Using the Student Lessons

The heart of this module is a set of classroom lessons that allow students to discover important concepts related to mental illnesses—what they are, what influences whether a person gets one, and how they can be treated. To review the concepts in detail, refer to the Conceptual Flow of the Lessons chart.

Format of the Lessons

As you review the lessons, you will find that each includes several major features.

At a Glance offers a convenient summary of the lesson.

• The Overview provides a short summary of student activities.
• The Major Concepts section presents the central ideas that the lesson is designed to convey.
• Objectives lists specific understandings or abilities students should derive from completing the lesson.
• Teacher Background specifies which sections of Information about Mental Illness and the Brain relate directly to the lesson. This background reading provides the science content that supports the key concepts covered in the lesson. This information is not intended to form the basis of lectures to students nor is it intended as a direct resource for students. Rather, it enhances your understanding of the content so that you can facilitate class discussions, answer student questions, and provide additional examples.

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

• Web-Based Activities tells you which of the lesson’s activities use The Science of Mental Illness Web site as a component of the lesson’s instructional strategies.
• Photocopies lists the paper copies and transparencies that need to be made from the masters provided after Lesson 6, at the end of the module.
• Materials lists all items other than photocopies needed for the activities in the lesson.
• Preparation outlines what you need to do to be ready to teach the lesson.

Procedure details the steps in each activity in the lesson. It includes implementation suggestions and answers to questions.

Within the Procedure section, annotations provide additional commentary.

• Tip from the field test includes actual field-test teachers’ suggestions for teaching strategies, class management, and module implementation and is identified by a field-test icon.
• Note to teachers gives information about issues that may be confusing or that need to be emphasized.
• Assessment provides strategies for gauging 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 Web site as part of the teaching strategy. Instructions in the Procedures section tell you how to access the Web site. Specific information about the Web site can be found in Using the Web Site.

identifies an alternative to a Web-based activity to be used when computers are not available. The print-based activity addresses the same concepts as its Web-based counterpart.

identifies when in Lesson 5 the accompanying DVD might be used. The video on the DVD is the same as that on the Web site for Lesson 5, but in a format that may be more convenient for some classrooms.

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

identifies suggestions from field-test teachers for teaching strategies, class management, and module implementation.

The Lesson Wrap-Up concludes each lesson by asking students to write a few sentences summarizing the main ideas conveyed in the lesson. These summaries will be useful when students begin working on Lesson 6, the Evaluate lesson. Spending a few minutes writing the summary can also serve as an opportunity for students to assess what they have learned and how their understanding has changed.

The Lesson Organizer provides a brief summary of the lesson. It outlines procedural steps for each activity and includes icons that denote where 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.

Masters to be photocopied are at the end of the module, after Lesson 6.

Timeline for the Module

The timeline below outlines the optimal plan for completing the lessons in this module. The plan assumes you will teach the activities on consecutive days. If your class requires more time to discuss issues raised during a lesson or to complete activities, adjust your timeline accordingly. If you wish to save class time, you can ask students to write their responses to the Lesson Wrap-Ups as homework assignments.

Suggested Timeline

Timeline	Activity
3 weeks ahead	Reserve computers Check performance of Web site. Be sure appropriate versions of the required plug-ins are installed on the computers.
7 days ahead	Make photocopies and transparencies Gather materials
Day 1	Lesson 1 Activity 1: Inducing a Response Activity 2: What Do I Know about Mental Illness? Activity 3: What Happens in the Brain? Lesson Wrap-Up
Day 2	Lesson 2 Activity 1: What’s the Health Problem?
Day 3	Lesson 2 (continued) Activity 2: Defining “Illness” Activity 3: Observing the Depressed Brain Lesson Wrap-Up
Day 4	Lesson 3 Activity 1: What Are the Risks?
Day 5	Lesson 3 (continued) Activity 1: continued Lesson Wrap-Up
Day 6	Lesson 4 Activity 1: Will It Get Better? Lesson Wrap-Up
Day 7	Lesson 5 Activity 1: Like Any Other Kid Lesson Wrap-Up
Day 8	Lesson 6 Activity 1: Spreading the Word—What Should People Know?
Day 9	Lesson 6 (continued) Activity 1: continued Activity 2: What Do You Think about Mental Illness Now?

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