Integrated Media Resources: Substance Abuse

Kathryn Luera, Kyle Jackson, Joshua Kent

Documentary

• Film Title: By Kids For Kids- Substance Abuse
• Created by: Catherine Deysach & ED305
• Release Date: November 2014
• Runtime: 18:16
• Not rated (Educational YouTube Video)

• Description: This is a documentary that was made for students, by students. It was a final project for a class, and provides information on substance abuse for young teens. This is the best film for 8th grade students because it is made by other 8th grade students and is relevant to them. There are so many documentaries that are appropriate for 8th grader students on this topic, but many of them use scare tactics. I thought this was the best because it outlines a variety of facts related to substance abuse, but doesn’t do it in an intimidating way.  I also think it is the best for these students because it isn’t full of adults talking down to them, and I appreciate that it gives them the opportunity to learn from their peers.
• Review: This film starts out asking three 8th grade students about their experiences with drugs and alcohol. The interviewer goes between asking them questions and sharing facts about substance abuse. The students who created this video did a great job of picking very straightforward and easy to understand facts that really resonate with their peers. The content covers information about cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, and other illicit drugs. They also talk about how a teen could react if they had a friend who was experimenting with drugs, and how parents could help their children avoid substance abuse. The video ended on a high note, by talking about fun alternatives to doing drugs.
• NHES 1: Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.
  • AOD1.8.5 Summarize the negative consequences of using alcohol and other drugs. (HBO 2, 3 & 4)
    • HBO 2: Avoid experimentation with alcohol and other drugs.
    • HBO 3: Avoid the use of alcohol.
    • HBO 4: Avoid the use of illegal drugs.

• • AOD1.8.12 Describe positive alternatives to using alcohol and other drugs. (HBO 2,3,4,)
  • AOD5.8.1 Identify circumstances that help or hinder making a decision to be alcohol and other drug-free.
  • AOD4.8.7 Demonstrate how to effectively communicate empathy
  • AOD8.8.5 Collaborate with others to advocate for individuals, families, and schools to be alcohol-and other drug-free.

• • NHES Standard 7: Students will demonstrate the ability to practice health-enhancing behaviors and avoid or reduce health risks.
    • 7.8.1        Explain the importance of assuming responsibility for personal health behaviors.
    • 7.8.3        Demonstrate behaviors to avoid or reduce health risks to self and others.

• Learning Objectives: Describe information about drugs and alcohol.

• • Core Integration: One of today’s core subject areas is technology. One of the reasons I chose this documentary was because it was made by students. I would love to use this as a introduction to an assignment in which students created their own documentaries. While completing our unit on substance abuse, I would show them this video and then assign them a group and a specific topic to work around. Topics may include alcohol abuse, risks associated with cigarettes, or information about a specific drug such as heroin or cocaine. I would give them the creative liberty to decide how to film their video, while still sticking to their topic.
    • Follow-up: Once the videos were complete we would watch them all in class. A follow-up to this would be guided note-taking, discussions, or having the students do a “film review” of their peers’ films.

• ISTE Standards:

• • • Empowered Learner 1c – Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways.
    • Creative Communicator 6b – Students create original works or responsibly repurpose or remix digital resources into new creations.

Link to Documentary: https://youtu.be/vYSiEKmnImQ

Popular Film

• Film title: Thirteen
• Produced by: Jeff Levy-Hinte & Michael London
• Released: 2003
• Run time: 100 minutes
• Rated: R (this was the most appropriate movie that addresses drug abuse effectively – most all movies on drug abuse were rated R)

• Description: This movie addresses some situations teens can find themselves in and how their decisions can affect their future. This movie is a bit dramatic and can show the worst case scenario in many situations teens find themselves in. This movie shows the effect of peer pressure and how small mistakes, tough situations at home, and the need to feel accepted by a group of friends can be a slippery slope. This movie is the story of a girl, Tracy, who is struggling to feel accepted at school and has had some struggles with her home life as well. When Tracy sees an opportunity to impress two girls she betrays morals she once held and steals a random woman’s wallet. This is the event that seems to set in motion the rest of the movie and the situation Tracy finds herself in the end. Tracy and her new friends explore the world of sex and drugs which results in the girls involving themselves in activities that require more maturity than they have. Many of the scenarios in the movie seem overdramatized but not unrealistic for a 13 year old to find themselves in and the privilege most have to live with the opportunity to make safe choices. This is a great movie to see an individual experience a multitude of situations that many children in the classroom might be experiencing just a piece of. Showing teens an extreme example of how a series of actions can have some major consequences is important.
• Review: This movie’s main focus is not solely on drug abuse, but the movie addresses what can lead to drug abuse and what can be a result of drug abuse. The main character, Tracy, is influenced by the climate in her home, her growing depression, and the longingness to feel accepted at school. I will focus on in, my classroom, the reasons why these are not reasons to turn to drugs and begin to address the ways to address these issues in a healthy matter.  The movie continues with Tracy making a string of decisions that were influenced by different factors in her life, but the decisions ultimately led to worsening depression and an increase in risky behavior. This will progress throughout the movie and I will use the movie as a way for students to track Tracy’s decisions and create a timeline of events in the movie that would be considered risky behavior. Every time the students create a new event on the timeline they will talk note what factor may have influenced this behavior (i.e. peer pressure, struggles at home, etc.) and what are steps Tracy could have taken to meet her needs instead of the risky behavior (i.e. see a counselor, make friends with similar interests, etc.).
• NHES 1: Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.
  • AOD1.8.5 Summarize the negative consequences of using alcohol and other drugs. (HBO 2, 3 & 4)
    • HBO 2: Avoid experimentation with alcohol and other drugs.
    • HBO 3: Avoid the use of alcohol.
    • HBO 4: Avoid the use of illegal drugs.
    • HBO
    • HBO 8:Support others to be alcohol and other drug free

• AOD1.8.7 Describes situations that could lead to the use of alcohol and other drugs. (HBO 2,3 & 4)
• AOD2.8.2 Explain how perceptions of norms influence healthy and unhealthy alcohol and other drug-use practices and behaviors
• AOD1.8.10 Describe the relationship between using alcohol and other drugs and other health risks, such as unintentional injuries, violence, suicide, sexual risk behaviors, and tobacco use. (HBO 2,3, & 4)
• Learning Objectives: Define the risks and consequences of drugs and alcohol.

• • Core Integration: One of the most important subject areas in school to develop and will serve students the rest of their lives is writing. This movie tells the story of an individual and the sequence of the events that defines their future, so I want students to write a story that shows a well sequenced series of events that changes an individual’s life dramatically. This story can have a positive or negative outcome and can be made-up or a true story. I will be making this the next step after watching the movie and analyzing Tracy’s decision making and the effects they had on her future in a timeline. Using the timeline they made with the movie, students will be encouraged to make a similar timeline to tell the story they will be adding details and dialogue to.

• Follow-up: This will be a great opportunity for my class to reflect on what good narrative story-telling consists of. I would like to have a fishbowl style conversation in the classroom to help students talk about the components of their narrative that made their story more vibrant as well as well sequenced.

• • Common Core Standards:
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.3.A: Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.3.B: Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.3.C: Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationships among experiences and events.
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.3.D: Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.
    • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.3.E: Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.

• Link to reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb_hu9lyOMg
  • This is a video that takes scenes from the movie, plays it over with a song, and has words scrolling across the screen that describe some of the steps Tracy takes and how it results in her drug addiction. I would show this after the movie to help some of the kids fill in spots on their timelines they created while watching the movie.