Marijuana
Lesson Plans
Ask, Listen, Learn: How Marijuana Affects the Developing Brain – New!
- Grade: 6
- Duration: 30-45 mins
- Includes: Lesson plan, video, comprehension questions, activity sheets, educator primer, and parent letter
- Teaches the chemical and biological mechanism that marijuana operates, and how it affects a developing, young mind.
- Standards aligned with: Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards
- Source(s): Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility
Cannabis/Marijuana Awareness & Prevention Toolkit – New!
- Grade level: 6-8
- Includes: Lesson plans, worksheets, factsheets, Kahoot online quiz, PowerPoint presentations, and activities.
- An educational resource created by teachers and researchers that covers four modules including Cannabis: The Basics, Health Effects, THC and the Brain, Refusal Skills and Social Norms
- Duration: 45 minutes- 1 hour per module
- Source: Stanford University School of Medicine
The Science of Marijuana: How THC Affects the Brain
- Grade level: 6-8
- Lesson plan includes student article, student worksheet, and critical thinking questions
- Teaches about the different areas of the brain; how the chemicals in marijuana move through the body; and, critical thinking
- Duration: 1 class period
- Standards aligned with: National Science Standards and McREL
- Source(s): National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)/Scholastic
Weeding Out the Grass: Brain Power!
- Grade level: 6-8
- Includes 1 step-by-step module, resources for students, parents guide, and online activities
- Goal is to use science to dispel the myth that marijuana is harmless
- Teaches about short- and long-term effects of marijuana and how marijuana can adversely affect the brain
- Duration: 1 class period (with additional activities for subsequent classes and different types of classes)
- Standards aligned with: National Science Education Standards
- Source(s): National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Marijuana: Download the Facts
- Grade level: 7-8
- Includes four lessons and worksheets: marijuana facts, consider the source, think it through, and analyzing media messages
- Teaches about effects of marijuana on the body and brain; the difference between a fact and opinion; and, analyze media messages and how that exposure might influence decision making
- Duration: 2+ class periods (for all four lessons)
- Standards aligned with: National Council of Teachers of English and National Science Education Standards
- Source(s): National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)/Scholastic
Marijuana Facts: Breaking Down the Buzz
- Grade level: 6-8
- Includes student informational sheet, worksheet, critical thinking questions, writing prompts, vocabulary words, and additional reading selections
- Teaches about how marijuana can affect a young person’s brain and life; the science of addiction; and the risks of drug and tobacco use
- Duration: 1 class period
- Standards aligned with: Common Core State Standards, National Science Education Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and National Council for the Social Studies
- Source(s): National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)/Scholastic
Marijuana Facts: Breaking Down the Myths
- Grade level: 6-8
- Includes lesson plan with student informational sheet, worksheet, and critical thinking questions
- Teaches about the risks of marijuana use; communicating scientific facts to peers; and, critical thinking
- Duration: 1 class period
- Standards aligned with: National Science Education Standards and McREL
- Source(s): National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)/Scholastic
Additional Resources
NIDA: Drug Facts
- Includes link for Marijuana
- Focuses on what marijuana is, its addictive properties, and its effects on the brain and body
- Sources(s): National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Mind Matters: Marijuana Student Booklet
- Grade level: 6-8
- Includes marijuana student booklet
- Focuses on what marijuana is and its addictive properties,
- Sources(s): National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Marijuana Facts for Teens Brochure
- Includes informational packet
- Teaches marijuana facts, risks of marijuana use, answers to common questions, and positive social norm messaging
- Source(s): National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)/National Institutes of Health (NIH)