Stimulants
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe what stimulants are and explain why people might use them and what the risks of taking them are.
Key learning points
- A stimulant is a drug which speeds up the central nervous system to increase neural activity in the brain.
- Stimulants raise blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration, and reduce the desire to eat.
- There are legal stimulants, such as caffeine.
- Illegal stimulants include amphetamines, cocaine and ecstasy.
Keywords
Stimulant - a stimulant speeds up bodily processes
Nervous system - the body’s command system made up of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves
Dependency - when someone feels like they need to take drugs to manage normal activities
Tolerance - needing more of the drug to achieve the same effects as before
Common misconception
All stimulants are illegal.
Prescription medications that are stimulants, such as those for ADHD are legal when they are used in the correct way. Caffeine and nicotine are also examples of legal stimulants.
Teacher tip
On the penultimate slide, we share organisations which might support people struggling with drug misuse. You might also add local charities and organisations to this slide, specific to the context of your school or setting.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.How many different classes of drugs are there?
Q2.Which of these is an example of a legal drug with no age restrictions?
Q3.Should you take drugs which are prescribed to someone else?
Q4.What are the risks of taking someone else's prescribed medication?
Q5.Match up the type of drug to the example.
ADHD medication
paracetamol
cannabis
Q6.What is one of the potential mental health risks of using illegal drugs?
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Are all stimulants illegal?
Q2.Match the word to the definition.
the body’s command system made up of the brain, spinal cord and nerves
a chemical which speeds up bodily processes
when someone feels like they need a drug to manage normal activities
needing more of a drug to achieve the same effects as before
Q3.Which of these is an example of a legal stimulant?
Q4.What are some of the possible side effects of taking stimulants?
Q5.How should you help someone who is having a bad time after having taken a stimulant?
To help you plan your 9 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Stimulants, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 9 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Stimulants, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 RSHE (PSHE) lessons from the Risky substances: What do I need to know about illegal and prescription drugs? unit, dive into the full secondary RSHE (PSHE) curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.