NEW! Opioids: What You Need to Know

• Grade level: 6-8
• Includes teaching guide, student activity sheet, and student article
• Teaches about the dangers of misusing opioids, the effect they have on the body, and what causes addiction, including the role of dopamine
• Duration: 1 class period
• Standards aligned with: Common Core State Standards, National Council for the Social Studies, and Next Generation Science Standards
• Sources: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) & Scholastic

NEW! What You Need to Know About Prescription Stimulants

• Grade level: 6-8
• Includes lesson plan, student article, student activity sheet, and vocabulary list
• Teaches about the dangers of misusing prescription stimulants, and specifically ADHD medication, including the risk of addiction, and has students create an infographic
• Duration: 60-90 minutes
• Standards aligned with: Common Core State Standards & Next Generation Science Standards
• Sources: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) & Scholastic

NEW! Over-the-Counter Medicine Safety: Grades 5-6

• Grade level: 6 (scroll down for the grades 7-8 program)
• Includes 5 units plus a bonus activity, teacher guide, activity sheets, poster, pre- and post-assessments, standards, family letter, family activities (including in Spanish), interactive multimedia tools, resources for school nurses, and more
• Teaches how to use, store, and dispose of over-the-counter medicines safely and how to avoid medicine mistakes and misuse
• Duration: 6 40-45-min periods plus optional bonus activity
• Standards aligned with: Common Core State Standards (ELA), Next Generation Science Standards, National Health Education Standards
• Source(s): Johnson & Johnson Consumer, American Association of Poison Control Centers, American Pharmacists Association, et al.

Note: A previous version of this program hosted by Scholastic and only for grade 6 was previously included here. This new version was updated in 2022 and is now hosted by Young Minds Inspired. It includes content for grades 7-8.

NEW! Over-the-Counter Medicine Safety: Grades 7-8

• Grade level: 7-8 (scroll up for the grade 5-6 program)
• Includes 5 units plus a bonus activity, teacher guide, activity sheets, poster, pre- and post-assessments, standards, family letter, family activities (including in Spanish), interactive multimedia tools, resources for school nurses, and more
• Teaches how to use, store, and dispose of over-the-counter medicines safely and how to avoid medicine mistakes and misuse
• Duration: 5 40-min periods plus research time in Unit 1 plus optional bonus activity
• Standards aligned with: Common Core State Standards (ELA), Next Generation Science Standards, National Health Education Standards
• Source(s): Johnson & Johnson Consumer, American Association of Poison Control Centers, American Pharmacists Association, et al.

Note: A previous version of this program hosted by Scholastic and only for grade 6 was previously included here. This new version was updated in 2022 and is now hosted by Young Minds Inspired. It includes content for grades 7-8.

Operation Prevention: Our Brain and Body on Opioids

• Grade level: 6-8
• Includes Digital Lesson (PowerPoint) and Educator Guide
• Teaches the effects of opioids on the body and brain and symptoms of addiction
• Duration: 5 45-min sessions
• Designed to be taught in sequence with “Is our Community Influenced by the Opioid Epidemic?” (3-4 45-min sessions)
• Standards aligned with: National Health Education Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and Common Core English Language Arts
• Source(s): Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) & Discovery Education

Operation Prevention: Is our Community Influenced by the Opioid Epidemic?

• Grade level: 6-8
• Includes Digital Lesson (PowerPoint) and Educator Guide
• Students learn about the opioid epidemic and act as investigators to understand the impact in their own communities, while developing strategies to address the epidemic
• Duration: 3-4 45-min sessions
• Designed to be taught in sequence with “Our Brain and Body on Opioids” (5 45-min sessions)
• Standards aligned with: National Health Education Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and Common Core English Language Arts
• Source(s): Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) & Discovery Education

Operation Prevention: Malachi’s Medication

• Grade level: Designed for grades 3-5 but is appropriate for grade 6
• Includes Activity Guide PDF
• Teaches students how to analyze the label on a prescription and why it is important to use an appropriate measuring device with a medication
• Duration: 60 min
• Standards aligned with: National Health Standards, Common Core English Language Arts, Common Core Mathematics
• Source(s): Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) & Discovery Education

Operation Prevention: Sarah’s Sister

• Grade level: Designed for grades 3-5 but is appropriate for grade 6
• Includes Activity Guide PDF
• Teaches the importance of storing medication properly by role playing and analyzing a scenario where students are babysitting their younger sister
• Duration: 60 min
• Standards aligned with: National Health Standards and Common Core English Language Arts
• Source(s): Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) & Discovery Education

Opioids and the Overdose Epidemic

• Grade level: 6-8
• Includes lesson plan, student article, worksheet, and vocabulary list
• Adapted version of lesson for grades 4-6 reading level
• Teaches about the opioid epidemic, including through graphs and data that show the impact of the epidemic
• Duration: 1 class period
• Standards aligned with: Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and National Science Education Standards
• Source(s): National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) & Scholastic

NEW! Mind Matters: The Body’s Response to Opioids

• Grade level: 6-8
• Includes a student booklet and a Teacher’s Guide with suggested classroom activities
• Student booklet is available online (with video) or for download
• Explains what opioids are and the short- and long-term effects of opioid use on the brain and body
• Sources(s): National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

*Also available in Spanish