Ready for action?
Resources
Web links
Downloadable Resources
Tangible Resources
internet, pen and paper
Human Resources
health expert
Preparation
Invite a health expert (i.e. doctor, mental health practitioner, social care worker to the lesson.
Goals, messages & concepts
Specific goals
- To learn about the different classifications of drugs.
- To create a character that personifies the effects of a specific drug, to aid understanding of the impact of different drugs.
Specific messages
- Illicit drugs each have different characteristics, and are classified according to these.
- Drama is an effective method of communicating a complex and emotive concept.
Main terms
- class A
- class B
- class C
- narcotics
- psychotropic
- stimulant
- depressant
- opioid
- hallucinogen
- characterisation
- personification
Practices & skills
STEM practices
- Analysing and interpreting data
- Developing and using models
- Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information
Soft skills
- Empathy
- Teamwork and collaboration
Management skills
- Use of resources
Course of activity
step 1
Students will start this Learning Unit with a game to test prior knowledge by seeing how many class A/B/C drugs they can name in a minute.
step 2
Using the internet, students will carry out research into the impact of a variety of drugs, taking into account what they learnt in the previous Learning Unit about using a variety of reliable sources. In addition to focusing on the impact drugs have on your mind, they should consider different areas of impact, such as on health, lifestyle changes, personal relationships, and impact on the wider community.
step 3
They will then work in groups in the drama studio. Discuss how a topic such as illicit drugs is complex to understand, involving an understanding of scientific, social and emotional elements. Students should share ideas of how drama can be used to communicate complex topics, using examples from tv, film and theatre.
step 4
Students will personify (create a character for) one of the drugs they have researched. Groups will take it in turns to act out each character for the rest of the class to try to guess the drug.
step 5
The health expert from the previous Learning Unit will sit in on the session to support the development of the personifications and advise on the science and accuracy of the depictions.