Curriculum
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Teams of student volunteers, comprised of future dentists, doctors, nurses and public health workers, present a dynamic hands-on program highlighting the relationship among organ physiology, a healthy body and harmful substances. The program not only imparts knowledge about tobacco, alcohol and drugs, but also actively involves children in an experience which empowers them to make wise life style choices. Children enrolled in the 5th through 7th grades are the target audience for the IU-ASAP program.
The new curriculum, beginning in the Fall of 2003, consists of one ninety minute session which includes interactive large and small group formats. The IU-ASAP affiliates will utilize plastic encapsulated human organs during these sessions (organ demonstration). These sterile specimens of both normal and pathological examples of actual human organs allow a hands-on experience for the children while still maintaining the desired impact of seeing the damage that drug abuse can cause to their bodies.
Curriculum Outline
Session I
Before the Session
Volunteers meet in the office of assigned school, approximately 15 minutes
before the session is supposed to start. Every volunteer has to sign in (school
policy). Group goes together to the assigned classroom.
First Session (70 minutes)
1. Introduction (2 minutes)
•
Team leader gives a brief overview of ASAP and introduces group members
2. Division of classroom into four groups (5 minutes)
•
With the help of the teacher and volunteers, the classroom is divided into
four groups
3. Pretest (10 minutes)
•
Volunteers hand out pretests to all the students
•
Team leader reads all the questions and possible answers out loud
•
Students mark their choices on the test
•
At test conclusion all volunteers quickly collect the tests and hand them to
the team leader
4. Healthy organ physiology (20 minutes)
•
Volunteers discuss their organ system with a group of students
•
After 5 minutes volunteers rotate to the next group (since we have 4 groups
this will total approximately 20 minutes)
•
Focus of this workshop is the healthy (!) organ: where it is located in the
body, how it functions properly, etc. (see note cards for organ information)
5. Myth buster game “So you think you know about drugs” (10 minutes)
•
Team leader engages whole class in this game
•
Students have to say if certain statements/myths are true or false
•
Transition period leading into the discussion on drugs
6. Physiological impact of commonly abused drugs (20 minutes)
•
Volunteers discuss their assigned drugs with a group of students
•
After 5 minutes volunteers rotate to the next group
•
Discuss drug details and short- and long-term consequences of drug use (see
note cards for drug information)
7. Closing (3 minutes)
•
Team leader gives a brief closing statement and the group
hands out small incentives to all students
Session II
Before the Session (70 minutes)
Volunteers meet in the office of assigned school, approximately 15 minutes
before the session is supposed to start. Every volunteer has to sign in (school
policy). Group goes together to the assigned classroom.
Second Session
1. Introduction (2 minutes)
•
Team leader summarizes today’s agenda
•
Group hands out raffle tickets to all students
2. Division of classroom into four groups (5 minutes)
•
With the help of the teacher and volunteers, the classroom is divided into
four groups
3. Organ pathophysiology (20 minutes)
•
Volunteers discuss their diseased (!) organ
systems
•
Focus is on the damage that has been done by drug use/abuse
•
Concepts taught in the previous session are reinforced (see note cards for
organ information)
4. Posttest (15 minutes)
•
Volunteers hand out posttests to all the students
•
Team leader reads all the questions and possible answers out loud
•
Students mark their choices on the test
•
At test conclusion all volunteers quickly collect the tests and hand them to
the team leader
•
Team leader discusses with students the correct answers
5. Peer pressure workshop (20 minutes)
•
Each volunteer stays with only one group for this
activity/no rotation
•
For approximately 20 minutes each volunteer initiates a
discussion about peer pressure and how to handle it
•
This is an interactive activity and should –if possible- involve every
student in the group
6. Closing (8 minutes)
•
Drawing of 4 students to win a prize
•
“Thank you” to the class and teacher
•
Team leader gives teacher an evaluation form to evaluate program
After the Session
Team leader hands out evaluation forms to all volunteers. Volunteers complete
forms and hand them back to team leader.
