Third Grade Curriculum Resources

Standard of Learning

3.3 The student will identify the effects of drug, alcohol, tobacco and other harmful substances on personal health. Key concepts/skills include:

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Understanding the Standard

The student will understand the consequences of taking medicines improperly.

Essential Knowledge and Skills

The student will:

define medicines. (prescription – antibiotic, or over-the-counter drugs – aspirin)
identify the difference between prescription and over-the-counter drugs. (prescription drugs are medicines that your doctor must prescribe, while over-the-counter drugs are medicines you can buy without a doctor’s prescription)
describe medicine misuse. (unsafe use of a medicine that is not done on purpose)
describe medicine abuse. (taking too much medicine on purpose)
list examples of improper use of over-the-counter and prescription medicines:
- taking too much medicine;
- taking someone else’s medicine;
- letting someone else take your medicine;
- taking medicine from someone other than your parents or another responsible adult; and
- taking medicine without your parents’ permission.
describe the consequences of improper use of medicines. (get sick, have to go to the hospital, develop a drug dependence or addiction, damage your brain or other body systems, or death)

Sample Lessons

LifeSkills Training
Grades: K-5
Model substance abuse prevention and competency enhancement program focusing on the major social and psychological factors causing substance use and abuse. Teaches drug resistance skills, personal management skills, and general social skills. Focuses on self-esteem, decision-making, influence of media, stress, communication, and assertiveness issues.
Contact: http://www.lifeskillstraining.com
Cost

People We Trust
Grades K-3
In addition to learning the difference between medicines and harmful drugs, students will also need to learn about safe behaviors for acquiring medicines. In this lesson, they will take part in activities which will help them learn the people in their lives they can trust to give them medicines.
http://www.acde.org/educate/k3plan2.htm
Sponsor: American Council for Drug Education
Free

Stan the Superbug
All ages
Stan the Superbug educates children about antibiotic resistance. Due to misuse, many common antibiotics are becoming ineffective which could result in epidemics of “superbugs” or strains of bacteria that resist drugs in the future. Stans and Stellas (actors and actresses in “Superbug” costumes) come to a classroom and provide a fun, interactive skit educating children about saving antibiotic strength. This program includes handouts and giveaways.
Sponsor: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Contact: Call 1-866-782-6284 or go tohttp://www.anthem.com/jsp/antiphona/bcbs/content.jsp
Free

You Can’t Tell By Looking
Grades: 2-3
Students try to determine the difference in medicine and candy just by looking at samples of both on a poster. They examine various medicine containers and rate their safety for young children, then work in groups to create posters with a message about medicine safety.
Sponsor: Health Teacher
Contact: http://www.healthteacher.com

Lesson Ideas

Students discuss how common household products and even medicines can make people sick when not correctly used. They then work in small groups to list potentionally poisonous products found in an assigned room of the house (ie. kitchen, bath, garage...)

Additional Instructional Resources

Al-Anon/Alateen - http://www.al-anon.org
Alcohol Cost Calculator for Kids - http://www.alcoholcostcalculator.org/kids
American Council for Drug Education - http://www.acde.org
TheAnti-Drug.Com - http://www.theantidrug.com
Blue Ridge Poison Center - http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/brpc/
Center for Enforcing Underage Drinking Laws - http://www.udetc.org
The Cool Spot - http://www.thecoolspot.gov
DEA State Fact Sheets - http://www.dea.gov/pubs/state_factsheets.html
Drug and Violence Prevention - http://dave.esc4.net
A Family Guide to Keeping Youth Mentally Healthy and Drug Free, SAMSA - http://family.samhsa.gov/main/about.aspx
Federal Drug Data Sources - http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/sources.html
Global Youth Network - http://www.unodc.org/youthnet
Health Teacher (membership fee) - http://www.healthteacher.com
Inhalant Abuse - http://www.inhalant.org
Kids Health - http://kidshealth.org
K-6 Life Skills Learning Objectives - http://www.lifeskills4kids.com/learning_objectives.htm
Life Skills Training - Decision-Making Model
Medicine & Treatments – http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/health.htm(health & fitness 3-5)
Monitoring the Future - http://www.monitoringthefuture.org
Mothers Against Drunk Driving - http://www.maddva.org or http://www.madd.org
National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information - http://www.health.org
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration - http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov
National Inhalant Prevention Coalition - http://www.inhalants.org
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism - http://www.niaaa.nih.gov
National Institute on Drug Abuse - http://www.nida.nih.gov or http://www.drugabuse.gov
National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign - http://www.mediacampaign.org
Parenting is Prevention - http://www.parentingisprevention.org
Partners for Substance Abuse Prevention - http://www.samhsa.gov/preventionpartners
Partnership for a Drug-Free America - http://www.drugfreeamerica.org
Reality Check - http://www.health.org/reality
SAMSA Model [Drug Prevention] Programs - http://modelprograms.samhsa.gov
Straight Scoop News Bureau - http://www.straightscoop.org
Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) - http://www.saddonline.com
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) - http://www.samhsa.gov
U.S. Department of Education, Safe & Drug-Free Schools Program - http://www.ed.gov/offices/OESE/SDFS/
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Criminal Justice Reference Service - http://www.ncjrs.org
U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention - http://www.ojjdp.ncjrs.org
Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, Education Section - http://www.abc.state.va.us
Virginia Department of Education, Safe & Drug-Free Schools Program - http://www.safeanddrugfreeva.org
Virginia Department of State Police - http://www.vsp.state.va.us
Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation - http://www.vtsf.org

Assessment Ideas

The student will:

explain the difference between prescription and over-the-counter drugs.
list consequences of improper use of medicines.
examine the contents of the family “medicine cabinet” with a parent and list at least five over-the-counter or prescription medicines and proper dosage of each.

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