Health Lesson - Short Term Effects of Alcohol
Grade. 5
For a lesson in the health unit that I was completing with my grade 5 class - Substance Use, Addictions, and Related Behaviours, I challenged myself to come up with a way that would help students really understand the short term effects of alcohol consumption and why it is always important to be safe and responsible. I wanted to find a way to include students in the classroom who had a difficult time reading and retaining information. My personal goal was to include kinesthetic, visual and auditory learning into this lesson, while ensuring I was approaching this subject in a sensitive manner. This lesson was created with the Ontario Curriculum Overall Expectation C1- demonstrate an understanding of factors that contribute to health development Specific Expectation C1.2 in mind.
Success Criteria:
During Simon Says I had the students spin around, jump, and do a few other movements that would cause them to feel dizzy, warm, and tired (while staying safe). Afterwards I asked them how this made them feel, many of the students put up their hand to say they felt dizzy, warm, tired, or their stomachs didn't feel too well. We talked about how these are similar feelings that you may experience while consuming too much alcohol, and that everyone is unique in how it affects them and how they feel.
Next each of them had to open up small envelopes I had put together. Inside there was a small photo of an image (found below) that I asked them to figure out what it was. After many guesses, I finally showed the students what the image really looked like, then I asked which short term effect of alcohol consumption would cause an image to look like that. Blurred vision!
Their final task was to read a small sentence written on a strip of paper in their envelopes with their tongue pushed to the top of their mouth for slurred speech.
Assessment
I was able to take notes of the discussion we had together as a class during the lesson.
To ensure students had understood factors that can affect intoxication and some of the short term side effects they were to each fill out an exit card before they left after the lesson.
Success Criteria:
- I can give examples of short term effects of alcohol on my body.
- I can identify factors that can affect intoxication
During Simon Says I had the students spin around, jump, and do a few other movements that would cause them to feel dizzy, warm, and tired (while staying safe). Afterwards I asked them how this made them feel, many of the students put up their hand to say they felt dizzy, warm, tired, or their stomachs didn't feel too well. We talked about how these are similar feelings that you may experience while consuming too much alcohol, and that everyone is unique in how it affects them and how they feel.
Next each of them had to open up small envelopes I had put together. Inside there was a small photo of an image (found below) that I asked them to figure out what it was. After many guesses, I finally showed the students what the image really looked like, then I asked which short term effect of alcohol consumption would cause an image to look like that. Blurred vision!
Their final task was to read a small sentence written on a strip of paper in their envelopes with their tongue pushed to the top of their mouth for slurred speech.
Assessment
I was able to take notes of the discussion we had together as a class during the lesson.
To ensure students had understood factors that can affect intoxication and some of the short term side effects they were to each fill out an exit card before they left after the lesson.
Figure 1. Intentionally blurred photo found in each student envelope. Figure 2. Actual image, shown to students after the blurred copy.
Used to show blurred vision side effects of alcohol.
Used to show blurred vision side effects of alcohol.
Students were very engaged with this lesson, and went back to it many times during the unit to help them recall factors that affect intoxication and short term side effects. Many of the students asked to take home their personal envelopes with the photos and sentences to talk with their parents about the lesson and share what they learned, which was fantastic to see! A day or so later my associate teacher read part of a note that had been sent in to her from one of the students mother about the lesson and how much her son had wanted to talk about what was learned in the lesson that day in a positive manner, which had previously been a subject of upset.
For me this lesson was one of the most successful lessons I have had to date. I feel that it is a very important topic for students to fully understand and be aware of in an appropriate way as they grow older. Allowing them the opportunity to discuss and explore what can sometimes be difficult topics to approach in a safe and stable environment is essential to me as a teacher.
For me this lesson was one of the most successful lessons I have had to date. I feel that it is a very important topic for students to fully understand and be aware of in an appropriate way as they grow older. Allowing them the opportunity to discuss and explore what can sometimes be difficult topics to approach in a safe and stable environment is essential to me as a teacher.