Substance Awareness

Students create a fridge magnet or card with their home address and emergency numbers. They review steps: Check, Call, Care (get an adult).

Students conclude that medicine is only for fixing specific problems. They affirm that a healthy body functions best without unnecessary chemicals.

Students role-play talking to a dispatcher. They practice staying calm and answering questions about a person who took the wrong medicine.

Students identify medicines used for big injuries (opioids) and how they block pain signals. The lesson emphasizes that these are very strong and can make people sick if not needed.

Students learn the specific protocol for calling 911. They learn what information they need to give: their name, address, and what is wrong.

The class explores medicines (depressants) that make the body slow down, feel sleepy, or calm. They learn the dangers of the body slowing down too much, like forgetting to breathe.

Students map out who they can tell if they are offered drugs or medicine. They identify safe adults at school, at home, and in the community.

Students navigate the complex social situation of a friend offering a pill they say is 'candy' or 'magic'. They practice refusing without being mean but staying safe.

Students role-play finding a bottle on the playground. They practice not touching it and going to get a teacher instead of investigating it themselves.

Introduction of the 'No, Go, Tell' strategy. Students learn to refuse the item, move away from the situation, and tell a trusted adult immediately.

Students learn the visual signs that someone needs help: they can't wake up, they are turning blue, or they are breathing weirdly. They practice recognizing these signs in descriptions.

Students learn about medicines (stimulants) that make the brain and heart work faster. They discuss why a doctor might give this for focus but why it is bad for a healthy heart.

Students define emergencies related to medicine safety, learn the concept of 'too much' using a plant analogy, and identify when medicine becomes dangerous.

Students practice assertive verbal and non-verbal communication. They learn how to use a firm voice and confident body language to say 'No' when offered something unsafe.

Students establish a baseline of healthy body functions, comparing 'fast' and 'slow' states using their heart rate and breathing.

A station-based review where students identify safe vs. unsafe situations and practice safety procedures through a 'Safety Star' scavenger hunt.

Students learn that while sharing toys is kind, sharing medicine is dangerous and against the rules.

Through a visual demonstration, students learn that medicine dosage is specific to a person's size and illness, making it dangerous to take someone else's.

Students synthesize their learning by creating a personal safety pledge and a classroom certificate of commitment.

Students learn the parts of a prescription label, specifically looking for a patient's name and the doctor's name, practicing the 'Is this for me?' check.