Lesson Plan #: AELP-SBA0003

Substance Abuse Influences

An Educator's Reference Desk Lesson Plan

Author: Donna B. Furtado
School or Affiliation: Richfield Elementary, Richfield, Idaho
Endorsed by: These lesson plans are the result of the work of the teachers who have attended the Columbia Education Center's Summer Workshop. CEC is a consortium of teacher from 14 western states dedicated to improving the quality of education in the rural, western, United States, and particularly the quality of math and science Education. CEC uses Big Sky Telegraph as the hub of their telecommunications network that allows the participating teachers to stay in contact with their trainers and peers that they have met at the Workshops.

Date: May 1994

Grade Level(s): 4, 5, 6

Subject(s):

Overview: There is no other area in the schools today that commands more public attention than that of substance use and abuse. This particular activity shows that substance abuse education is more effective if it focuses on processes of decision making rather than problems.

Objectives: Students will be able to:

  1. Identify external and internal influences that affect one's choice of behavior.
  2. Learn that external influences include influences outside ourselves: environment, family, and friends.
  3. Learn that internal influences means determinants within ourselves, and that this is based on our values and beliefs.
  4. Understand the impact of a variety of influences that exert themselves on a daily basis.

Resources/Materials: Real cookies needed for this activity.

Activities and Procedures:

Ask for five volunteers from the class prior to activity and explain role play to the volunteers. Have them sit around a table upon which is placed a plate holding "wellness" cookies. Distribute previously prepared instruction sheets to the five students. Tell them not to show the instructions to anyone else. Three of the volunteers (#1,#2,#3) will get instructions that read, "Take one wellness cookie, eat it slowly, and try to persuade everyone else at the table to eat a cookie." The fourth volunteer (#4) will get instructions that say "Wait two minutes, then take a cookie." The last volunteer's (#5) instructions will read, "Do not take a cookie, no matter what." After five minutes, proceed.

Tying It All Together:

  1. Ask person #5: How did you feel being pressured to do something you were told not to do?
  2. Ask person #4: How did you feel about giving in?
  3. Ask person #5: How did you feel when the person gave in?
  4. Ask persons #1,#2,#3: How did you feel persuading others?
  5. Ask all: Who makes your decisions?
  6. Use this activity to introduce a first unit on Substance Abuse.