lesson plan
grade
7
Understanding drug effects
Overview
This lesson will help students understand drug
effects by examining the factors that influence them.
The effects that arise from a particular substance
use situation cannot be fully predicted because they
result from a mix of factors (i.e. factors pertaining
to the person, the drug, and the situation) that
is always unique and cannot be precisely known.
However, because these factors are a part of every
substance use situation and they do help explain the
general effect that a person experiences, they are
important to learn and become familiar with.
Lesson Learning Outcomes
Students will demonstrate:
An understanding of the factors that contribute
to drug effects;
An understanding of the factors that contribute
specifically to crystal methamphetamine harms.
no2meth
METH BASICS
Knowledge of the factors
that contribute to the
harms linked to crystal
methamphetamine.
Links to BC Curriculum PLO
•Health and Career Education (2006)
Substance Misuse Prevention: analyse media and
social influences related to substance misuse.
•Social Studies (2006)
Skills and Processes of Social Studies: Apply
critical thinking skills – including comparing,
classifying, inferring, imagining, verifying, using
analogies, identifying relationships, summarizing, and
drawing conclusions – to a range of problems and
issues.
•English Language Arts (2006)
Oral Language: Use speaking and listening to
interact with others for the purposes of contributing
to group success, discussing and analysing ideas and
opinions (e.g., debating), improving and deepening
comprehension, discussing concerns and resolving
problems, negotiating consensus or agreeing to differ,
completing a variety of tasks;
Oral Language: Use speaking and listening
to improve and extend thinking by questioning
and speculating, acquiring new ideas, analysing
and evaluating ideas, developing explanations,
considering alternative viewpoints, summarising and
synthesizing, problem solving.
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no2meth
1
Prepare the following overheads:
• A Night to Remember/Forget? (Activity 1)
• Determining Drug Effects (Activity 1)
2
Make copies of:
• Determining Drug Effects (Activity 2 and
Home Link)
• A Night to Remember/Forget? (Home Link)
• Home Link Activity Guide (Home Link)
lesson plan - grade 7
Preparation and Materials
• Group Comprehension Assessment Tool
(one for each group)
Time Frame
11 12 1
2
10
3
9
8
4
7 6 5
45 minutes
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grade 7 - p. Procedure
Lesson starter
Without discussing or correcting responses, ask students:
1. Is use of prescribed medications is always safe?
2. Is use of alcohol always safe?
Then ask:
3. Is use methamphetamine ever safe?
In answer to the last question, they will likely say “no,”
however, at one time (1950s and ‘60s) methamphetamine
was heavily prescribed by doctors, and is still prescribed on
a limited basis in Canada for ADHD, narcolepsy (a sleeping
disorder) and Parkinson’s disease. Of course, we hear
about cases in the media where use of methamphetamine
has dangerous effects and we want to explore what
contributes to this danger.
Ask: What’s the difference between risky use of a
substance (including alcohol) and less risky use? Leave
the question unanswered, indicating that they will revisit
the question at the end of the class.
Point out that the actual effect a person experiences
depends on three categories of factors pertaining to:
a. Person,
b. Drug
c. Situation
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• Post the overhead of the story, A Night To Remember/Forget?
• Ask students to quickly identify factors that might
have played a role in determining the experience of
the main players and place them in one of the three
categories using the overhead Determining Drug Effects.
Activity 2 (small group)
• Divide the class into groups of 4 or 5 students.
• Circulate one copy of the Determining Drug Effects
chart to each group and ask the groups to brainstorm
for 3 minutes on each of the following and list as
many relevant factors as they can:
lesson plan - grade 7
Activity 1 (full class)
1. What differences between people (or between
the same person at different times) can you
think of that might change the effect of a drug?
2. What differences in a drug can you think of that
might change the effect of the drug?
3. What differences in the context or situation in
which a drug is used can you think of that might
change the effect of the drug?
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grade 7 - p. Activity 3 (large class)
• Create a master list of possible factors that could influence
the effect of a substance by having each small group in
turn to present one factor from their list (on the overhead
or board), until ideas are exhausted.
• If after completing the person category, ensure the following have been covered:
 general health
 personality
 mood
 expectations
 level of anxiety or relaxation
 experience with the substance
 dependency on the drug
 history of problematic substance use in the family
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no2meth
 what’s in the substance
 the level of concentration or strength of the active
ingredient
 amount consumed
 how it is consumed [swallowed, smoked, sniffed,
injected]
• If after completing the situation category, ensure the following
have been covered:
 stability/ confusion of the surrounding situation
lesson plan - grade 7
• If after completing the drug category, ensure the following
have been covered:
 relaxing environment/stressful situation
 environment with/without other dangers
 among a group of strangers/ friends
While the groups are presenting their ideas, watch for evidence
that group members are able to understand the concepts of
person, drug, and situation, and that they can accurately apply
the concepts, and finally, watch for the extent to which all group
members are participating in the presentation and discussion of
the factors.
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grade 7 - p. Closing question
Return to the question, What is the difference between risky
use of a substance (including alcohol) and less risky use?
Closing points
Emphasize that differences in the various person, drug, and
situation factors will determine how risky a substance-use
situation turns out to be.
1. For example, with alcohol:
• Drug: the strengths of various alcoholic beverages differ so
a glass of vodka in more dangerous than the same
amount of beer.
• Situation: drinking two beers before driving is more
dangerous than having a glass of wine with dinner.
• Person: alcohol and other drugs effect brain development
therefore it is more dangerous for a young person
whose brain is still developing to drink than it is for a
mature adult.
2. With prescribed medication:
• Drug: prescribed drugs are handed from a pharmacist to
the patient/consumer with no “middle man” and no
opportunity for the drug to be altered; prescription
drugs that are illegally obtained may not be what the
seller or provider claims them to be and carry the
risk of additives.
• Person: a doctor will prescribe a specific dose or amount
of a drug to be taken that takes into account the size
and other characteristics of the person receiving the
prescription; when taken illegally, a person may be
getting far more of the drug than can be safely used.
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•Drug: crystal methamphetamine is a highly potent, more
concentrated form of methamphetamine than the
methamphetamine that is prescribed by a doctor.
•Situation: when injected (often in very non-sterile contexts)
risks of infection and disease transmission are very
high; when used for energy at a dance party the risk
of dehydration poses a real danger.
•Person: although research is not definitive, it may be that
crystal meth is particularly appealing to youth with
certain personality features, for example those who
rank high as “sensation seekers.”
In summary, we tend to think of some drugs as “good” and
some as “bad”, but it’s really the way the drug is used that
determines the effects; to really understand the dangers and
prevent the harm from drug use, we must consider all the
factors related to person, drug, and situation.
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lesson plan - grade 7
3. With crystal methamphetamine:
grade 7 - p. Assessment
Understanding the difference between the factors that
can determine drug effects—personal characteristics,
drug factors and situational factors—is an important
tool for adolescents in helping them to assess and
anticipate the potential risks and avoid harms related
to psychoactive substance. It will become part of
their decision-making repertoire when presented with
substance use-related decisions in the future.
The predominant activity in this lesson takes
place within a group setting. Rather than focus on
individual students, the assessment approach for
the activities included here gives attention to the
relative comprehension level of each small group.
The assessment tool provided, Group Comprehension
Assessment Tool, is based on perceived
comprehension and application of the concepts, as
well as on the balance of group member participation
(equal versus dominance by a few individuals).
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• Having reviewed and analyzed the story, A Night
to Remember/Forget? to identify factors that
effect substance-use experiences, students
are well-positioned to lead a review of those
factors at home. This will serve to reinforce the
leadership and communication skills, as well as
the key drug-specific concepts learned in class.
• Provide a copy of the Determining Drug Effects
sheet as well as the Home Link Activity Guide
for each student.
• Note that the scenario presented in this story
may raise sensitive issues of hazardous
parental alcohol use in some families, so
ensure that students are aware that this is an
optional activity.
lesson plan - grade 7
Home Link
Extension activity
• In small groups, ask each group to create
two scenarios: one scenario involving a
psychoactive drug that is likely to have a
beneficial or positive effect, and one that
is likely to have a very harmful effect by
manipulating the factors within the 3 categories
(person, drug, situation). Have each group
present these scenarios to the full class and
discuss.
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grade 7 - p. 11
A night to
remember/forget?
It’s time for the Foster’s annual New Year’s Eve Party. The night is colder
than usual and the afternoon’s snowfall has left the roads messy and slippery.
Alan Foster is afraid it will affect the turn out. But their party has gained a solid
reputation among the guests and, before long, the Foster’s house is full of
people. There are trays of food everywhere and lots of punch, beer, and wine for
the guests to enjoy.
Jodi and Ian are among the last to arrive, ringing the doorbell just after 8:30.
The couple are always noticed when they enter a room. You’d never know it
from the smiles on their faces, but they have been arguing for the past week
and are barely speaking to each other as they get to the party. To make things
worse, one of their children has a particularly nasty cold and Ian is starting to
feel the early signs of an oncoming cold himself.
After removing their coats, Jodi and Ian go their separate ways with Jodi
heading for the kitchen to find Margo Foster, while Ian heads straight for the
beer fridge in the family room. Margo gives Jodi a welcoming hug and invites
her to try the punch. “It’s a new recipe I’ve been wanting to try. It’s sooooo
good!” Jodi takes a glass of the pink punch, and laughingly comments “Oh
yah, something this sweet is going to go down very easy!” Margo warns “Don’t
get carried away. There’s rum and two different liqueurs in there.” In spite of
the warning, Jodi finds herself making frequent trips to the punch bowl in an
attempt to soothe her anger.
Meanwhile, in the family room, Ian is enjoying the Foster’s wide selection of
international beer. By the fifth bottle, though, he is having trouble noticing much
difference in taste among the different brands.
By 11:30, Jodi’s head is beginning to spin and she heads to the patio doors
to go out on the deck for some fresh air. She passes Ian on his way to the
bathroom and the two resume their arguing. Conscious of causing a scene in
the house, Ian takes Jodi by the arm and leads her out onto the deck, which
is covered in ice. The argument gets more and more heated, ending when Ian
pulls out the car keys and heads for the driveway where he parked the car.
Angrily, Jodi yells after him “Happy New Year” and heads back inside.
p. 12 - grade 7
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Determining Drug Effects
Drug
Person
Drug
Drug
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Drug
Situation
grade 7 - p. 13
Group Comprehension
Assessment Tool
Group of students being rated:
Rating Categories
Skill
Level One (1)
Understanding Con- Group members did not
cepts:
seem to understand
As evidenced by how the difference between
well the groups seemed the concepts and had
to grasp the difference to ask for clarification
between Drug, Person
throughout the class.
and Situation.
Level Two (2)
Level Three (3)
After asking for clarification or struggling
at the start of the
class, group members
seemed to gain an
understanding of the
concepts.
Group members understood the difference
between Drug, Person
and Situation and used
the terms and ideas
confidently.
Applying the Concepts:
As evidenced by how
well the group members were able to
generate accurate
examples of the three
categories.
Group members were
not able to accurately
identify examples of
drug person and situation factors.
Group members strug- Group members were
gled with accurately
able to consistently
identifying examples of
identify accurate exthe factors but imamples of Drug, Person
proved over the course
and Situation factors
of the class.
affecting drug effects.
Participation:
As evidenced by
relatively equal participation of all group
members versus being
dominated by individual members.
One or two group mem- One or two members
All group members
bers dominated the
dominated occasionparticipated in the disdiscussion and the rest ally but other members cussion on a relatively
were quiet.
participated at different
equal basis.
points in the session.
Overall Level
(add the three ratings/
levels and divide by
three)
p. 14 - grade 7
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A night to
remember/forget?
grade 7 home link activity guide
Student Guide:
This activity provides an opportunity for you to lead your family in a
discussion of the various Person, Drug and Situation factors that determine
how risky a substance use situation is. Just as your teacher did with
you, have your family members think of as many factors within the three
categories as they can.
you need a copy of the sheet, Determining Drug Effects;
discuss with your family members whether you want to keep score – a
point for each contribution;
if you decide to keep score that will be your job also. Have fun! Play fair!
Parent Guide:
Through the lesson in the crystal methamphetamine learning resource
“Understanding Drug Effects”, students gained an understanding of
the factors that determine how risky a substance-use occasion is, using
prescribed medications, alcoholic beverages and crystal methamphetamine
as examples.
The lesson involved small group teamwork, offering an opportunity for
these students to demonstrate cooperation, communication skills and
responsibility for their learning. You have an opportunity to reinforce
these skills as well as the information your child learned by reviewing the
Determining Drug Effects worksheet together and having a discussion on
the various Person, Drug and Situation factors that determine how risky a
substance-use situation is.
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grade 7
The basic concept presented in this lesson is that for all substanceuse occasions, factors related to the Person, the Drug and the
Situation combine to determine the effects (i.e. whether there are
harms or benefits).
You have a chance to go over this concept and reinforce your child’s
learning – here’s how:
1
2
allow 15 minutes of your time for this discussion;
try to avoid distractions (example, reading newspaper,
watching TV, etc.) Doing so might diminish 1) child’s interest
in the issue; 2) their understanding of the importance of the
problem; 3) their willingness to discuss serious issues at
home;
3
suggest, in turn, different factors within the Person, Drug
and Situation categories that determine the level of risk for a
particular substance-use situation;
4
show your child your judgment process (think aloud!) vs. giving
one- or two-word answers;
5
6
gently challenge your child on their contribution – this helps
her/him learn how to defend their position;
say what you most liked about the activity, and don’t forget to
acknowledge your child’ efforts – s/he worked hard!
Wrap-up thoughts: we tend to think of some drugs as “good”
and some as “bad”, but it’s really the way the drug is used that
determines the effects; to really understand the dangers and
prevent the harm from drug use, we must consider all the factors
related to person, drug, and situation.
grade 7
no2meth