Grades 9 through 12

Incorporation off life issues into the curriculum, including Evidence Based Prevention Strategies and examples of Instructional Activities.

High school courses listed below are in the subject areas of mathematics/computer science, science, world history/social studies/ psychology, language arts/media, and health. These classes address different grade levels of students. They rely on three main strategies for fostering prevention and building concern for others:
  1. Building pro-social norms.
  2. Enabling students to correct their misperception of norms and
  3. Increasing students’ perception of personal risk.

While most of the courses plan to infuse life issues over the term of the course, some are presented in a concentrated block.  All of these courses are rich in their proposed active student learning strategies including group discussion and group project assignments.

Grades 9 through 12 High School Lesson Plan Examples:
Click on the links below to view the entire lesson plan. These lessons were developed before the Illinois adopted the common core standards. Previous Illinois Learning Standards that are referenced should be converted to the Illinois Common Core State Standards.
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Real Life Issues in a Research Writing Class

Violence in a Research Writing Class

Bullying in a U.S. History Class
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HIV/AIDs in a Biology Class​

Substance Abuse in a Chemistry

Following are examples of evidence based prevention strategies and instructional activities for high school curriculum. These examples will assist you in producing a CIRLI lesson plan for your class. They were developed by students or suggested as possible approaches by faculty at Chicago area colleges of education. 

To download a K-12 lesson plan worksheet, click here.

Grade Level: Freshman

Subject: Algebra

Evidence Based Prevention Strategies: Correcting Misperceptions of Norms and Increasing Perception of Personal Risk
  • Provide projects demonstrating that students misperceive (exaggerate) the extent of use by peers.
  • Incorporate class activities that demonstrate the risk of personal harm from alcohol, tobacco and other drugs Instructional Strategies/Active Student Learning.

Instructional Activities:
  • Have students do informal interviews of peers asking their perceptions of the extent of alcohol, tobacco and other drug use by classmates. Compare interview results with data on youth use of substances, writing off myth that "everyone" is doing drugs. 
  • Have students prepare graphs and tables on perception of drug use versus the reality Compute blood alcohol levels and graph effects of different levels of alcohol by body weight and gender.
  • Assign group research projects on harm done by alcohol, tobacco and other drug use among youth and have students do graphs and develop statistics on their findings.
  • Ask students to present their group research findings orally. 
  • Teach substance abuse and prevention in a concentrated block of time and then make references throughout the course.

Grades: 9-12

Subject: Integrated Math II               

Overview of the Class: This class is a continuation of Integrated Math I. The content includes pre-algebra, data analysis, algebra and geometry. Students estimated the percentage of teenagers nationally who use marijuana and alcohol and compared their estimates to national data on use of these drugs provided by the Monitoring the Future Survey. Students constructed bar graphs on the percentage of teens nationally using marijuana and alcohol and line graphs indicating trends in use. Students were asked to search the internet for an article on the effects of marijuana and alcohol on teenagers, summarize the article, read the summary in class and distribute it to peers.  

Prevention Strategies Utilized (and how): Misperception of Norms: Students appeared to overestimate the use of marijuana and alcohol by teens nationally. They also may have mistaken estimates of national trends: the data they graphed indicates that teen use is declining. Increasing Perception of Personal Risk: The internet research on the effects of marijuana and alcohol on teens provides information on the risks these drugs present.    

Next Steps: Students may convert the information they have gathered on the risks of marijuana and alcohol to graphs. They may use the graphs constructed in the class for presentations in other classes at the Academy for Scholastic Achievement as well as to middle school classes in the community.

Grades: 10th to 12th

Subject: Math                

Overview of the Class: This was a class consisting of students enrolled in the first semester of mathematics. As a broad based goal students were challenged to use mathematics to communicate, solve problems, and to connect mathematical concepts to the world around them and the solution to real world problems. Students took a critical look at national surveys and data on adolescent abuse of alcohol and tobacco. They used that data to create and format tables, graphs and charts applying Microsoft Office Word. Students used these tables and graphs to analyze the perceived harmfulness of alcohol and tobacco use and to generate predictions of future trends.  

Prevention Strategies Utilized (and how): Correcting misconceptions about teenage substance abuse by analyzing national surveys and school based surveys. The students constructed tables that compared national data on student attitudes towards drugs to the attitudes of ASA students which were reported in a survey completed at school. After constructing the tables students discussed the results which indicated that, compared to national averages, ASA students were less disapproving of marijuana and alcohol and more disapproving of cocaine and heroin.   

Next Steps: Students may do research on the negative effects of substance abuse and the risks and consequences associated with the use of alcohol and marijuana. Students may take a critical look at how peer pressure contributes to risky behavior. By engaging students in this activity they will be able to consider the damaging affect that these drugs can have on their lives. Their findings may be put on tables or graphs that they format. The students may use the tables and graphs they have created for prevention presentations in their own class, to other classes at ASA and in community settings.

Grades: 9th to 12th

Subject: Computer Science             

Overview of the Class: Students learned to create and format tables applying Microsoft Office Word. The tables they constructed compared national data on student attitudes towards drugs to the attitudes of ASA students reported in a survey completed at the school. After constructing the tables students discussed the results which indicated that, compared to national averages, ASA students were less disapproving of marijuana and alcohol and more disapproving of cocaine and heroin.   

Prevention Strategies Utilized (and how): Misperception of Norms: Students appeared to underestimate the negative attitudes of their age group nationally towards marijuana and alcohol. Correcting this misperception can lead to increased skepticism about use of these drugs. Increasing Perception of Personal Risk: The results reported in the tables are the basis for discussion of the damage that cocaine and heroin have done in the West Garfield Park Community where ASA is located. The ASA students very negative attitudes towards use of heroin and cocaine almost certainly reflects their understanding of the damage use of these drugs has brought to the community. The more permissive attitudes of ASA students towards marijuana and alcohol can lead to research and discussion of the damage associated with heavy use of these drugs. 

Next Steps: Students may do research on the negative effects of heavy use of alcohol and marijuana. Their findings may be put on tables that they format. The students may use the tables they have created for prevention presentations in their own class, to other classes at ASA and in community settings.

Grade Level: Sophomore

Subject: Biology 

Evidence Based Prevention Strategies: Correcting Misperceptions of Norms and Increasing Perception of Personal Risk
  • Students will become aware of the dangers of alcohol abuse by studying fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) and fetal alcohol effects (FAE). 
  • Students will study other damaging physiological effects of alcohol. 
  • Class will become aware of widespread misperception (exaggeration) of normative use of alcohol in society and among high school students.

Instructional Activities:
  • Students will study how alcohol produces FAE and FAS 
  • Class will learn physical characteristics of FAE and FAS children 
  • Students will study effects of alcohol on body organs 
  • Class will study differing effects of alcohol on the male and female body 
  • Data would be presented by teacher on misperception of extent of drinking among youth and young adults
  • In small groups students will be assigned the topic: what pressures are there for women to drink and, based on the findings in this class, how would you try to convince young women not to abuse alcohol

Grade Level: Freshman or Sophomore 

Subject: World Civilization/History 

Evidence Based Prevention Strategies: Promoting Pro-Social Norms
  • Present the fact that all of the major world’s past and present civilizations have dealt with drug and alcohol dependency. 
  • Show the students that historically they neither are doing something novel or radical. 
  • Show the students that all cultures basically have used the same excuses for drug use. 
  • Show that all cultures have found drugs to be costly if not disastrous, and that all have worked to stop drug problems.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of drug abuse prevention by various cultures. Instructional Strategies/Active Student Learning:
    • Emphasize prevention of dependency by healthy students via assigning appropriate readings, papers and case studies. 
    • Discuss why various cultures have found drug dependency disastrous. 
    • Involve students by asking them to investigate and present their findings and data on dependency related issues. 
    • Emphasize researching materials for each culture. 
    • Spread prevention materials/exercises over the semester.

Grade Level: High School

Subject: World History (Up to 20th Century) & U.S. History (Prohibition)

Evidence Based Prevention Strategy: Increasing Perception of Personal Risk
  • Present a historical review of the substance abuse in different eras, such as 1960s-1970s (Vietnam era and marijuana use), 1980s ("all about me" era and cocaine use), 1990s (gangs’ era and "designer drugs" and "crystal" and date rape). 
  • Correct misperceptions of risks associated with substance abuse by showing statistics and data related to the harms caused by dependency.

Instructional Activities:
  • Assign readings of diaries and personal accounts of alcoholics and drug addicts. 
  • Show films and movies and use literature on the issues involved. 
  • Give extra credit for completing an assignment on substance dependency prevention. 
  • Make projects and activities interesting and interactive. 
  • Bring in guest speakers with expertise on drug use in different historic periods.
  • Spread the coverage over the course.

Grade Level: High School

Subject: Social Studies/Psychology

This course promotes social skills that enable the development of a strong self-image that is expected to lead to positive life decisions. Also, the course aims at building academic skills that allow individuals the potential of developing into contributing members of society.

Evidence Based Prevention Strategies: Promoting Pro-Social Norms and Increasing Perception of Personal Risk
  • Focus on the relationship between community deterioration, crime and substance abuse. Provide statistical information on financial losses to communities and businesses with regard to this relationship. 
  • Correct misperceptions of risks of harm to a community and society from use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. 
  • Raise awareness of the dangers of drug use and the benefits of positive behavior.

Instructional Activities:
  • Assign research project asking students to collect data on the evidence of the deterioration in the community caused by drug, alcohol and tobacco use. 
  • Ask students to interview a government official and find out about pending legislation. 
  • Arrange for a field trip to a prison and/or a criminal court related to substance abuse. 
  • Discuss features and aspects of healthy vs. unhealthy lifestyles. 
  • Assign students a calculation exercise to figure out the financial cost of substance abuse for a community in dollar amount. 
  • Have students collect newspapers articles related to the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. 
  • Include a number of films and videos on the topic. 
  • Spread the coverage over the course, making as many thematic connections as possible

Grade Level: High School

Subject: English Composition

Evidence Based Prevention Strategies: Correcting Misperceptions of Norms and Increasing Perception of Personal Risk
  • Students will learn the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs 
  • Students will write persuasive essays, indicating the arguments that they would make in a social marketing campaign to prevent abuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs by their classmates

Instructional Activities:
  • Have class discuss the reasons for substance use by high school students 
  • Survey class on their perceptions of the extent of substance use by their classmates and provide accurate data on actual extent of use, pointing out the misperception of use (exaggeration). 
  • Divide class into small groups to examine possible dangers of particular drugs (e.g. one group will focus on alcohol, another on marijuana, a third on tobacco etc.). 
  • Have groups brainstorm resistance they would receive to arguments directed at high school students to stop their use/abuse of drugs; have them brainstorm counterarguments. 
  • Have group brainstorm themes of a social marketing campaign to stop use/abuse of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs with each group member writing a persuasive essay on an aspect of the campaign. 
  • Ask groups to present their findings to the class and receive feedback.
 Free 5 CPDU online workshop through Northeastern Illinois University’s College of Education
 
Integrate pressing life issues into classes across the curriculum to effectively engage students in learning and support social emotional growth
 
CLICK HERE to access the online workshop
 
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