About This Lesson
In this interactive module, students will learn about the effects of alcohol on the developing brain and use this information to help them (and their friends!) make informed and responsible decisions when confronted with peer pressure to use alcohol underage.
Students use resources from DiscoverBrainBodyBehavior.com to learn about the effects of alcohol on the developing brain, body, and behavior. They investigate the structure of the brain and how each part controls a different aspect of their bodies and behaviors. Through this lens, they examine potential mental and physical consequences of underage drinking. They apply their learning to help them (and their friends!) make informed and responsible decisions and say “NO” to underage drinking.
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Investigate the negative effects of underage drinking on the developing brain.
- Demonstrate understanding that underage drinking has short- and long-term consequences.
- Consider positive strategies for responding to negative peer pressure.
Time required: 15-20 minutes for introduction, 45-60 minutes for each of the 5 related classroom activities
Student Materials
To help students navigate the module, you will need:
- A computer or other device with Internet access and web browser
- Alcohol and the Developing Brain self-paced interactive module
- Making Choices (45-60 minutes)
- This activity will focus on responsible decision-making. Students will begin by brainstorming their own recent decisions, which they will sort into split second decisions & thoughtful decisions. They will then be introduced to the idea that thoughtful and responsible decision-making considers how the decision will affect others and themselves now and in the future. To help them make responsible choices, students will be introduced to a decision support tool called a decision tree, which they will use to analyze some of their personal decisions. The activity will then wrap up with a mini goal-setting session in which students consider how they could apply the decision support tool to help them make responsible choices in the future.
- Defining Responsibility (60 minutes)
- In this activity, students will explore the concept of responsibility. After brainstorming what they associate with being responsible, the class will collaborate to develop a working definition of responsibility. They will consider whether their responsibilities change with age, and they will brainstorm their personal responsibilities. They will then be guided through exploring the relationship between choice and responsibility, and they will consider the consequences that may occur if they choose to make irresponsible decisions. Students will ultimately develop a campaign that creatively highlights the dos and don’ts for being a responsible 5th–8th grader, with the goal of encouraging their peers to make smart and healthy choices.
- Making Decisions (60 minutes)
- In this activity, students investigate the brain processes that occur when making decisions and consider the potential effects of underage drinking on those processes. Students work in pairs to conduct research to learn about the cerebral cortex, frontal lobe, and the decision-making process. They then create a decision tree1 in response to a given scenario. Partners form small groups where they will share their decision-making processes with each other and discuss how underage drinking may have changed the process and/or the final decision
- Refusal Role Play (45-60 minutes)
- In this activity, students review the Ask, Listen, Learn: Alcohol and the Developing Brain Digital Exploration and consider the refusal strategies used by Alex to say “NO” to underage drinking. They collaborate in small groups to react to various scenarios with either a refusal strategy, an acceptance of a positive alternative, or a helpful strategy to keep a friend from making an unhealthy choice. The class assesses the effectiveness of the strategies and discusses how they might be improved to be more successful.
- Ask, Listen, Learn in your School (60 minutes)
- In this activity, students collaborate to create a Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign in their school to educate their peers about the dangers and illegality of underage drinking and to promote healthy refusal strategies. They use resources and information from the Ask, Listen, Learn: Alcohol and the Developing Brain Digital Exploration and the Ask, Listen, Learn website to develop educational materials for kids in their school. Campaigns might include videos, PA announcements, informative brochures, songs, and posters.
