ISSUES
: Drugs
Assignments
42
Assignments
Brainstorming
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In small groups, discuss what you know about drug
abuse?
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Why do people take drugs?
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Can you become addiction to non-illegal drugs,
such as prescription painkillers?
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What is a ‘legal high’?
Research
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Using online newspaper archives, do some research
about over-the-counter medicine misuse. Write a bullet
point list of stories and issues you discover around this
theme.
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Research the recent introduction of a drug-driving law
in the UK. Write a summary of the legislation and share
with your classmates.
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Using the table on page 20, create a graph to illustrate
the proportion of 16- to 59-year-olds reporting the use
of Class A drugs in their lifetime. Think carefully about
the type of graph you should use, and create more than
one if necessary.
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Research drugs laws in a different country and write
500 words exploring whether their policy is more
effective than policy in the UK.
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Research treatment programmes for drug addiction.
What do they involve? Discuss with a partner.
Design
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Choose one of the types of drugs mentioned in the
article
Get the facts about drugs
on page 1. Create a
poster that illustrates the risks associated with your
chosen drug.
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Design a campaign that warns young people about
the dangers of risky behaviour such as drug taking.
Your campaign could be based in print, social media
or television adverts. Work in groups of three or four
and write at least 500 words to explain your campaign.
Include examples such as storyboards or mock-up
posters if necessary.
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Design a horizontal banner that could be displayed as
an advert on websites to highlight the dangers of legal
highs.
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Choose one of the articles from this book and create an
illustration that highlights the key themes of the piece.
Oral
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Imagine that you are concerned about your friend’s use
of cannabis. Write an e-mail to your friend explaining
why you are concerned and giving advice about where
they could turn for help.
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The findings from the 2014/15 crime survey suggest
that young people are more likely to take drugs than
older people. In small groups discuss why you think
this might be.
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In pairs, go through this book and discuss the cartoons
you come across. Think about what the artists were
trying to portray with each illustration.
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Create a PowerPoint presentation that explains the
effect different types of drugs have on the brain.
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In pairs, discuss why you think ‘more young people are
turning to teachers for drugs advice’.
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According to the article
Detox or lose your benefits...
on
page 26, a recent Government proposal suggests that
if people don’t accept help for drink or drugs-related
problems, they will lose their benefits. As a class,
discuss whether you think this is a good idea.
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Create a storyboard for a TV ad campaign that will
highlight the legal consequences of drug use. The
campaign should be aimed at teenagers and explain
the penalties for using Class A, B and C drugs. Most
importantly, it should demonstrate the long-term
impact that a criminal record could have on their
lives.
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Do you think binge drinking is a more serious problem
than illegal drug use in the UK? Why is drinking more
socially acceptable than drug taking? List your thoughts
and then discuss with a partner.
Reading/writing
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Read the article
Smoking, drinking and drug use...
on
page 4 andwrite a summary for your school newspaper.
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Watch the film
Trainspotting
. Is its portrayal of heroin
addicts in 90s Edinburgh still relevant to the UK today?
Think about the effect that drug abuse has on the
characters’ relationships, health and lifestyle. Write a
review of the film.
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Write a letter to your local MP explaining the importance
of adapting needle and syringe exchanges to meet the
needs of people who inject steroids (see page 15 for
helpful information).
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Imagine that you are one of a team of people organising
a summer festival. Write a report for your colleagues
about the dangers of illegal highs and why you are
concerned about their use at the festival. You should
include suggestions for steps that could be taken to
limit their use.
