Grade 3, Unit 3: Substance Use, Addictions & Related Behaviours (Ontario Health)

The Grade 3, Unit 3: Substance Use, Addictions, and Related Behaviours activity packet is designed to meet both the overall and specific expectations outlined in the 2019 Ontario Health and Physical Education curriculum document.

Focus of the Unit:

This resource is designed to introduce and teach students about what substances are and what the difference is between safe-substance use and un-safe substance use. Students are introduced to legal and illegal substances and are asked to explore the mental and physical impacts of problematic use of these substances. This resource also introduces students to modern day substances such as sports drinks, as well as vaping products. The use of substances is something that students will continue to explore in Grades 4 and above, so the goal of this unit is to introduce students to the difference between legal and illegal substances and what the difference is between harmful use and safe use.

Another focus of this resource is in terms of decision-making strategies. Students are asked to brainstorm examples of decision-making strategies and are asked to use their knowledge they have gained about the short-term and long-term effects of substance use to explore why healthy choices need to be made and what healthy choices are.

Specific Expectation Addressed:

The specific expectations this resource addresses are as follows:

• D1.3: Demonstrate an understanding of different types of legal and illegal substances use and both the mental and physical impacts of problematic use of these substances on themselves and others.
• D2.3: Apply decision-making strategies to make healthy choices about behaviours and the use of various substances in ways that could lead to dependencies, identifying factors that should be considered.

Note on the Substances Addressed:

Please note that this resource touches upon legal and illegal substances in general. Substances explored are: alcohol, cannabis, tobacco, and caffeine. Students are not introduced to the short-term and long-term effects of specific illegal substances as these substances are explored in Grades 4, 5, and 6. This resource, instead, focuses on substances that individuals can gain access to both in legal and illegal ways (i.e., prescription medications, alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco). This falls in line with both expectations D1.3 and D2.3.

Lessons Included:

There are 11 lessons included in this packet. Each lesson includes a full-length lesson plan complete with three distinct parts (setting the stage, core learning activity, and lesson consolidation). The lessons included are:

Lesson 3.1: Introducing the Unit

Lesson 3.2: Reviewing Medications

Lesson 3.3: Introducing Drugs

Lesson 3.4: Exploring Legal Drugs

Lesson 3.5: Exploring Illegal Drugs

Lesson 3.6: Substance Exploration

Lesson 3.7: Addictions and Dependencies

Lesson 3.8: Energy and Sports Drinks

Lesson 3.9: Making Decisions 1

Lesson 3.10: Making Decisions 2

Lesson 3.11: Bringing it Together

Activities, Readings, and Assignments:

There are 8 readings included in this packet along with 18 activities, 3 exit cards, 2 self-assessment grids, 2 grading grids, and 2 rubrics. Please do not feel you have to use all lessons in the order they are presented in, or all of the lessons in general. You can pick and choose the readings, activities, and lessons you wish to do with your students as you see fit.

There are 3 assignments included in this packet. The assignments are:

Assignment 3.1: Substance Exploration

Assignment 3.2: Energy and Sports Drinks

Assignment 3.3: Substance Use Information Posters

The activities and readings presented in this resource are also presented in a Google Slide format so that they can be used digitally.

Are there Answer Keys Included?

There are 6 answer keys included in this resource. The answers for the activities are open ended, and are dependent on student experience, and the way in which the activity is completed with students. For information on the short-term and long-term effects of substances please visit: https://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts.html.

Questions? Concerns?

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Revised Unit:

This resource was fully updated on 05/12/20. If you have purchased this resource prior to this date, please re-download the file to receive the new update.