This sub-organizer contains the following sections:
Prescribed Learning Outcomes
Suggested Instructional Strategies
Suggested Assessment Strategies
Recommended Learning Resources

It is expected that students will:

• evaluate peer, cultural, mass media, and social influences related to substance use and abuse
• demonstrate an ability to make decisions and use refusal and assertiveness skills to prevent substance use and abuse
• describe the support available in the home, school, and community to deal with substance abuse problems

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Personal Development (Substance Abuse Prevention) in other grades click on an icon below.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

• Have students collect advertisements and other mass media messages about alcohol and tobacco, and contrast these with the facts (e.g., smoking is glamorous versus it often leads to lung cancer).
• Invite students to create posters, short presentations, or poetry that illustrate ways to avoid substance use and abuse.
• Have students create short videos or role plays that demonstrate assertive responses to peer pressure in a variety of situations related to the use of drugs.
• Brainstorm with students a list of situations in which a Grade 9 student might feel the need to obtain help related to substance abuse. Then have students in small groups refer to the list and identify individuals in the family and school, or agencies within the community, to whom such a student could turn for help. Groups could be asked to identify specific advantages and disadvantages associated with the different sources of assistance.
• Invite guest speakers from community agencies to the class to discuss the role of education about substance use and abuse in promoting community well-being. Ask students to identify other agencies that offer support for the home and school in situations related to substance abuse.
• Have students work in groups to develop pamphlets, databases, or web sites that provide current, detailed information about support available for dealing with substance abuse problems. Different groups might address different audiences or different aspects of the topic (e.g., community support, school support, personal support networks such as family and friends). This activity could be broadened to include school and community resources available for other health needs. Students' final work could be shared with younger students.

• When students analyse advertisements and other mass media messages associated with alcohol and tobacco, look for evidence that they are able to provide logical and detailed responses to questions such as:
  • What is the purpose of this message?
  • What kinds of people are the targets of the message? (e.g., age, gender, income, socio-cultural factors)
  • What specific strategies are used to appeal to the target audience?
  • Why do you think the advertiser chose those strategies for the target audience?
  • What information would you have to delete or add in order to make this message accurate and balanced?
• Work with students to develop criteria for their videos on effective responses to peer pressure. Remind them that criteria should focus on the content rather than on the production qualities of the videos. For example, to what extent do the videos:
  • illustrate realistic and relevant situations
  • show awareness of their audience (peers), choosing material and images to engage their interest and responses
  • portray effective decision making
  • demonstrate refusal and assertiveness skills, including clear communication
• When students create information resources about support for dealing with substance abuse problems, develop questions that groups can use to assess their own work. For example:
  • How comprehensive is the information? Does it include all relevant sources of support?
  • How clearly is information about each source presented? Does it include sufficient detail so that the reader or viewer would know how to access the support?
  • How accurate and up to date is the information? Does it come from credible sources?
  Groups should include feedback from at least two knowledgable members of the community (e.g., family members, school personnel) with their completed assignments.

• Madison Series - Best Friends
• Mara's Breathtaking Story
• Alcohol
• Exploring the Issues: Teens-Alcohol and Other Drugs
• Speak Up, Speak Out: Learning To Say No To Drugs
• Steroid Alert
• Step By Step: A Prevention Handbook On Alcohol & Other Drug Use

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