Using the Student Lessons

The heart of this module is the set of six classroom lessons that follow. These lessons are the vehicles that we hope will carry to your students important concepts related to alcohol use and its effects on mind and body. To review the concepts in detail, refer to the chart Conceptual Flow of the Lessons.

Format of the Lessons

As you scan the lessons, you will find that each contains several major features.

At a Glance gives the teacher a convenient summary of the lesson.

• The Overview provides a short summary of student activities.
• The Major Concepts section states the central idea(s) the lesson is designed to convey.
• Objectives lists specific understandings or abilities students should have after completing the lesson.
• Teacher Background specifies which sections of the Information about Alcohol reading relate directly to the student lesson. This reading material provides the teacher with the science content that underlies the key concepts covered in the lesson. The information provided is not intended to form the basis of lectures to students. Instead, it enhances the teacher’s understanding of the content so that he or she can more accurately facilitate class discussions, answer student questions, and provide additional examples.

In Advance provides instructions for collecting and preparing the materials required to complete the activities in the lesson.

• Web-Based Activities tells the teacher which of the lesson’s activities use the Understanding Alcohol Web site as the basis for instruction.
• Photocopies lists the paper copies or transparencies that need to be made from masters, which follow the student lesson.
• Materials lists all the materials other than photocopies needed for each of the activities in the lesson.
• Preparation outlines the things the teacher needs to do to be ready to teach each of the activities in the lesson.

Procedure outlines the steps in each activity in the lesson. It provides implementation suggestions and answers to questions.

Within the procedures, annotations provide additional commentary.

• Tip from the field test includes actual field-test teachers’ suggestions for teaching strategies, class management, and module implementation.
• Assessment provides you with strategies for assessing student progress throughout the module and is identified by an assessment icon.
• Icons identify specific annotations:

identifies teaching strategies that address specific science content standards as defined by the National Science Education Standards.

identifies when to use the World Wide Web site as part of the teaching strategies. Instructions tell you how to access the appropriate site. Information about using the Web site can be found in Using the Web Site. A print-based alternative to Web activities is provided in case a computer with Internet access is not available.

identifies a print-based alternative to a Web-based activity to be used when computers are not available.

identifies when assessment is embedded in the module’s structure. An annotation suggests strategies for assessment.

Lesson Organizer provides a brief summary of the lesson. It outlines procedural steps for each activity and includes icons that denote where in each activity masters, transparencies, and the Web site are used. The lesson organizer is intended to be a memory aid for you to use only after you become familiar with the detailed procedures for the activities. It can be a handy resource during lesson preparation as well as during classroom instruction.

The Masters required to teach the activities are located at the end of each lesson.

Timeline for the Module

The timeline (below) outlines the optimal plan for completing the six lessons in this module. The plan assumes you will teach the lessons on consecutive days. If your class requires more time for completing the procedures, discussing issues raised in this module, or completing activities on the Web site, adjust your timeline accordingly.

Suggested Timeline

Timeline	Activity
3 weeks ahead	Reserve computers Check performance of Web site
1 week ahead	Copy masters Make transparencies Gather materials
Day 1 Monday	Lesson 1 Activity 1: What’s Up with This Mouse? Activity 2: Alcohol—Separating Fact from Fiction
Day 2 Tuesday	Lesson 2 Activity 1: What Is a Drink? Activity 2: Where Does Alcohol Go in the Body?
Day 3 Wednesday	Lesson 3 Activity 1: Gathering Data Activity 2: Data Analysis and Discussion
Day 4 Thursday	Lesson 4 Activity 1: To Drink or Not to Drink? Activity 2: Modeling Alcohol Use and Abuse
Day 5 Friday	Activity 3: Modeling Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Activity 4: Applying the Model
Day 6 Monday	Lesson 5 Activity 1: Patterns of Drinking Activity 2: Alcohol and Driving Behavior
Day 7 Tuesday	Lesson 6 Activity 1: Alcohol—Risks and Consequences Activity 2: How Much Have You Learned about Alcohol?

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