
* Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating
informationCross-Cutting Concept
Cause and effect: Mechanism and prediction
Core Idea
* MS-LS1.A/HS-LS1.A Structure and Function
* MS-LS1.D/HS-LS1.D Information Processing
* 8. Science, Technology, and Society
LESSON:
CRITICAL-THINKING QUESTIONS:
- Why have opioid overdoses increased? (There has been a rise in the illegal importing of synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. These opioids are very powerful. Even a very small amount can cause someone to stop breathing.)
-
What precautions should a person take if they are prescribed an opioid?
(Answers may include: share with their doctor any medical history that may make them more vulnerable to addiction such as mental illness; follow doctor’s directions exactly; only take the drugs to treat pain.) -
How can medications help reduce the number of people who overdose from opioids? Describe two ways.
(If someone is experiencing an overdose, giving them a dose of naloxone can reverse the effects and save their life. Other medications can help someone who is addicted to opioids recover, reducing the risk that they will overdose.)
CRITICAL-THINKING WRITING PROMPTS
- Grades 6–8: Explain why opioids, including prescribed opioid medications as well as illegal heroin and fentanyl, pose health risks.
- Grades 9–10: Explain how a person might increase their risk of health dangers associated with opioids. Consider both prescribed opioid medications as well as illegal heroin and fentanyl. Then, explain how they could reduce their risk.
- Grades 11–12: What are some actions that people could take to help control the opioid overdose crisis, as related to both prescribed medications and illegal opioids? Consider individuals, medical professionals, elected officials, community organizations, etc.
PAIRED READING
“Sculpting Your Brain: The Science of Addiction”
(teens.drugabuse .gov/blog/post/sculpting-your-brain -science-addiction)
This paired text explains how using drugs can affect brain development.
Writing Prompt Explain why teens are especially vulnerable to addiction. Use supporting text evidence from “Sculpting Your Brain: The Science of Addiction” and “Opioids: What You Need to Know.”
- Dopamine is a chemical that helps signals pass between nerve cells. When dopamine levels rise because of a pleasurable experience, it helps your brain remember that activity to repeat it.
- Activities like eating chocolate cause dopamine levels to rise, which makes you want to repeat it. But the increase in dopamine from using drugs is much higher. That can cause your brain to crave drugs over other pleasurable activities.
- A person who is addicted to drugs has experienced changes in the way their brain works. The changes make the person crave drugs so that they continue to use them even if they experience negative consequences.
- Answers will vary, but may include: Medications help a person stop misusing opioids, which can restore balance to brain circuits altered by their disorder. They may change the way that dopamine is processed in the brain so that the person experiences fewer drug cravings.
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Lesson “What You Need to Know About Prescription Stimulants”
When used as prescribed by a doctor, prescription stimulants safely and effectively help kids with ADHD. But misuse can be very dangerous. Share the article “What You Need to Know About Prescription Stimulants” to help students understand the very real health risks of misusing these drugs. Then assign the “Important Facts About Addiction” activity sheet, and guide students to synthesize what they have learned by creating an eye-catching infographic for other teens.
MATERIALS:
Click below for printables and links to all the lesson materials for “What You Need to Know About Prescription Stimulants.”
Lesson
Download All Materials
(PDF)
Includes Student Article, Lesson, Activity Sheet, and Vocabulary List
Adapted Lesson
(4th-6th GRADE READING LEVEL)Download All Materials
(PDF)Includes Student Article, Lesson, Activity Sheet, and Vocabulary List
See below to review the lesson plan.
SUBJECT AREAS:
Science Literacy, English Language Arts, Health/Life Skills
STANDARDS, Grades 6–12:
COMMON CORE
STATE STANDARDS (CCSS)NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS (NGSS) RI.2 * Summarize key supporting details of a text
RI.9
* Analyze how two or more texts address similar
topics in order to build knowledgeW.2
* Write informative texts to convey complex
ideas and information clearly and accurately through effective selection and organization of content.MS-LS1.D/HS-LS1.D * Information Processing
Practice
* Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
Cross-Cutting Concept
* Cause and Effect: Mechanism and Prediction
LESSON:
READING-COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
-
Why is a prescription for stimulants safe for a person with ADHD but not safe for a person without ADHD?
(Scientists believe that people with ADHD have differences related to the brain chemicals dopamine and norepinephrine. Prescription stimulants help boost and balance levels of these chemicals and alleviate ADHD symptoms. Since people without ADHD have different brain chemistry than people with ADHD, the drug affects their brain and body in different and potentially dangerous ways) -
How do prescription stimulants help to treat symptoms of ADHD?
(The drugs help boost and balance levels of the chemicals dopamine and norepinephrine in the brains of people with ADHD; this helps people with ADHD focus.) -
Identify three examples of misusing prescription stimulants.
(Misuse of prescription stimulants includes using them in any way other than prescribed by a doctor. This could mean taking a higher dose than prescribed, using the drugs for reasons other than treating ADHD, or using drugs prescribed to someone else)
CRITICAL-THINKING WRITING PROMPTS
- Grades 6–8:
Explain why a doctor’s prescription is needed to obtain prescription stimulants. - Grades 9–10:
Imagine your friend is taking prescription stimulants because they believe it helps them study better for tests. Write a letter to your friend explaining why this behavior is risky. - Grades 11–12:
Use what you learned in the article to explain what the illustration in the article communicates. What effects of stimulants are depicted in the illustration?
REMOTE LEARNING SUGGESTIONS
- Send
students links or print copies of the student article and student activity, and instruct them to read independently. (For striving readers, record yourself reading the article aloud and instruct them to follow along with the recording.) - Use
videoconferencing to discuss the reading comprehension questions together as a class. - Have
students complete the student activity on the next page, then create an online folder so they can share their infographics with the class. - Wrap
up the lesson with an online or phone discussion synthesizing what they have learned about the importance of prescription stimulants, but also the dangers of misusing them. What facts did they learn from their classmates’ infographics?
-
Why is a prescription for stimulants safe for a person with ADHD but not safe for a person without ADHD?
-
A Dangerous Mix
Click on the image below to view the article (PDF).
For a printable PDF version: click here.
For a vocabulary list: click here.
-
Not Fit for Human Consumption
Click on the image below to view the article (PDF).
For a printable PDF version: click here.
For a vocabulary list: click here.
-
Lesson “Not Fit for Human Consumption”
In recent years, there has been a rise in the number of health emergencies
and overdoses related to drugs that are made illegally in laboratories.
Synthetic drugs are created in these labs to mimic the effects of other,
more commonly known substances, such as marijuana and prescription pain medications.
But these unregulated drugs can be even more dangerous than their counterparts.
In “Not Fit for Human Consumption” students will learn what synthetic
drugs are and why they are dangerous. You can help students stay safe
from synthetic drugs by sharing the article and paired worksheet,
and teaching the lesson below.MATERIALS:
Click below for printables and links to all the lesson materials for “Not Fit for Human Consumption”
Lesson
Download All Materials
(PDF – 7 pages)
Includes Lesson, Work Sheet, Student Article, and Vocabulary List
Adapted Lesson
(4th-6th GRADE READING LEVEL)Download All Materials
(PDF – 7 pages)Includes Lesson, Work Sheet, Student Article, and Vocabulary List
See below to review the lesson plan.
SUBJECT AREAS:
Science Literacy, English/Language Arts, Health/Life Skills
STANDARDS:
COMMON CORE
STATE STANDARDSNEXT
GENERATION
SCIENCE
STANDARDSNATIONAL SCIENCE
EDUCATION
STANDARDSNATIONAL
COUNCIL FOR
THE SOCIAL
STUDIESRST.6-8.1 / RST.9-10.1
• Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical textsMS-PS1.A / HS-PS1.A
• Structure and Properties of Matter• Properties and Changes of Properties in Matter/ Structure and Properties of Matter • 4. Individual Development and Identity W.6-8.1 / W.9-10.1
• Write arguments to support claims, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidenceMS-LS3.B / HS-LS3.B
• Information Processing• Personal Health • 8. Science, Technology, and Society
LESSON:
CRITICAL-THINKING QUESTIONS:
- Why might a synthetic drug pose more health risks than its more familiar counterpart? Use evidence from the text to support your answer. (Answers may include: Synthetic drugs made in illegal laboratories may have different chemicals that make them more powerful. There is no way to know what chemicals the drugs contain and in what amounts. The chemicals in synthetic drugs can have different or stronger effects on the body. For example, synthetic cannabinoids have a stronger effect on the brain than THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana.)
- Officials try to reduce the misuse of drugs by regulating their use and making them illegal. Why is this approach difficult with synthetic drugs? (Answers may include that the makers of synthetic drugs can add misleading labels to products, such as “Not Fit for Human Consumption.”)
- Why is it important to use only prescription medications that have been prescribed by a doctor and bought directly from a pharmacy? (Answers may include that medications such as pills bought on the street or online may be counterfeit. The effects of these medications can be unpredictable and may be deadly because they may contain hidden chemicals such as fentanyl.)
WRITING PROMPTS:
- Grades 6–8: Explain what a synthetic drug is and how it is different from the drug it is designed to mimic.
- Grades 9–10: The article states that the effect of synthetic drugs is unpredictable. Use evidence from the text to support this statement.
- Grades 11–12: The U.S. is currently experiencing an overdose crisis related to opioids. How might synthetic drugs play a role in this crisis? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
STUDENT WORKSHEET
The worksheet accompanying this lesson includes fill-in-the-blank questions to reinforce comprehension of the article. It also includes a prompt for students to use the information they have learned to create a poster warning teens about the dangers of synthetic drugs.
-
Answers–Part 1:
1. laboratories; designed. 2. powerful. 3. Spice; K2; cannabinoids. 4. THC. 5. “bath salts.” 6. Counterfeit; fentanyl. 7. misleading. 8. addiction; overdose. -
Part 2:
Each student poster, flyer, or meme should include elements that grab the reader’s attention, such as startling facts or statistics or eye-catching visuals. It should include facts about why synthetic drugs are dangerous and advice about how to stay safe.
PAIRED READING
• “Drug Facts: Spice” https://teens.drugabuse.gov/drug-facts/spice)
• Writing Prompt: Explain the dangers of the synthetic drug Spice. Include why it may affect a person’s body differently than marijuana. Use text evidence from “Not Fit for Human Consumption” and “Drug Facts: Spice” to support your answer.
-
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
Adapted Lesson
(4th-6th GRADE READING LEVEL)Download All Materials
(PDF – 4 pages)Includes Lesson, Work Sheet, Student Article, and Vocabulary List
See below to review the lesson plan.
SUBJECT AREAS:
Science Literacy, English/Language Arts, Health/Life Skills
STANDARDS:
COMMON CORE
STATE STANDARDSNEXT GENERATION
SCIENCE STANDARDSNATIONAL
SCIENCE
EDUCATION
STANDARDSNATIONAL COUNCIL
FOR THE
SOCIAL STUDIESRST.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:
-
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. -
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. -
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”:
- 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.
- 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.
