Legal and illegal drugs
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can identify how legal and illegal drugs can affect our bodies.
Key learning points
- Drugs are substances that change the way our bodies work.
- Some drugs are prescribed by a doctor.
- Information about drugs and their impact on the body can be researched using secondary sources of information.
- Some drugs are illegal because of the negative impact they have on our bodies. It is not safe to take illegal drugs.
Keywords
Drug - Drugs are substances that change the way our bodies work.
Illegal - Something that is illegal is against the law.
Addictive - Something addictive is something that is very hard to stop doing because your body craves more.
Prescribed - Drugs that have been prescribed by a doctor are safe for you to take if you follow the doctor’s instructions exactly.
Impact - The impact of something is the effect it has.
Common misconception
Pupils may think that the word ‘drug’ only refers to illegal drugs due to its common usage and that taking any drug will have a negative impact on their body.
Using the examples in the lesson, explain that a drug is any substance which changes the way our bodies work and that they can be helpful or harmful.
Teacher tip
This lesson covers sensitive content around drugs and their effects. You may want to alert relevant pastoral or safeguarding staff about the content that will be covered and encourage them to discuss it with any pupils who are accessing support for related issues.
Equipment
Secondary sources are provided in the additional materials.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What do you call a person who knows a lot about the body and helps treat illness or injury?
Q2.This impact of something is …
Q3.If something has a negative impact on your body, it is…
Q4.What does it mean if something is illegal?
Q5.Sometimes, when you visit a doctor, you get a prescription. What is a prescription?
Q6.Some things are addictive, like smoking. What does ‘addictive’ mean?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is a drug?
Q2.We can find out more about different types of drugs and their impact on our bodies by carrying out using secondary sources of information.
Q3.Match the legal drug to the products it can be found in.
coffee, tea, and energy drinks
wine, beer, and spirits
cigarettes and vape pens
painkiller tablets, and cold and flu medication
Q4.Some types of drugs can only be prescribed by a ...
Q5.Some drugs are illegal because…
Q6.Which of these statements is correct?
To help you plan your 6 science lesson on: Legal and illegal drugs, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 6 science lesson on: Legal and illegal drugs, 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 2 science lessons from the Keeping healthy unit, dive into the full primary science curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.