This unit is particularly important because our student addicts (this includes food) can NOT just say no. Many of them are self-medicating for mood disorders. Read More
MI_Cease MI_Dahlberg MI_Frek MI_French MI_Hansen MI_Haugstad MI_Kochevar MI_Ludens MI_Miller MI_Nordin MI_Wishard MI_Wojciechowski-Prill MIMichaelis MIPiel
TenEyck
After reading the articleThe Americanization of Mental Illness, I realized there may be a lot more to worldwide mental illness, than I realized. In the article it states, “Mental illness is feared and has such a stigma because it represents a reversal of what Western humans have come to value as the essence of human nature.”
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| Katrina Hess Feb 8, 2013 5:09 PM |
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This unit supplied a lot of information that was eye opening and made me think. I need to be aware of different mental illnesses and substance abuse as I will most likely encounter this with my students. I need to be informed to properly inform my students.Key points that I will take away are:
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<<< Replied to message below >>>
Authored by: Sarah Hansen
Authored on: May 29, 2012 10:31 PM
Subject: Mental Illness and Drug Abuse
Being interested in science and in teenagers, I took a look at http://teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/, also known as The Sara Bellum Blog. After all, we are currently in National Prevention Week (May 20 – 26), with a different theme for each day. I am really taking an interest in the science aspects of the brain, so I chose to scroll through the blog posts in that category. I learned a lot along the way, especially from the post titled “Science for Starters: How Drug Hijack the Brain”. In a conversational tone, the guest blogger Dr Joe Frascella , Director of the Division of Clinical Neuroscience and Behavioral Research at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, explained that while some kids are able to try drugs and alcohol a few times without trouble, many kids are not able to stop and become addicted. He also talked about how they are working at finding ways for the kids (and their brains) to recover.
As for substance abuse covering a mental health condition, aka “self-medication”, it certainly can but it does not have to. Statistically, a correlation does not guarantee a causation. That said, it does mean that we have a kid who needs our help, with either the abuse, the condition, or both. With prescription drug abuse being more ‘okay’ than illicit drug abuse, a big part is how we view Doctors as heroes and trustworthy experts. If doctors prescribe a drug, certainly it is not all bad, right? Are all students at risk for substance abuse? Absolutely, especially if we look at number one patterns for kids who choose substance abuse based on availabilty, family history, academic failures, and early antisocial behaviors. There are few, if any, teens who do not fit into at least one of these categories. And I learned (not for the first time) from that addiction is NOT a choice, that addicts do not need to hit rock bottom in order to recover, and that addicts do not need to realize on their own that they have a problem in order to recover from the problem. Good stuff. This really gives me permission to intervene with a student, a friend, or a family member while they are spiraling downwards, instead of waiting for them to hit the floor.
Lesson (inspired by http://teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/KTS-braingame.bmp)
Objective: The student will be able to objectively describe the different aspects of line and bar graphs (including histograms) illustrating numerical and correlational relationships between age and drug abuse.
Activity: The students will be provided with a variety of graphs illustrating the relationships between age of users and multiple dependent variables, including percent of dependence (see inspirational graph). For line graphs and scatterplots, the students will be asked to describe the direction, form, and strength of the linear relationship. For bar graphs and histograms, the students will be asked to describe the form of the categorical relationship. After the student writes the descriptions, groups of students (2 – 4) will be directed to write a summary paragraph of their descriptions along with any advice they wish to tell other students their age.
Assessment
Descriptions of the line graphs and scatterplots: 4 points
Descriptions of the bar graphs and histograms: 4 points
Summary and advice paragraph: 2 points
__________________________________________________________________________________________- John French May 27, 2012 9:31 PM
How many of you heard these words growing up; “Do as I say, not as I do”. I remember as a young boy, watching my dad and my uncles sit around a backyard bonfire sipping on a Pabst blue ribbon, laughing and joking and having a great time. I would always ask my dad and his brothers for a sip of their beer, and when they would say no to me, I would always ask them why?, and say “you do it”. My dad would always respond with, “you are to do as I say not as I do”. I often thought, at a young age, I cant wait until I’m old enough to drink beer. i was thirteen years old when I had my first beer, conveniently enough, at my parents house during a New years eve party. Dont get me wrong, my parents did not condone my decision to sneak a beer and catch my first buzz. In fact, my butt still hurts once and a while thinking about what my dad did to me when he found out.
The article discusses environment vs biological as the leading cause of addiction. Speaking from my own experiences, I could see how this could be true. Over the years as an officer, I have had first hand experience dealing with Juvenile addiction both chemical and alcohol. Usually, its the underage drinking party that gets reported by a neighbor or disgruntle ex-friend of one of the party goers, that we have to deal with. When dealing with the parents of the minors, one thing that usually came to light during the investigation, is that drinking alcohol usually runs in the family. The article also discusses the accessibility of alcohol for teenagers today, and that in itself could be one of the key factors in addiction.
In fact, one common alcohol related offense (one of my favorite arrests by the way) that never ceased to amaze me, was when parents themselves would supply the alcohol for their kids and their friends. In my opinion, a key component to the overall problem is the acceptability of minor consumption. As a society, underage drinking has been viewed as an acceptable and even a tolerable behavior, especially when one or both of the parents in the family drink alcohol. I cant tell you how many times I have heard parents tell me when Ive brought their child home under the influence of alcohol, say, “well, at least they weren’t doing drugs”.
I know what your thinking, “you cant fix stupid” right?…. Believe me, there is one thing that I have learned after trying to “fix stupid” for twenty years. “Stupid cant be fixed, stupid fixes itself”. Thats my phrase, go ahead you can use it, and its ok.
In order for this underage drinking to stop, or at least slow down, it has to be addressed at the initial cause of the problem, accessibility. The only way a minor can obtain and possess alcohol, is by illegal means. They either have to steal it from their parents refrigerator, or they have to have an adult illegally supply it to them. Currently, in the state of Minnesota, it is only a Gross Misdemeanor offense to contribute alcohol to a minor. In most cases, if no harm was caused as a result to the minor, that charge gets plead down to a misdemeanor and the defendant is only assessed a fine.
My proposal, (and no I’m not running for office) educate the public for a period of six months,Television ads, newspaper articles, billboards, etc. pertaining to the new laws with contributing to minors. The law would be very clear affecting all persons 21 years and older making contributing alcohol to minors a felony, with a minimum sentence of one year and one day in jail, and a minimum fine of five thousand dollars, paid directly to state sponsored teen aged chemical dependency treatment facilities. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, if you make the consequences more severe then the risk, the risk will not be taken! Granted, its not the only answer, but I think it would be a great start. We still have the mental illness, peer pressure, social acceptance, etc. to deal with.
Lesson Plan: Survey/Round table discussion
Snappy launch: Lets talk about the numbers, no questions asked.
Objective one: Students will be split up into equal groups and create a survey with questions pertaining to underage drinking and or drug use.
- Each student in the group must create at least one question with a minimum of 4-5 pre determined answers.
- Survey must have a preselected answer with check the box format response
- Surveys will be anonymous and collected by teachers in sealed envelopes for complete anonymity
Objective Two: Collection of data
- Students will collect all data from surveys and calculate responses ranking them in perspective categories.
- Students will create a graph from collected data for presentation and open discussion
- Students will identify top 3 causes and reasons for underage drinking
Objective three: two round table discussions
- Students will first have an individual group round table discussion about collected data
- Students will have an overall class round table discussion about every groups collected data
- Students will discuss possible solutions to end underage drinking
- Students will all discuss what they would/could do if they were the best friend of a teenager who had a drinking problem and wanted to help.
- Open forum discussion on any chemical dependency topic pertaining to teenagers.
Assessment: Students will be assessed on Survey, data, and presentation only, there will be no grading on round table discussion.
50 points Survey
50 points collection of data and graph/chart
50 points Presentation of collected data
Total 150 points
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Brett Cease Feb 15, 2012 11:15 PM
Mental Illness and Substance Abuse Summary and Lesson Plan
I learned a great deal from this unit’s focus on the background of different common mental illnesses as well as the coverage of many trends that were surprising to me relating to youth substance abuse.
Several key takeaway points for me were:
- As teachers, we are responsible for assuming that ALL students are at risk for underage or illict use of drugs.
- How common substance abuse is for teens across the country. (not just of alcohol but marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine, and even prescription drugs (which I think are deemed safer by teens due to their regulated origins from medical professionals)).
- From several of the sources, including the Children’s Defense Fund, there is a high correlation between decreasing income level and increasing risk factors for substance abuse.
- One of the main challenges that our country still perpetuates is the perceived stigma attached to individuals that struggle with either MI or SA.
When reflecting on these two different, yet overlapping areas of student’s holistic health, I would advocate that while student substance abuse (whether concealed or not) does not correlate directly to a mental health condition, if one is present in a student’s life, the odds are much greater that the other is also there. From my understanding of the sources, substance abuse begins for a variety of reasons, ranging from social pressures, the desire for adventure and independence, ease of access, as well as the mental stability and level of stress in a student’s life. Mental Illness can be a source of instability and lack of social acceptance in a student’s life and can thus influence their desire and interest in substance abuse. However, with either of these conditions, given the right combination of academic & family support, community involvement, and self-efficacy, these risk factors can be successfully averted.
In addition to all of the research in our content area, one outside source that I deeply benefited from reading was the University of Michigan’s Youth Depression and Suicide Prevention Program (I also currently have a close friend currently struggling with severe depression and suicidal ideation). From discussing strategies ranging from increasing physical exercise, stories of successes from support groups, to specific behavioral modifications and suggestions in the home and classroom atmosphere, I feel more aware of several strategies to help be aware of and connected to resources for students that are struggling with these issues.
Lesson Plan (for High School in a Social Studies and Civics course):
A significant amount of the challenges that come with working with mental illness or substance abuse issues is related to the stigma that is often attached to discussing their presence in our lives. The goal of this assignment will be to help bring information closer to students that can often feel distant or intimidating and connect MI and SA research to their immediate lives, positively impacting their future thoughts and decisions.
The beginning of the unit will cover information similar to what was in the content area for this topic. After more underlying information on a variety of Mental Illness and Substance Abuse is presented and discussed in class, students will be provided a list of community organizations/resources that deal with MI and SA issues (chemical dependency counselors, social work groups, homeless shelters, etc.).In groups they will begin a project to research an organization of their choosing and eventually present this information as well as their own personal connection to the class.
Learning Objectives: Students will demonstrate understanding of the goals and purposes of mental illness and substance abuse social services that exist in our community through presenting information as a group.
Students will demonstrate the ability to work in groups and share responsibility while conducting research, interviewing professionals, and creating a class presentation.
Students will reflect on their research and articulate connections between the information discovered and how it applies and informs their own lives.
Activity: After receiving the list of community organizations, students will be responsible for organizing into small groups and beginning to research an organization that they choose. Groups can research their organization through online websites, phone calls to organization personnel (with the teacher’s permission and supervision), interviewing other informed family/friends, etc.
Each group will need to answer the following questions in their presentation (which should be between 5 to 10 minutes total, involve a Web 2.0 tool (with the teachers help) and each group member must be involved in the research, in the writing, and in presenting the material):
- What services does this organization provide? How does it connect to MI or SA issues…
- What clientele does this organization serve primarily? Reflections on why this is the case…
- How does this organization receive its funding? Details of who and what are the challenges of this type of funding…
- Provide an example of one personal story/testimony of someone with MI or a SA issue this organization has helped. Group reflections on what they learned from this in their own lives.
- Does this organization have a stigma in our community? Describe why it might for some…
- Each group member will share one thing they discovered about SA and/or MI in our area from researching this organization.
Assessment:
33% Group members will be responsible for assessing each other’s involvement in the activity through a rubric provided at the beginning as a guide to help guide participation.
33% Teacher assessment of each individual’s involvement through the same rubric provided for groups member’s assessment
33% Teacher assessment of group’s presentation, based on quality of answers, depth of connections made to personal life, the level of being on-topic and engaging the audience, and the integration of the Web 2.0 technology into the presentation.
1% Wow me!
References:
University of Michigan’s Youth Depression and Suicide Prevention Program (2012). Information retrieved online February 15, 2012 from http://www.psych.med.umich.edu/ydspp/research.asp.
Children’s Defense Fund (2011). Minnesota Poverty Levels. Information retrieved online February 15, 2012 from: http://www.childrensdefense.org/.
Amanda Haugstad Feb 4, 2012 4:29 PM
Amanda Haugstad
H.R.- Dr. Bridges
Mental Illness and Drug Abuse:
This topic is so broad; I wasn’t really sure what approach to take. There is so much I could touch on, but I’m going to take a more specific route. The article on homeless youth particularly grabbed my attention; this is a group that can be affected both by mental illness and drug abuse. I took particular interest to this group because this year our church has started doing overflow sheltering for the homeless in our community and I’ve had the privilege to volunteer. The first time I went I was struck by the age of a few of the homeless guys. They were over 18, but still younger than me. It makes me angry inside thinking of the things homeless kids have had to go through because their parents were dead beats, or raped them, or beat them. I know this isn’t the case with all homeless youth, but it seems for a large majority it is, especially with those that are alone. As educators, we need to be prepared and know how to recognize signs of homelessness and know how to respond.
In addition to the information that Jeff provided, I found this site to offer useful data and suggestions for helping homeless youth. http://www.nasponline.org/resources/principals/nassp_homeless.aspx
As Jeff stated, “There were a certain few teachers that seemed to take special interest in me and challenged me personally to apply what gifts I had to my academic progress.” We need to strive to be the type of teacher he describes and not push away, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the marginalized students we will teach. This data has helped engrain again in my mind the importance of getting to know students personally and showing them we truly care. It won’t be easy, like he said; we have a tough job ahead of us. My activity is meant to help raise awareness and educate students that aren’t homeless on what those that are may go through.
Lesson:
Level: 12th grade
Objective: Students will understand what it is like to be homeless as a teenager. They will collect data and then create fictitious journal entries, writing from the perspective of a homeless boy or girl in the US. Journal entries will be completed in Spanish.
Snappy Launch: Watch this video on homeless youth in the USA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS4HQvcNis8&feature=related
Activity:
- Discuss reactions to the video as a class.
- I will hand out various selections of data from the article from Jeff and data that is on the site I referenced above. Using a Jigsaw activity, students will become experts on their data and then present it to others.
Assessment: Students will create 2-3 journal entries (400-500 words total) from the perspective of a homeless teen. Journal entries must be written in Spanish.
- 50%- Thoughtful reflection referencing at least 4 points from the data that was presented.
- 30%- Correct use of grammar with the incorporation of at least 6 different verb forms. Ex) present, past, subjunctive, future, etc.
- 10%- Creativity. 10%
- 10%- One paragraph of personal reflection on what the biggest taken away from this activity was for the student.
- Bonus (5 pts): Share what you learned with a friend or family member and write a brief paragraph sharing what they thought.
| Liza Wishard Jun 2, 2011 12:51 PM |
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| Summary:I was struck by the American Indian (AI) and Alaskan Native (AN) suicide rates noted in the SAMHSA website,http://www.samhsa.gov/samhsaNewsletter/Volume_19_Number_2/ActionAlliance.aspx. According the site, “for AI/AN youth and young adults age 10 to 34, suicide is the second leading cause of death and is on the rise.” SAMHSA has created a grant program called Circles of Care. The purpose of the program is to create a blueprint of sorts for the AI/AN community to address and improve their mental health programs and services. As noted on their site, “with the help of the entire community, grantees develop models of care, create new partnerships, and position themselves to obtain additional resources to help them realize plans for comprehensive and culturally appropriate behavioral health services for children, youth, and families.” One of the biggest problems facing these communities is the lack of culturally relevant support and services. In addition, since many services are provided through neighboring towns and counties, there is a lack of communication and collaboration amongst these agencies. The grantees would address these disconnects through the grant money as well. As a teacher working in a large AI community, I can make sure the local reservation knows about this program and its potential benefits. In addition, I can work with the resident leader of the Native American Center in the school to better understand the AI perspective on MI and AOD. Do they use different terms? How do they identify and discuss with people at risk? How do symptoms present in the AI community? Though better understanding of the AI culture and its people, I can better serve the students in my classes.Junior or Senior High Math Lesson:Our school district just received a million dollar grant to address and prevent substance abuse issues. According to the grant, the money can be spent on anything from direct programs for people with substance abuse issues to creating social activities (like picnics or extracurriculars) that provide students with a healthy environment.
Objective: Each student will demonstrate their awareness of the above grant program by writing a proposal for utilizing a portion of the funds. The students will research alternatives to develop unique and pertinent activities or programs. The students will include estimates for effort, required supplies/resources, and costs, identifying at least 80% of the factors involved in executing their idea.
Procedure:
Assessment: The students will be assessed on their proposal utilizing the following breakdown: 50% Grant idea supported by research of issue being addressed and description of idea 50% Quality and thoroughness of estimating factors for implementing the idea |
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Sarah Wojciechowski-Prill May 21, 2011 3:21 PM
I visited the SAMHSA site and found a particularly interesting topic there. This was an article called, “Using Art to Raise Awareness Around Behavioral Health.” This short overview of Artist Sam English and his painting that depicts his interpretation of SAMHA’s four guiding principals: 1. Behavioral health is essential to health 2. Prevention works 3. Treatment is effective 4. People recover.
I recognize that art (in its many forms) is often connected with issues of substance abuse and recovery, and as an artist myself this has always been a fascinating topic. As a young teen, I went through phase after phase of discovering and researching famous actors, writers, musicians and artists with substance abuse and mental health issues. John Lennon, Dennis Hopper, Ernest Hemmingway, and Vincent Van Gough, to name a few. There was something exhilarating and inspiring about them that I idolized. Demystifying the connection between artistic greatness, mental illness, and substance abuse is a pursuit that I have yet to accomplish.
I decided to look for a web site that focuses on the issue and came up with this one: http://www.innovatorsawards.org/ This organization, “Innovators Combating Substance Abuse” (affiliated with Johns Hopkins Med. School) held a competition that has artists share creative responses to addiction. From what I can find- the last time the competition was held was in 2007. They had an adult and junior categories, and I found it particularly interesting that 3 of the 4 2007 winners for the junior category were in 8th grade. So young! I think this is a great idea that can inspire young artists to really express their opinions and feelings about substance abuse. It is an idea worth resurrecting, perhaps on a school-wide basis.
As a theater arts teacher, I think it is my responsibility to help students understand and express how substance abuse is depicted in art. The best way to understand something is to do it, in my experience, and that is how I approached my curriculum extension.
Curriculum Activity:
“Awareness Commercial”
Intended Student Population: 9-12 grade theater students.
*Ideally, this activity would be a cross-curricular activity, taught in conjunction with the student’s substance use and abuse unit in health class.
Objectives:
1. Students will research the effects of substance abuse on teens.
2. Students will demonstrate their learning through the creation of original commercials.
Anticipatory Activity:
Show students a variety of anti-drug commercials, and discuss what makes them effective or not-so effective.
1. “This is your brain…” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwu7L38glcQ&feature=related
2. “Talking Dog” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhjwUR2SeAE&NR=1
3. “Above the Influence” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv3kep8fB-0&NR=1
Procedure:
1. Students will research the personal effects of substance abuse on teens by visiting the Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base at http://www.adolescent-substance-abuse.com/national-drug-statistics.html. They will complete a research guide, to be assessed.
2. Students will choose one statistic that they find interesting or important.
3. Students will find 3-5 supporting pieces of evidence about their chosen statistic.
3. Students will be divided into groups of 3-5 (teacher will make sure that all students grouped together have different areas of focus/facts). Group roles will be assigned: Group Director, Contributor(s)/Actors, and Lead Writer.
4. Students will educate their group members about their focus areas.
4. The groups will develop a commercial that uses all of the individual’s research to create an original commercial.
5. Students will create a 30-45 second commercial focusing on substance abuse and teens.
Assessment:
1. Research guide completion- 30 pts
2. Group contributions, assessed by peers (guided by rubric)- 30 pts
3. Commercial (final product), assessed by rubric- 40 pts
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Authored by: Yueh Nordin
Authored on: May 28, 2010 2:55 PM Lesson Planning (5~12 Business Education) Topic: Money Talks! (Addiction Discovery)
The students will discover the percentage of use of chemicals in their class and discover the effects of these chemicals by research, group discussions and completing a worksheet with 90% accuracy..
Class activities:
1. Pre-reading activates: Separating the students into 4~5 groups, students will produce a list of substances which will cause addictive behavior within groups and they will summarize a class list on the board.
2. Each student will choose one item from the list to collect data. And while students are leaving the classroom, ask them to use a piece of paper and write “yes” or “no” on “Did you ever use any addictive substance?”, drop this paper in the box by the classroom door.
3. Data Collection activities: Students will choose from the following two options to collect data –
[Option A] Real person data collection: Collect data from someone you know, collect data of how often/much so you need for your addictive behavior in one week, did you ever quit before, if on the scale of 1 (easiest) to 10 (hardest), which number will you describe for you to quit this addictive behavior?
[Option B] Rehab data collection: How much will it cost for rehabilitation or medication if needed to relief the effort of withdrawing while quitting the addiction?
4. Students will present their finding on one page paper and post them in the assigned area to display so all students can share the data they collected. The teacher will share the data on the step 2.
5. Students will review other people’s postings as they collect data from other classmates’ postings.
6. Teacher will use the collected data and lead discussion for the cost perspective of an addiction. Fill an “Addiction Worksheet” as an example and then each student will use this example to finish their own “Addiction Worksheet” (see below).
7. After finishing “Addiction Worksheet”, students will go back to the original groups in step 1, they will share what they learned in these activities and what is still missing in these activities.
8. Groups project. Each group will have a poster for the complete “Cost of Addition”.
9. In summary, each student will write a short report: An “aha” you have in these activities.
Assessment:
40% for Data Collection and “Addiction Worksheet”; 40% for “Cost of Addition”; 20% for students provide aha ideas.
“Addiction Worksheet” –
Addiction, How much it will cost per week? How much it will cost to quit this addition? What other cost? (Please list at least 3 reasons and put the estimated cost in numbers for each reason) More?
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Research study
Jose Ludens Sep 17, 2010 6:20 PM
In a 2004 research study titled Prevalence and Co-occurrence of Substance Use Disorders and Independent Mood and Anxiety Disorders, researchers concluded that “Substance use disorders and mood and anxietydisorders that develop independently of intoxication and withdrawalare among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in the UnitedStates” (This equated to 19.3 million with a mood disorder and 23 million with anxiety disorders), and that the relationship between the two is overwhelming. The study revealed that it is not substance abuse that causes mood and anxiety disorders, but those individuals that have mood and anxiety disorders tend to use substances. The study also revealed that the overwhelming majority of those who suffer with a mood or anxiety use substances. A recommendation from the study states that treatment for people with these mental health issues should not be withheld due to their substance abuse. This would lead me to conclude that many teens that abuse chemicals may in fact be hiding an underlying mental health issue and that those teens that have a mental health issue that do not abuse chemicals are at a very high risk of doing so. I believe that, while all teens are at an elevated risk for substance abuse, those with mental health conditions are many times likely to abuse. I believe that exposure and education may the only method for prevention. I do not have faith in programs such as DARE or other programs that only show the ill effects of chemicals. To a person suffering from anxiety these may be risks that they are willing to take. Many people are unaware that they have these disorders and are unfamiliar with the treatment methods. Education may prompt some teens to notify parents or councilors with concerns or it may give them enough information so that they do not choose to self medicates.
Activity 8th grade – Biology class.
Objective:
The students will understand the effects of chemicals both legal and illegal on the human body by participating in research, group discussion and completing a quiz with 90% accuracy..
Day 1 – We will discuss different mental health issues and their physical causes, such as balances of certain biological chemicals. We will discuss various regions of the brain and the purpose and jobs of certain regions. We will discuss how people experience these issues. We will also discuss some chemical solutions that science has offered for some of these conditions (medicine).
Day 2 – We will discuss the biological affects that alcohol and certain drugs have on the human body. I will focus on what is happening biologically and what the affects would be socially. For example what would it be like to operate a moving vehicle or make important decisions if your brain and body are not allowed to function properly? I would then tie day two into day one by discussing how these other chemicals could be used as a false remedy and the repercussions of that.
This activity will be in discussion form and active participation is required. I would assess the class and individuals on participation 50% (hit chart), as well as level of understanding by having them complete a quiz with open ended questions which require analysis 50%
Make sure to fix these following issues. The point loss will escalate as we move through week by week.
1. Learner Objective. Include the What by How in the objectives. May want to add performance expectations.
2. As my students know…I am kind of a bear about “assessing” group work by watching the discussions. Unless you have a hit count sheet with you- that will not meet the criteria for independent assessment. I watched a student teacher lead a very lively discussion in his class and he used that discussion as the assessment for the activity. I did a hit count of participants as I watched. ..only 6 out of 28 participated. PLEASE INDICATE INDIVIDUAL ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES.
3. . Move beyond research. In order to expand a student’s world view they must engage in analysis of the collected research. Gathering data is fine but…. so what? You need to go to the next step. How will this bring the topic of marginalization in THIS country to their attention. Oftentimes, the research supports previously held biases! How does the relate to THEIR world? You need to add critical analysis and individual assessment.
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I was encouraged to see that there is a general understanding that bias often equals lack of data. The challenge is delivering the data so the students can hear it, process it and maybe even recognize symptoms in themselves or family and friends.
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Regarding the term “Mental Illness” .I usually call the kinds of issues most of our students are dealing with as mood disorders… it moves away from the terror people feel when they hear “Mental Illness”.
___________________________________________________________________________________________ STEVE KING WROTE AN INCREDIBLE BOOK CALLED “ON WRITING” HE CALLED THE CONNECTION BETWEEN ADDICTION / DRUG USE AND INSPIRATION A DEADLY MYTH.
You have identified the real life challenge. To the uninformed:
Mood disorder = crazy
Addiction=cool
DARE=a couple days of cops and we’re done
And my personal favorite: Just Say “NO”.
Teachers DO have an ethical responsibility to put a mental illness and and addiction unit in their curriculum!
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John, I am certainly enjoying your voice here in class! I WILL take your stupid quote with a little modification. You can’t fix stupid but stupid will ALWAYS get YOU in a fix!!! As I said to another student… this false sense of security about letting their kids drink at home astonishes me!! Here are a few stats from the Center of Disease Control ( notice it says DISEASE). IN THE UNITED STATES… There are 1.2 million heroin users. 2000 die each year. There are 150 million alcohol users and 25,000 die each year (NOT COUNTING accidents!!!!!) ONLY alcohol, INDEED!
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SUGGESTION: When I know a student is abusing chemicals…I talk to them about the difference between “recreational highs” and self medicating to feel “normal”. This is what I have heard the users say over and over. “I just want to feel normal.” I suggest to them that scrounging after the money to pay for self medication makes no sense and will lead to a bad place, eventually. I suggest to them:
“Why not check out getting legitimate help if you might be suffering from a mood disorder and let insurance pay for the chemical adjustment? That approach gets everyone off your back, allows you to put your money into fun stuff and will simplify your life in a very real way!”
This has worked for me many times! Note: I am a pragmatist. Mainers are straight up. No whining allowed. The cultural attitude is “Fix it or shut up!” so you must filter my reflections through that cultural lens ; . /
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Prescription drugs on the rise for abuse. One of you mentioned that the students seem to think these are “safe” because they come from the parents cabinet, after all! Parents are hesitant to report a “theft”. How could we raise the awareness without putting the parents on the defensive?
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Can addicts “Just quit” using will power? Generally, NO! This is such a cruel and damaging attitude held by the uninformed public. If a student is self-medicating for a mood disorder…just quitting will make them feel so dreadful they can not stand it. Why does drinking “run in families”? Do you suppose the moms and dads might have the same mood disorder? On that topic… many parents would rather have their children be addicts because they do not have to look into their own issues… back to the stigma! Why is this chemical imbalance different than diabetes? Thyroid conditions?
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IDEA: One approach I have found successful with younger students. Talk to them about spinning until you are dizzy. On a swing. On a round up. On a fair ride? Ask them, “Have you done that? Why do you like the feeling? Are grown ups looking for that feeling when they use chemicals? Why do humans like that feeling? “ THEN talk about the logical liabilities. Maybe use CALM as a lead in?
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Several of you have shared that you are coping with mood disorders. I really like the idea of bringing successful people in to share with students but I would be careful sharing your personal information. Professional boundaries are really important, from my experience. The student you tell may get it but others they share with may not. I am not talking about our circle of learning, of course, because what happens in Dr. B’s HR, STAYS in HR.
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Several brought up the important point that teachers are not counselors. We are in a position to identify symptoms for early intervention. As several noted… chicken and egg…It does not matter which comes first, drugs use damages the brain, especially meth.
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Re: Longitudinal studies over time… make sure to select a subject the students are interested in. For Example: Correlation between alcohol, marihuana and opiate use? Most of the bi-polars and ADHDers prefer opiates (for obvious reasons).
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Re: Emotional vs. chemical. Careful thinking that talk therapy which delves into the psyche as a stand- alone fix. It is tempting to conclude this may be why some family members are affected and some are not. Remember that individual chemistry is a genetic roll of the dice.
Re: Families. This is an important point. The stigma is very strong here and imagine how well it works if the parent has developed coping mechanisms and the children can not. VERY difficult for all.
I really support the idea of investigating the chemical composition of common drugs, say Adderal, and how it works. Many people are confused that it is a stimulant but calms the ADHDers down. Brilliant idea.
Re: ADHDers self medicating with marijuana. VERY, VERY common. I can not believe I have come to this place but I am beginning to support the legalization of medical marijuana. Here is why: Many sufferers of ADHD report that it works better than Ritalin or Adderal. Currently, these people have to pay out of pocket AND connect themselves with dealers who urge them… heroin is so much better and cheaper! This is how marijuana becomes a gateway drug!
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Re: The pharmaceutical companies. THEY are not having an economic downturn- you can depend on it!! My current favorite is the Viagra commercial that counsels to call a doctor if your erection lasts more than 5 hours. What marketing genius! The unknown fact is that the blood supply is cut off for those 5 hours. If this same blood loss happened to your hand- repeatedly- it would die and fall off. Yikes ; /
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Re: What happens to the mentally ill after age 21 and they are out of “the system”. Look on the streets. It is so tragic. YOU as teachers have the opportunity to save them from this outcome.
Males and substance abuse. Is it more manly to be an addict than to suffer from a mood disorder? Why is that?
Why do we stigmatize the chemical imbalance of a mood disorder more than a chemical imbalance of diabetes?
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I would like to recommend several books which I have given away many times. I buy them by the half-dozen now : / “Touched by Fire”is a very dense (but excellent) survey of several famous families who have dealt with mental illness. It is quite an eye opener and certainly deals with mental illness, creativity and success. An easier read is a book called “An Unquiet Mind”.
A more accessible book for sufferers and/or families who may not be strong scholars is “An Unquiet Mind”. Both these books are by Kay Johnson. Dr. Johnson is a bi-polar who is currently a professor at Johns Hopkins. She has quite a story.
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Please make sure that your lesson activities connect to the unit we are working with. The purpose of this learner objective is for you to create curriculum which will raise the consciousness of the students towards the marginalized groups we are studying. Research reports will not meet that objective unless they have critical and creative thinking in your design.
REMINDER:
Grading Criteria for most readings – several have their own.
1. Synthesis and understanding of the major content points of ALL the data intake 50 points
2. SPECIFIC CLASSROOM ACTIVITY OR LESSON suggestion. DO NOT FORGET THE ASSESSMENT! How could you deliver the material to a K-12 classroom? State the grade level. Make sure to target the group we are studying. DO NOT BORROW A LESSON. THIS IS TO BE AN ORIGINAL WORK.
Your lesson activities need to be ORIGINAL. It is Ok to browse around for a germ of an IDEA but do NOT lift a lesson or activity off line. 50 points NOTE: If you are going to include discussion points in your assessment you MUST have an individual assessment strategy!!! Not “I will observe them!!”. I am also surprised that you do not mention online discussions as a way to conduct and ASSESS participation in dialogue.
SUPERLATIVE STUDENT WORK
Teacher: Ms. Miranda Fierek
Grade: 5th Grade
Subject: Music
MN Standards/Benchmark:
Music 4.2.1.3.1. Improvise and compose rhythms, melodies, and accompaniments using voice or instruments to express a specific musical idea.
Music 4.1.3.3.2. Describe how music communicates meaning.
Music 4.1.2.3.2. Sing in a group demonstrating proper posture, breathing, technique, age-appropriate tone quality and expressive intent.
Objective:
Students will use their knowledge of substance abuse from the D.A.R.E. program and collaborate with each other to write a song that conveys an anti drug abuse, and pro-communication song. Students will be learning to work together to create something, but need to maintain a sense of independence, as each is responsible for one meaningful line of lyric. The students will also be using their musical training to come up with a melody of the right tone, texture, and form that helps convey the message in their lyrics.
Need to synthesize
The students will be able to create a song focused on addiction and come up with a melody of the right tone, texture, and form that helps convey the message in their lyrics.
Procedure:
Students will be put into groups of four and each person is to write a line of musical lyrics that rhyme and make sense with their group partner’s lyrics about why they don’t want to abuse substances and would be willing to seek out help if they needed someone to talk to about a serious matter. Each student will be expected to have written one meaningful line of lyric and will need to write their name next to it. When the lyric writing time is up, the teacher will put the lyrics on a projector, so the students can read along as they are read aloud. The class, with teacher guidance, will arrange each set of four lyrics into an appropriate pattern for a song. The teacher will then play a set of chords, adding a possible melody for the lyrics. As the teacher plays possible melodies, students will be able to give suggestions and feedback about the melody for their song. After a melody is chosen, the song will be entered into and printed out of music software for the students to learn and perform.
Assessment:
Students will be assessed separately for their composition and performance participation. For the composition they will receive a score out of 15: 5 for the line of lyric being meaningful, 5 for their lyric making sense with their partner’s lyrics, and 5 for contributing positively to the composition of the melody. Students will also be able to receive 10 points of their overall performance grade for being able to learn and perform the song with the rest of the class.
Dustin Sluzewicz
Authored on: Feb 9, 2013 12:52 PM
Subject: PE – Create a Game
We had a discussion earlier about mental illness and addiction which I thought covered the MI and Addiction Criteria (I cannot see it now on the discussion board). I posted some very interesting data about addiction and the correlation between mental illness and addiction. The interesting fact from the data I noticed was just how many unreported cases there are of those getting treatment for addiction. Perhaps so many are afraid to seek help. Physical activity is a HUGE avenue to help those with addictions (many other avenues such as art, music, owning a pet, starting a house project do exist). I think it is important as a Physical Educator to instill students with the power to express themselves through physical activity and following the Standards of Minnesota here is my lesson plan for students;
Lesson/Activity
Name: Dustin Sluzewicz Grade: 8th Subject: PE
Purpose: The purpose of the activity is to have students actively engaged in creating and participating in fitness games. Throughout this activity the teacher will reinforce the principle that physical activity does not have to be a “set in stone” game or activity but whatever you enjoy as long as you are incorporating fitness principles.
Minnesota Standard/Benchmark:
1. Values physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and social interaction.
a) Students will recognize physical activity as a vehicle for self-expression.
Lesson Objective: Students recognize creating fun, enjoyable activities for themselves is a valuable tool and healthy alternative for avoiding drug or substance abuse and handling stress.
Snappy Launch: Discussion and participation in activities that focus on the 5 Components of Fitness.
Materials:
Anything and Everything! Cones, Pins, Rackets, Balls of all sizes, Goals, Mats, Poly spots, Frisbee, bat, flags, Etc.
Procedure:
1) Begin class with a fitness warm up.
2) Review the create-a-game policies to your discretion and have students brainstorm
3) Students may divide into groups if they would like to create a game with peers
4) If students are having difficulty deciding where to go with their project bring them together to talk about some games that have fitness components that they already know and like
5) Discuss how someone must have invented a game in order for us to be playing it. What components of fitness does it include?
6) Have students grab equipment and come up with their game. Try playing the game to see if it works, determine rules, strategies, and other factors (safety).
7) Students should be given a few minutes to finalize their fitness games and prepare for their presentation to the class
8) Each group should be given approximately 5 minutes to present their game and explain the: Rules, Requirements for winning, Relationship to fitness
9) Each group, (over the next week) will then set up their game and describe the rules one final time (this is a good time to add any new rules that the students may have missed that may be safety concerns)
10) Students will play the game and experience different mindsets of variety as well as how physical activity does not have to be “one direction.”
Conclude: While we often believe that we need to play basketball or go running in Physical Education, PE is endless to possibilities. You can create any activity you will enjoy, incorporating the 5 Components of Fitness. Engaging in Physical Activity you find enjoyable is a goal of being life-ling physically active citizens providing stress management and exertion in healthy manners.
Student Assessment: Assess students informally while given the opportunity to create their own game and participation in others games. Formally assess students on their game the inclusion of the 5 components of fitness and presentation to the class.
PS. Thanks for blasting my held bias to smithereens this morning. You made my day. ; )
| Larisa Berglund Feb 8, 2013 8:31 PM |
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Tobacco Addition
It’s been said that cigarette smoking kills an estimated 440,000 U.S. citizens each year. That’s more than alcohol, illegal drug use, homicide, suicide, car accidents, and AIDS combined. Lifetime smoking and other tobacco use almost always beings by the time kids graduate from high school. Young kids’ naïve experimentation frequently develops into regular smoking, which typically turns into a strong addiction that can overpower the most well-intentioned efforts to quit. Research shows that kids first try smoking between the ages of 10 an 13. Social, physical, and environmental influences cause youths to start smoking. That is why it is so important for teachers to model healthy habits and tell students how tobacco can negatively affect their lives. Even in the elementary schools, teachers should help children understand that tobacco is harmful. I don’t want to suggest that kids who smoke are “bad”, because it might make smoking a vehicle for rebellion and label students who are already experimenting with tobacco. Nor do I want to imply that smoking is “dumb”, because children need to be able to respect their parents and other adults in their lives, whether or not they smoke. Strategies that I would hope to use in my classroom to respond to tobacco addiction would be delivering lessons that don’t depend on literacy skills and offering a variety of provocative, student-centered activities. Through these lessons and activities I hope to encourage students to recognize and critically examine the factors that may lead them to smoke.
Lesson Plan: Tobacco Addition
Date: 2/7/13 Grade/Class/Subject: 4th Grade Health
Minnesota Standards/Benchmarks: The student will demonstrate the ability to apply a decision-making process to health issues and problems. The student will demonstrate the ability to influence and support others in making positive health choices.
Student Objective(s): Students will… • Students will be able to list the negative effects tobacco has on lives.
MATERIALS:
MOTIVATION:
PROCEDURE:
ASSESSMENT:
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<<< Replied to message below >>>
Authored by: Sarah Hansen
Authored on: May 29, 2012 10:31 PM
Subject: Mental Illness and Drug Abuse
Being interested in science and in teenagers, I took a look at http://teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/, also known as The Sara Bellum Blog. After all, we are currently in National Prevention Week (May 20 – 26), with a different theme for each day. I am really taking an interest in the science aspects of the brain, so I chose to scroll through the blog posts in that category. I learned a lot along the way, especially from the post titled “Science for Starters: How Drug Hijack the Brain”. In a conversational tone, the guest blogger Dr Joe Frascella , Director of the Division of Clinical Neuroscience and Behavioral Research at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, explained that while some kids are able to try drugs and alcohol a few times without trouble, many kids are not able to stop and become addicted. He also talked about how they are working at finding ways for the kids (and their brains) to recover.
As for substance abuse covering a mental health condition, aka “self-medication”, it certainly can but it does not have to. Statistically, a correlation does not guarantee a causation. That said, it does mean that we have a kid who needs our help, with either the abuse, the condition, or both. With prescription drug abuse being more ‘okay’ than illicit drug abuse, a big part is how we view Doctors as heroes and trustworthy experts. If doctors prescribe a drug, certainly it is not all bad, right? Are all students at risk for substance abuse? Absolutely, especially if we look at number one patterns for kids who choose substance abuse based on availabilty, family history, academic failures, and early antisocial behaviors. There are few, if any, teens who do not fit into at least one of these categories. And I learned (not for the first time) from that addiction is NOT a choice, that addicts do not need to hit rock bottom in order to recover, and that addicts do not need to realize on their own that they have a problem in order to recover from the problem. Good stuff. This really gives me permission to intervene with a student, a friend, or a family member while they are spiraling downwards, instead of waiting for them to hit the floor.
Lesson (inspired by http://teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/KTS-braingame.bmp)
Objective: The student will be able to objectively describe the different aspects of line and bar graphs (including histograms) illustrating numerical and correlational relationships between age and drug abuse.
Activity: The students will be provided with a variety of graphs illustrating the relationships between age of users and multiple dependent variables, including percent of dependence (see inspirational graph). For line graphs and scatterplots, the students will be asked to describe the direction, form, and strength of the linear relationship. For bar graphs and histograms, the students will be asked to describe the form of the categorical relationship. After the student writes the descriptions, groups of students (2 – 4) will be directed to write a summary paragraph of their descriptions along with any advice they wish to tell other students their age.
Assessment
Descriptions of the line graphs and scatterplots: 4 points
Descriptions of the bar graphs and histograms: 4 points
Summary and advice paragraph: 2 points
__________________________________________________________________________________________- John French May 27, 2012 9:31 PM
How many of you heard these words growing up; “Do as I say, not as I do”. I remember as a young boy, watching my dad and my uncles sit around a backyard bonfire sipping on a Pabst blue ribbon, laughing and joking and having a great time. I would always ask my dad and his brothers for a sip of their beer, and when they would say no to me, I would always ask them why?, and say “you do it”. My dad would always respond with, “you are to do as I say not as I do”. I often thought, at a young age, I cant wait until I’m old enough to drink beer. i was thirteen years old when I had my first beer, conveniently enough, at my parents house during a New years eve party. Dont get me wrong, my parents did not condone my decision to sneak a beer and catch my first buzz. In fact, my butt still hurts once and a while thinking about what my dad did to me when he found out.
The article discusses environment vs biological as the leading cause of addiction. Speaking from my own experiences, I could see how this could be true. Over the years as an officer, I have had first hand experience dealing with Juvenile addiction both chemical and alcohol. Usually, its the underage drinking party that gets reported by a neighbor or disgruntle ex-friend of one of the party goers, that we have to deal with. When dealing with the parents of the minors, one thing that usually came to light during the investigation, is that drinking alcohol usually runs in the family. The article also discusses the accessibility of alcohol for teenagers today, and that in itself could be one of the key factors in addiction.
In fact, one common alcohol related offense (one of my favorite arrests by the way) that never ceased to amaze me, was when parents themselves would supply the alcohol for their kids and their friends. In my opinion, a key component to the overall problem is the acceptability of minor consumption. As a society, underage drinking has been viewed as an acceptable and even a tolerable behavior, especially when one or both of the parents in the family drink alcohol. I cant tell you how many times I have heard parents tell me when Ive brought their child home under the influence of alcohol, say, “well, at least they weren’t doing drugs”.
I know what your thinking, “you cant fix stupid” right?…. Believe me, there is one thing that I have learned after trying to “fix stupid” for twenty years. “Stupid cant be fixed, stupid fixes itself”. Thats my phrase, go ahead you can use it, and its ok.
In order for this underage drinking to stop, or at least slow down, it has to be addressed at the initial cause of the problem, accessibility. The only way a minor can obtain and possess alcohol, is by illegal means. They either have to steal it from their parents refrigerator, or they have to have an adult illegally supply it to them. Currently, in the state of Minnesota, it is only a Gross Misdemeanor offense to contribute alcohol to a minor. In most cases, if no harm was caused as a result to the minor, that charge gets plead down to a misdemeanor and the defendant is only assessed a fine.
My proposal, (and no I’m not running for office) educate the public for a period of six months,Television ads, newspaper articles, billboards, etc. pertaining to the new laws with contributing to minors. The law would be very clear affecting all persons 21 years and older making contributing alcohol to minors a felony, with a minimum sentence of one year and one day in jail, and a minimum fine of five thousand dollars, paid directly to state sponsored teen aged chemical dependency treatment facilities. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, if you make the consequences more severe then the risk, the risk will not be taken! Granted, its not the only answer, but I think it would be a great start. We still have the mental illness, peer pressure, social acceptance, etc. to deal with.
Lesson Plan: Survey/Round table discussion
Snappy launch: Lets talk about the numbers, no questions asked.
Objective one: Students will be split up into equal groups and create a survey with questions pertaining to underage drinking and or drug use.
- Each student in the group must create at least one question with a minimum of 4-5 pre determined answers.
- Survey must have a preselected answer with check the box format response
- Surveys will be anonymous and collected by teachers in sealed envelopes for complete anonymity
Objective Two: Collection of data
- Students will collect all data from surveys and calculate responses ranking them in perspective categories.
- Students will create a graph from collected data for presentation and open discussion
- Students will identify top 3 causes and reasons for underage drinking
Objective three: two round table discussions
- Students will first have an individual group round table discussion about collected data
- Students will have an overall class round table discussion about every groups collected data
- Students will discuss possible solutions to end underage drinking
- Students will all discuss what they would/could do if they were the best friend of a teenager who had a drinking problem and wanted to help.
- Open forum discussion on any chemical dependency topic pertaining to teenagers.
Assessment: Students will be assessed on Survey, data, and presentation only, there will be no grading on round table discussion.
50 points Survey
50 points collection of data and graph/chart
50 points Presentation of collected data
Total 150 points
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Brett Cease Feb 15, 2012 11:15 PM
Mental Illness and Substance Abuse Summary and Lesson Plan
I learned a great deal from this unit’s focus on the background of different common mental illnesses as well as the coverage of many trends that were surprising to me relating to youth substance abuse.
Several key takeaway points for me were:
- As teachers, we are responsible for assuming that ALL students are at risk for underage or illict use of drugs.
- How common substance abuse is for teens across the country. (not just of alcohol but marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine, and even prescription drugs (which I think are deemed safer by teens due to their regulated origins from medical professionals)).
- From several of the sources, including the Children’s Defense Fund, there is a high correlation between decreasing income level and increasing risk factors for substance abuse.
- One of the main challenges that our country still perpetuates is the perceived stigma attached to individuals that struggle with either MI or SA.
When reflecting on these two different, yet overlapping areas of student’s holistic health, I would advocate that while student substance abuse (whether concealed or not) does not correlate directly to a mental health condition, if one is present in a student’s life, the odds are much greater that the other is also there. From my understanding of the sources, substance abuse begins for a variety of reasons, ranging from social pressures, the desire for adventure and independence, ease of access, as well as the mental stability and level of stress in a student’s life. Mental Illness can be a source of instability and lack of social acceptance in a student’s life and can thus influence their desire and interest in substance abuse. However, with either of these conditions, given the right combination of academic & family support, community involvement, and self-efficacy, these risk factors can be successfully averted.
In addition to all of the research in our content area, one outside source that I deeply benefited from reading was the University of Michigan’s Youth Depression and Suicide Prevention Program (I also currently have a close friend currently struggling with severe depression and suicidal ideation). From discussing strategies ranging from increasing physical exercise, stories of successes from support groups, to specific behavioral modifications and suggestions in the home and classroom atmosphere, I feel more aware of several strategies to help be aware of and connected to resources for students that are struggling with these issues.
Lesson Plan (for High School in a Social Studies and Civics course):
A significant amount of the challenges that come with working with mental illness or substance abuse issues is related to the stigma that is often attached to discussing their presence in our lives. The goal of this assignment will be to help bring information closer to students that can often feel distant or intimidating and connect MI and SA research to their immediate lives, positively impacting their future thoughts and decisions.
The beginning of the unit will cover information similar to what was in the content area for this topic. After more underlying information on a variety of Mental Illness and Substance Abuse is presented and discussed in class, students will be provided a list of community organizations/resources that deal with MI and SA issues (chemical dependency counselors, social work groups, homeless shelters, etc.).In groups they will begin a project to research an organization of their choosing and eventually present this information as well as their own personal connection to the class.
Learning Objectives: Students will demonstrate understanding of the goals and purposes of mental illness and substance abuse social services that exist in our community through presenting information as a group.
Students will demonstrate the ability to work in groups and share responsibility while conducting research, interviewing professionals, and creating a class presentation.
Students will reflect on their research and articulate connections between the information discovered and how it applies and informs their own lives.
Activity: After receiving the list of community organizations, students will be responsible for organizing into small groups and beginning to research an organization that they choose. Groups can research their organization through online websites, phone calls to organization personnel (with the teacher’s permission and supervision), interviewing other informed family/friends, etc.
Each group will need to answer the following questions in their presentation (which should be between 5 to 10 minutes total, involve a Web 2.0 tool (with the teachers help) and each group member must be involved in the research, in the writing, and in presenting the material):
- What services does this organization provide? How does it connect to MI or SA issues…
- What clientele does this organization serve primarily? Reflections on why this is the case…
- How does this organization receive its funding? Details of who and what are the challenges of this type of funding…
- Provide an example of one personal story/testimony of someone with MI or a SA issue this organization has helped. Group reflections on what they learned from this in their own lives.
- Does this organization have a stigma in our community? Describe why it might for some…
- Each group member will share one thing they discovered about SA and/or MI in our area from researching this organization.
Assessment:
33% Group members will be responsible for assessing each other’s involvement in the activity through a rubric provided at the beginning as a guide to help guide participation.
33% Teacher assessment of each individual’s involvement through the same rubric provided for groups member’s assessment
33% Teacher assessment of group’s presentation, based on quality of answers, depth of connections made to personal life, the level of being on-topic and engaging the audience, and the integration of the Web 2.0 technology into the presentation.
1% Wow me!
References:
University of Michigan’s Youth Depression and Suicide Prevention Program (2012). Information retrieved online February 15, 2012 from http://www.psych.med.umich.edu/ydspp/research.asp.
Children’s Defense Fund (2011). Minnesota Poverty Levels. Information retrieved online February 15, 2012 from: http://www.childrensdefense.org/.
Amanda Haugstad Feb 4, 2012 4:29 PM
Amanda Haugstad
H.R.- Dr. Bridges
Mental Illness and Drug Abuse:
This topic is so broad; I wasn’t really sure what approach to take. There is so much I could touch on, but I’m going to take a more specific route. The article on homeless youth particularly grabbed my attention; this is a group that can be affected both by mental illness and drug abuse. I took particular interest to this group because this year our church has started doing overflow sheltering for the homeless in our community and I’ve had the privilege to volunteer. The first time I went I was struck by the age of a few of the homeless guys. They were over 18, but still younger than me. It makes me angry inside thinking of the things homeless kids have had to go through because their parents were dead beats, or raped them, or beat them. I know this isn’t the case with all homeless youth, but it seems for a large majority it is, especially with those that are alone. As educators, we need to be prepared and know how to recognize signs of homelessness and know how to respond.
In addition to the information that Jeff provided, I found this site to offer useful data and suggestions for helping homeless youth. http://www.nasponline.org/resources/principals/nassp_homeless.aspx
As Jeff stated, “There were a certain few teachers that seemed to take special interest in me and challenged me personally to apply what gifts I had to my academic progress.” We need to strive to be the type of teacher he describes and not push away, whether intentionally or unintentionally, the marginalized students we will teach. This data has helped engrain again in my mind the importance of getting to know students personally and showing them we truly care. It won’t be easy, like he said; we have a tough job ahead of us. My activity is meant to help raise awareness and educate students that aren’t homeless on what those that are may go through.
Lesson:
Level: 12th grade
Objective: Students will understand what it is like to be homeless as a teenager. They will collect data and then create fictitious journal entries, writing from the perspective of a homeless boy or girl in the US. Journal entries will be completed in Spanish.
Snappy Launch: Watch this video on homeless youth in the USA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS4HQvcNis8&feature=related
Activity:
- Discuss reactions to the video as a class.
- I will hand out various selections of data from the article from Jeff and data that is on the site I referenced above. Using a Jigsaw activity, students will become experts on their data and then present it to others.
Assessment: Students will create 2-3 journal entries (400-500 words total) from the perspective of a homeless teen. Journal entries must be written in Spanish.
- 50%- Thoughtful reflection referencing at least 4 points from the data that was presented.
- 30%- Correct use of grammar with the incorporation of at least 6 different verb forms. Ex) present, past, subjunctive, future, etc.
- 10%- Creativity. 10%
- 10%- One paragraph of personal reflection on what the biggest taken away from this activity was for the student.
- Bonus (5 pts): Share what you learned with a friend or family member and write a brief paragraph sharing what they thought.
| Liza Wishard Jun 2, 2011 12:51 PM |
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| Summary:I was struck by the American Indian (AI) and Alaskan Native (AN) suicide rates noted in the SAMHSA website,http://www.samhsa.gov/samhsaNewsletter/Volume_19_Number_2/ActionAlliance.aspx. According the site, “for AI/AN youth and young adults age 10 to 34, suicide is the second leading cause of death and is on the rise.” SAMHSA has created a grant program called Circles of Care. The purpose of the program is to create a blueprint of sorts for the AI/AN community to address and improve their mental health programs and services. As noted on their site, “with the help of the entire community, grantees develop models of care, create new partnerships, and position themselves to obtain additional resources to help them realize plans for comprehensive and culturally appropriate behavioral health services for children, youth, and families.” One of the biggest problems facing these communities is the lack of culturally relevant support and services. In addition, since many services are provided through neighboring towns and counties, there is a lack of communication and collaboration amongst these agencies. The grantees would address these disconnects through the grant money as well. As a teacher working in a large AI community, I can make sure the local reservation knows about this program and its potential benefits. In addition, I can work with the resident leader of the Native American Center in the school to better understand the AI perspective on MI and AOD. Do they use different terms? How do they identify and discuss with people at risk? How do symptoms present in the AI community? Though better understanding of the AI culture and its people, I can better serve the students in my classes.Junior or Senior High Math Lesson:Our school district just received a million dollar grant to address and prevent substance abuse issues. According to the grant, the money can be spent on anything from direct programs for people with substance abuse issues to creating social activities (like picnics or extracurriculars) that provide students with a healthy environment.
Objective: Each student will demonstrate their awareness of the above grant program by writing a proposal for utilizing a portion of the funds. The students will research alternatives to develop unique and pertinent activities or programs. The students will include estimates for effort, required supplies/resources, and costs, identifying at least 80% of the factors involved in executing their idea.
Procedure:
Assessment: The students will be assessed on their proposal utilizing the following breakdown: 50% Grant idea supported by research of issue being addressed and description of idea 50% Quality and thoroughness of estimating factors for implementing the idea |
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Sarah Wojciechowski-Prill May 21, 2011 3:21 PM
I visited the SAMHSA site and found a particularly interesting topic there. This was an article called, “Using Art to Raise Awareness Around Behavioral Health.” This short overview of Artist Sam English and his painting that depicts his interpretation of SAMHA’s four guiding principals: 1. Behavioral health is essential to health 2. Prevention works 3. Treatment is effective 4. People recover.
I recognize that art (in its many forms) is often connected with issues of substance abuse and recovery, and as an artist myself this has always been a fascinating topic. As a young teen, I went through phase after phase of discovering and researching famous actors, writers, musicians and artists with substance abuse and mental health issues. John Lennon, Dennis Hopper, Ernest Hemmingway, and Vincent Van Gough, to name a few. There was something exhilarating and inspiring about them that I idolized. Demystifying the connection between artistic greatness, mental illness, and substance abuse is a pursuit that I have yet to accomplish.
I decided to look for a web site that focuses on the issue and came up with this one: http://www.innovatorsawards.org/ This organization, “Innovators Combating Substance Abuse” (affiliated with Johns Hopkins Med. School) held a competition that has artists share creative responses to addiction. From what I can find- the last time the competition was held was in 2007. They had an adult and junior categories, and I found it particularly interesting that 3 of the 4 2007 winners for the junior category were in 8th grade. So young! I think this is a great idea that can inspire young artists to really express their opinions and feelings about substance abuse. It is an idea worth resurrecting, perhaps on a school-wide basis.
As a theater arts teacher, I think it is my responsibility to help students understand and express how substance abuse is depicted in art. The best way to understand something is to do it, in my experience, and that is how I approached my curriculum extension.
Curriculum Activity:
“Awareness Commercial”
Intended Student Population: 9-12 grade theater students.
*Ideally, this activity would be a cross-curricular activity, taught in conjunction with the student’s substance use and abuse unit in health class.
Objectives:
1. Students will research the effects of substance abuse on teens.
2. Students will demonstrate their learning through the creation of original commercials.
Anticipatory Activity:
Show students a variety of anti-drug commercials, and discuss what makes them effective or not-so effective.
1. “This is your brain…” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwu7L38glcQ&feature=related
2. “Talking Dog” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhjwUR2SeAE&NR=1
3. “Above the Influence” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fv3kep8fB-0&NR=1
Procedure:
1. Students will research the personal effects of substance abuse on teens by visiting the Adolescent Substance Abuse Knowledge Base at http://www.adolescent-substance-abuse.com/national-drug-statistics.html. They will complete a research guide, to be assessed.
2. Students will choose one statistic that they find interesting or important.
3. Students will find 3-5 supporting pieces of evidence about their chosen statistic.
3. Students will be divided into groups of 3-5 (teacher will make sure that all students grouped together have different areas of focus/facts). Group roles will be assigned: Group Director, Contributor(s)/Actors, and Lead Writer.
4. Students will educate their group members about their focus areas.
4. The groups will develop a commercial that uses all of the individual’s research to create an original commercial.
5. Students will create a 30-45 second commercial focusing on substance abuse and teens.
Assessment:
1. Research guide completion- 30 pts
2. Group contributions, assessed by peers (guided by rubric)- 30 pts
3. Commercial (final product), assessed by rubric- 40 pts
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Authored by: Yueh Nordin
Authored on: May 28, 2010 2:55 PM Lesson Planning (5~12 Business Education) Topic: Money Talks! (Addiction Discovery)
The students will discover the percentage of use of chemicals in their class and discover the effects of these chemicals by research, group discussions and completing a worksheet with 90% accuracy..
Class activities:
1. Pre-reading activates: Separating the students into 4~5 groups, students will produce a list of substances which will cause addictive behavior within groups and they will summarize a class list on the board.
2. Each student will choose one item from the list to collect data. And while students are leaving the classroom, ask them to use a piece of paper and write “yes” or “no” on “Did you ever use any addictive substance?”, drop this paper in the box by the classroom door.
3. Data Collection activities: Students will choose from the following two options to collect data –
[Option A] Real person data collection: Collect data from someone you know, collect data of how often/much so you need for your addictive behavior in one week, did you ever quit before, if on the scale of 1 (easiest) to 10 (hardest), which number will you describe for you to quit this addictive behavior?
[Option B] Rehab data collection: How much will it cost for rehabilitation or medication if needed to relief the effort of withdrawing while quitting the addiction?
4. Students will present their finding on one page paper and post them in the assigned area to display so all students can share the data they collected. The teacher will share the data on the step 2.
5. Students will review other people’s postings as they collect data from other classmates’ postings.
6. Teacher will use the collected data and lead discussion for the cost perspective of an addiction. Fill an “Addiction Worksheet” as an example and then each student will use this example to finish their own “Addiction Worksheet” (see below).
7. After finishing “Addiction Worksheet”, students will go back to the original groups in step 1, they will share what they learned in these activities and what is still missing in these activities.
8. Groups project. Each group will have a poster for the complete “Cost of Addition”.
9. In summary, each student will write a short report: An “aha” you have in these activities.
Assessment:
40% for Data Collection and “Addiction Worksheet”; 40% for “Cost of Addition”; 20% for students provide aha ideas.
“Addiction Worksheet” –
Addiction, How much it will cost per week? How much it will cost to quit this addition? What other cost? (Please list at least 3 reasons and put the estimated cost in numbers for each reason) More?
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Research study
Jose Ludens Sep 17, 2010 6:20 PM
In a 2004 research study titled Prevalence and Co-occurrence of Substance Use Disorders and Independent Mood and Anxiety Disorders, researchers concluded that “Substance use disorders and mood and anxietydisorders that develop independently of intoxication and withdrawalare among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders in the UnitedStates” (This equated to 19.3 million with a mood disorder and 23 million with anxiety disorders), and that the relationship between the two is overwhelming. The study revealed that it is not substance abuse that causes mood and anxiety disorders, but those individuals that have mood and anxiety disorders tend to use substances. The study also revealed that the overwhelming majority of those who suffer with a mood or anxiety use substances. A recommendation from the study states that treatment for people with these mental health issues should not be withheld due to their substance abuse. This would lead me to conclude that many teens that abuse chemicals may in fact be hiding an underlying mental health issue and that those teens that have a mental health issue that do not abuse chemicals are at a very high risk of doing so. I believe that, while all teens are at an elevated risk for substance abuse, those with mental health conditions are many times likely to abuse. I believe that exposure and education may the only method for prevention. I do not have faith in programs such as DARE or other programs that only show the ill effects of chemicals. To a person suffering from anxiety these may be risks that they are willing to take. Many people are unaware that they have these disorders and are unfamiliar with the treatment methods. Education may prompt some teens to notify parents or councilors with concerns or it may give them enough information so that they do not choose to self medicates.
Activity 8th grade – Biology class.
Objective:
The students will understand the effects of chemicals both legal and illegal on the human body by participating in research, group discussion and completing a quiz with 90% accuracy..
Day 1 – We will discuss different mental health issues and their physical causes, such as balances of certain biological chemicals. We will discuss various regions of the brain and the purpose and jobs of certain regions. We will discuss how people experience these issues. We will also discuss some chemical solutions that science has offered for some of these conditions (medicine).
Day 2 – We will discuss the biological affects that alcohol and certain drugs have on the human body. I will focus on what is happening biologically and what the affects would be socially. For example what would it be like to operate a moving vehicle or make important decisions if your brain and body are not allowed to function properly? I would then tie day two into day one by discussing how these other chemicals could be used as a false remedy and the repercussions of that.
This activity will be in discussion form and active participation is required. I would assess the class and individuals on participation 50% (hit chart), as well as level of understanding by having them complete a quiz with open ended questions which require analysis 50%