About This Lesson
The Ask, Listen, Learn underage drinking prevention program teaches kids what the brain does, what alcohol does to it, and what underage drinking does to them! In this activity, students explore the differences between short-term memory and long-term memory and learn the role that the brain’s hippocampus plays in processing both types of memories. They also explore how alcohol affects the storage and retrieval of these memories as they learn about the effects of underage drinking on the developing brain. Students then discuss various scenarios in which memories play an important role and consider the risks associated with not being able to form memories.
Timing: 45-60 minutes
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- Describe their own memories and consider the importance of such memories
- Understand the role that the hippocampus plays in memories’ formation, as well as the effects of alcohol on the development and retrieval of memory
- Analyze the risks associated with not being able to form memories
Materials Needed:
- Device with the ability to project
- Devices with internet access (one for every two or three students)
- Game: Memory Flip
- Handout: Memories (one half-page per student)
- Video: Nathan Adrian The Science Behind the Effects of Alcohol on Your Brain
- Video: How Alcohol Affects Your Developing Hippocampus
- Handout: Hippocampus (one per student)
- Handout: Scenario Cards (cut out- one page per every four students)
