Drug Classification Activity - Mahaffey-Preston Website



Drug Classification Activity

HEALTH

This is an in-class partner/class discussion activity that you can use in your Health classes during the drug and alcohol abuse chapters.

1. Tell students to pair up with a partner and write down the names of as many illegal drugs as they can on a piece of notebook paper. Encourage students to do their best to write down the “official” names of the drugs and NOT slang terms. Also, if you choose and if you have discussed prescription drug abuse with your class, encourage students to write down the names of prescription drugs that can be abused also. (8-10 mins.)

2. Write down the names of the following drug categories on the board (Stimulants, Sedatives/Depressants, Hallucinogens, Opiates, Other.) and instruct the students to also write down these category names on their paper leaving space to list the names of several drugs from their lists underneath each category. (2 mins.)

3. Instruct students to look at their illegal drug lists and place each drug that they have listed into one of the 5 categories that they have just copied down. Drugs from their lists may NOT go into multiple categories. It is expected that most students will not get many of the drug classifications correct, but feel free to give them some “buzz words” that may help them classify each drug. For example, point out that the drug category “stimulants” comes from the word “stimulate.” Ask them which drugs on their lists do they think would speed up the activity (heart rate, breathing rate, etc.) of the body? You could also give a similar example for “depressants” and how the word “depress” means to slow down, etc. (8-10 mins.)

4. The teacher will then create a “master list” on the board (from student volunteers responses) so all students can see what categories the drugs are going into. Call on students to give you one of their drugs on their lists and what category they think it goes in. Also, tell students that to start you are just writing down the drugs in the categories that they suggest. Mention how at the conclusion of the white board list portion you will go back and make any corrections to any drugs that may have been mis-classified by the students. In short, do this ( Write “master list” on the board, revise the list, and end with a wrap-up discussion (8-10 mins.)

Teaching tips for this activity:

➢ Circulate around the room as students are brainstorming and attempting to correctly classify each drug. There are always a lot of questions with this activity, but it really gets the kids thinking.

➢ Depending on the class and the amount of questions they ask, this activity usually runs about 20-30 mins. in total.

➢ When introducing this activity, tell students that this is only to see what they currently know about the topic and that they should know a lot about various drugs and their effects on the body to protect themselves in the future if offered illegal drugs.

TEACHER ANSWER KEY

Stimulants Sedatives/Depressants

Caffeine (legal) Alcohol (legal age 21 and over)

Cocaine Barbiturates (Xanax, Valium)

Crack Cocaine GHB

Methamphetamines Benzodiazepines (Rohypnol)

Adderall DXM (legal – cough syrups)

MDMA (Ecstasy)

Hallucinogens Opiates

LSD Heroin

PCP Morphine

Psilocybin Codeine

Ketamine Vicodin

OxyContin

Percocet

Other

Marijuana

Anabolic Steroids

Inhalants (glue, paint thinner, gasoline, etc.)

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