Staying Happy and Healthy with Mr. Consequences by Sally Huss was self-published in December of 2016. This book depicts a young boy named Billy who, while walking home from school, was offered alcohol and tobacco by older kids. Just as he is about to take a sip a friendly mouse named Mr. Consequences appears and teaches Billy about the dangers of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use. We found this book to be the best fit as our fiction book because Mr. Consequences is able to explain a serious topic while not overwhelming or frightening the audience. Mr. Consequences talks about how our different body systems are affected by substance abuse over time and how they make us less happy in the end. Using a piece of swiss cheese, Mr. Consequences shows Billy sick and unhappy people who have become ill after abusing drugs over long periods of time; he explains to Billy that drugs are not inherently bad as they can help people who are sick, but that a doctor is the only person who should be giving them to us to keep us safe. The story ends with Mr. Consequences leaving and reminding Billy that good choices lead to a good life.
How Can I Integrate This Text In Other Subjects?:
We would integrate this text into core curriculum through science application. Most first grade classrooms work on organisms and how they live and function; this is an appropriate area for substance abuse instruction because they can learn how their bodies are living organisms and how tobacco, alcohol, and drugs can inflict harm. Science Sparks provides a lesson on how lungs function and shows teacher how they can create a working “lung” in their classroom. Teachers can involve smoke from matches to show the dangers of tobacco use and how it affects our lungs.
Standards:
Content Specific:
LS1.A: Structure and FunctionAll organisms have external parts. Different animals use their body parts in different ways to see, hear, grasp objects, protect themselves, move from place to place, and seek, find, and take in food, water and air. Plants also have different parts (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits) that help them survive and grow. (1-LS1-1)
NHES Specific:
NHES 1: Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.2.1 Identify a variety of tobacco products
HBO 1 Avoid using (or experimenting with) any form of tobacco.
2.2 Identify short-term effects of using tobacco
HBO 1 Avoid using (or experimenting with) any form of tobacco.
2.3 Describe the benefits of not using tobacco.
HBO 1 Avoid using (or experimenting with) any form of tobacco.
2.4 Describe the dangers of experimenting with tobacco.
HBO 1 Avoid using (or experimenting with) any form of tobacco.
Nonfiction Text for Grades K-2
What Is The Book?:
Straight Talk: Smoking (TIME for Kids) by Stephanie Paris was published by Teacher Created Materials in September of 2012. While we were not able to retrieve a physical copy of the text, we were able to preview the first several pages via Google as well as read reviews and summaries. This nonfiction text felt more appropriate for our age range versus the companion text Straight Talk: Drugs and Alcohol due to the somewhat graphic illustrations. This text provides definitions, examples, and evidence to back up why smoking and tobacco is harmful and goes into deeper understanding of the psychology of advertisements and why people choose to start smoking. Reviews of this text suggest that educators have pre-read and researched some of the topics for when students have questions in order to provide the best possible answers.
How Can I Integrate This Text In Other Subjects?:
We would plan to integrate this text in both mathematics and social studies. First grade introduces graphing in math through simple bar graphs and move onto line graphs moving into second grade. Students can graph different demographics of smokers over time and can find correlations between smokers and illnesses and compare. We would also work with this text during social studies as we learn about the earth and how littering can affect it’s ecosystem. Smoking as litter affects the ground and animals, and smoke in the air can affect pollution and the air we breathe.
Standards:
Content Specific:
CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.2.MD.D.10
Draw a picture graph and a bar graph (with single-unit scale) to represent a data set with up to four categories. Solve simple put-together, take-apart, and compare problems1 using information presented in a bar graph.
ESS3.C Human Impacts on Earth Systems
Things that people do to live comfortably can affect the world around them. But they can make choices that reduce their impacts on the land, air, water, and other living things. (K-ESS-3)
NHES Specific:
NHES 5: Students will demonstrate the ability to use decision-making skills to enhance health.
T5.2.1 Identify how family, peers, or media influence a decision to not use tobacco.
NHES 8: Students will demonstrate the ability to advocate for personal, family, and community health.
Make requests to others to avoid secondhand smoke.
