Mental Health Disorders

Introduction

It is tough being a teenager in today's world! Expectations from home, school, extra-curricular activities, social clubs, etc. can really pile up, creating a lot of stress in your lives. Add to that the technological world that we now live in, and the problems and issues that come from that, there is a lot on your plate all at one time! As we have learned, stress and other factors can affect your mental health in negative ways. We have also learned how to deal with some of these negative mental health factors, but lets try to look at things from a different angle.

Media, movies, television shows, and other platforms often portray individuals with mental disorders as something is wrong with those individuals. This is all wrong! In fact, most people will deal with some sort of mental health disorder at some point in their lives, with varying degrees. It is important to learn about these disorders, understand them, and know what to do in the event that you are experiencing symptoms of them. It is also important to understand that mental health issues are a normal part of life. They are normal! Mental health can constantly be improved with knowledge and work as we have been learning.

This Web Quest will give us the opportunity to learn about and understand different mental health disorders. Let's go!

Task

For this project, you will collaboratively research a mental health disorder and become the "expert" on the topic. You get to take a deep dive into a specific topic and share your expert knowledge with the class. 

Process

Your group (3 to 4 students) will work to become "experts" for the mental health disorder that you choose. You will also share your findings with the class, essentially becoming the teacher for your selected topic. You will have parameters to complete the assignment, but I also encourage you to find important information to share outside of the included parameters. All students must participate equally and complete a group assessment sheet at the end of the project.

1. Select a mental health disorder as a topic.

  • Consider a topic that interests all members of your group. 
  • A list of topics includes (but not limited to):
    • Schizophrenia
    • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
    • Anxiety Disorder
    • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
    • Attention Deficit Disorder/Hyperactivity (ADD/ADHD)
    • Bipolar Disorder
    • Depression
    • Eating Disorders

2. Research the mental health disorder.

Before starting your document, immerse yourself in first thoroughly learning about your topic. Discuss findings with your group. Research multiple resources. Before starting your document, you should be able to reasonably verbally explain your disorder to someone.

The areas that you will be assessed on are as follows:

  • Definition
  • Causes
  • Symptoms
  • Treatments
  • Anything other facts or interesting information that you have learned that you feel is relevant

When researching, you should record your research websites. A works cited page is required at the end of your document. Information conveyed should be complete and thorough. Do your best work as a group!

Websites that you are encouraged to use are as follows:

3. Create your document.

Your document should be created using Google Slides. The title slide should be your topic. Each area you research should have its own separate slide. A works cited page should be your last slide. Presentations should be neat, visually appealing, and free of spelling or grammatical errors. All slides should be fully complete and specific with the information required. This should be a high quality document, as all groups' presentations will be compiled so it can be distributed to all students as a learning and review resource. Lastly, all students should be working equally on the project.

4. Submit your document.

When complete, share your Google Slides document.

5. Present your document to the class.

All students will actively participate in the presentation.

Evaluation

1. Research topic fully following established guidelines

2. Create a Google Slide conveying required information

3. Accurate works cited slide

4. Present findings to the class

5. Complete group participation survey

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have become an "expert" on a mental health disorder! You were able to work as part of a team to educate the entire class on a very important topic. Mental health disorders can be a difficult topic to discuss and I am proud of your efforts. I hope that what you have learned through your research or from what other students taught you can lead you to positive outcomes involving mental health and disorders.

I will be compiling a Google Sheet with each group's presentation and sharing with you. You can save this as a future resource and you can also use it for review at the end of the unit for the test. Great work on creating this important document!

Credits

Internet Resources