So what is Marijuana, and how does it affect the body? We see Marijuana being used in two common ways, which are to get high or used as a prescribed medication for a patient. Marijuana is known to come from plants, also known as a Cannabis plant. Yes, most plants are known to be good for you. That’s where we get our fruits and vegetables from. But just because weed comes from a plant doesn’t mean it’s something good going into you’re body. A lot of drugs come from plants but won’t do you any good. Many people don’t realize the short and long-term effects smoking Marijuana can have on their brains and body. A short-term impact could be a faster heart rate, while a long-term effect is problems with breathing. This lesson addresses the essential facts and knowledge about Marijuana that students should know earlier on in their lives so they may think before doing anything related to this drug. Anyone can get addicted to Marijuana, literally anyone.
This lesson portrayed some strengths and weaknesses throughout critiquing it. One strength I noticed was the ability of the person who created the lesson to develop a manageable informative lesson. It was too overwhelming, but it addressed most of the essential topics regarding Marijuana and educated the students in fifth grade and up. A weakness I saw is that the lesson is for fifth graders and up; this lesson should have been more divided depending on the grade levels, especially for the fifth graders. Some terms and topics would be insensitive for fifth graders to hear.
If I were to use this lesson in my class, I would tweak the vocabulary and topics introduced because I would use this lesson plan for fifth graders. Most importantly, I would create an activity that gets every student involved while keeping them engaged. Whether it’s something science, math, or ELA-related, getting the students up and out of their seats is a good idea. Could be as simple as having students break into groups and create a poster about short and long term effects of marijuana they learned about in the presentation. Sometimes, a simple presentation and the teacher’s reading are better ways for students to learn and be aware.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse 2019. (2022, June 13). Mind matters: The body’s response to marijuana. National Institutes of Health. https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/parents-educators/lesson-plans/mind-matters/marijuana
Hi Ariana, I think you did a really good job of summarizing this lesson. I also had the same issue with my lesson that it might be insensitive for younger grades who might not know as much as so hearing all of these terms can lead to confusion. It is definitely important when creating a lesson to stay organized and on topic, as you mentioned the lesson was a bit too overwhelming for the grade it was implied for as it had a lot of information that is beneficial but the way it was laid out may be too intense for young elementary school students. I also liked how you mentioned creating an activity for the students to complete to get them more involved in the lesson.