Helping Bob's Drug Abuse WebQuest

Welcome: Helping Bob’s Drug Abuse WebQuest

Grade Level: Year 8

Curriculum: Health and Physical Education

Topic: Communicating and interacting for the health and wellbeing

Author: Juanna Subek

Introduction

Drug use among teenagers is greatly influenced by their social environment. Recognising the benefits of

positive relationships through strong family connections, healthy friendships and supportive schools and

communities can help prevent teenagers from engaging in unhealthy activities. Health promotion

strategies within a community can also help create awareness by educating individuals' about the health

impacts of teenage drug use. Such strategies can help maintain a healthy community, while also

educating individuals who require assistance in seeking help.

Today, you are going gain some knowledge about a drug of choice by researching its effects, impacts,

treatment options and prevention strategies. While working in pairs, you are going to use the information

you’ve gathered to create a poster. The poster will be presented to your classmates to show how  health

education and positive influences within the community can help benefit the health and wellbeing of

individuals.

Poster presentations will be held in 2 weeks!!

                                                          LET’S START THIS QUEST!

You are approached by a fellow student who’s concerned about his friend Bob. The student has noticed

that Bob’s behaviour has changed dramatically. He’s afraid that Bob’s drug use is getting out of control

and doesn’t know how to help him. Unfortunately, you both have limited knowledge on the effects of drug

use and the strategies that are required to help Bob.  Therefore, during recess, both you and your friend

decide to go to the library to gain some knowledge about teenage drug abuse. While browsing the

internet, you come across a WebQuest called, “Helping Bob's Drug Abuse WebQuest.”

What a coincidence!!

Today must be your lucky day!! ;)

                                                    LET’S SEE HOW WE CAN HELP BOB!! :)

Task

Your task is to work with a partner and choose on drug to research about Bobs drug abuse. You will gain

information about the drugs effects and its impacts on individuals, families and communities. You will also

find information about treatment and prevention strategies that can be applied to help a drug user. This

WebQuest includes various questions that you must complete with provided resources to that will help you

gain relevant information about your drug of choice. At the end of the questionnaire, you will have learned

enough knowledge to help assist Bob with possible options to live a healthier lifestyle.

The information you gather will also be used to help you create a poster that will be presented to your

class mates.  Your poster should be engaging and informative to an audience with little knowledge about

drug abuse and the available, support and treatment options.   

Drug choices:

Assessment Criteria

Using the links and resources provided, you and your partner will create a poster about your drug of covering topics including:

• The effects of the drug on the body - (physical, mental, emotional and social health)
• Factors that influence teenage drug use - (family issues, peer-pressure, low self- esteem, bullying etc.) 
• Drug Treatment - (what treatment is out there for teenage drug abusers)
• Drug Prevention - (how can positive relationships help prevent teenage drug use)
• Resources – at least 3

Poster Tips:

• Is your poster visually attractive?
• Is all the content in your poster effective?
• Will your audience learn more about the issue and how they can help?

Process

Here's a quick video for a recap of last weeks drug abuse content.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2WD2FVUI5A

1. You are required to find a partner and choose one drug to research about the ways in which you can help Bob
2. You are required to answer a 5 Part questioner in relation to your drug of choice, using the resources provided on the resources page.

The questions offer guidance in gaining background knowledge for your chosen drug and build a foundation for your poster. Make sure you answer all the questions sufficiently.

4. After completing all the answers you should have acquired some basic information about the drug and how you can help Bob? (Part 5)
5. In your groups, you are required to make a poster which will help create awareness on the effects of teenage drug abuse and the treatment and prevention options available for them.
6. Please refer to your assessment criteria for your poster content requirements.
7. Review the evaluation to see how your group will be assessed on the presentation of your poster.

Part 1: Answer the following questions about chosen topic

For part 1, use the provided resources below to find information that is relevant to your drug of choice.

• Define health and wellbeing.
• Reasons why teenagers take drugs?
• What is the drug?
• What is the category of the drug?
• What are the common side effects?
• What are the symptoms of overdose
• Is the drug addictive?
• What are the short term effects?
• What are the long term effects?

Part 2: Teen Substance Abuse Prevention

Teenage Substance Abuse Prevention website https://www.addictioncenter.com

Home > Teen Drug Abuse> Teen Substance Abuse Prevention

1. What are the negative consequences of teenage substance abuse?
2. Which kind of teens are typically at risk?
3. How can family involvement help?

Part 3 Self-Management and Recovery Training

SMART Self-Management and Recovery Training website https://www.smartrecovery.org

Home page > Online Community

List and describe tools and techniques of The SMART Recovery 4-Point Program

1.

2.

3.

4.

Part 4: What do if someone you know has a problem with drugs?

National Institute on Drug Abuse website https://www.drugabuse.gov

Menu > Related Topics > Treatment > what to do if your teen or young adult has a problem with drugs

• How do you know a teenager has a substance use disorder?
• Why can’t the teenager stop using drugs on their own?
• How can you start helping the teenager?
• What to do if the teenager refuses to cooperate and possible interventions?
• List some treatment centres.
• What kind of counselling could be best for your teenager?
• What are support groups, and how may they help?
• Where can you find more information on a treatment and recovery?

Part 5 Helping Bob

Now that you have gained so much information about your chosen drugs and gained knowledge about healthy living . Describe 3 ways you can help Bob.

1.

2.

3.

Other Resources

Queensland Government Health

https://www.qld.gov.au/health

Alcohol and teenagers

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/alcohol-teenagers

Teens: Drug use and the brain

https://teens.drugabuse.gov/

National Drugs Campaign

http://www.drugs.health.gov.au/internet/drugs/publishing.nsf/content/youth

Australian and Drug Foundation

http://adf.org.au/

The Salvation Army

http://www.salvationarmy.org.au/en/Get-Assistance/Alcohol--Other-Drugs/

Evaluation

Your poster presentation will be graded using the following rubric. This task will be marked as group.  

Mark out of 100/ Weighing 20%

                                                                Rubric

Name of Group Members

Drug Topic:

Conclusion

                    Congratulations!!

You are now a positive influence for the health and wellbeing of students in the school community.

After completing this WebQuest you have acquired sufficient knowledge to identify the importance of

drug free health. As a result, you have used your new found health knowledge to help Bob.

                                                        Thank you for helping Bob :)

Please continue researching more about the effects of other teenage drug use from the provided resources.

Thank you to the Australian Curriculum website.

Also, thanks to YouTube.

Rational

By Juanna Subek for EDU302 Task3

This task was formulated based on the Australian Curriculum of Year 7 & 8 Health and Physical Education

(HPE); topic communicating and interacting for the health and wellbeing topic. (ACARA, 2017) The HPE

curriculum for year 7 and 8 students require competence in critical inquiry skills, research and analysis

capabilities, and understanding the influential factors that affect the health, safety and wellbeing of

themselves and others. As online learning has become a vital part of the Australian Curriculum, (ACARA,

2017) the implementation of a WebQuest was used as an inquiry based learning tool for this task.

WebQuests are beneficial to both students and teachers. It allows teachers to scaffold a high order of

thinking and learning for students, through advance knowledge acquisition and procedures. (Ikpeze &

Boyd, 2007) Students are able to make effective use of their time through the use of relevant resources

supplied by teachers. This is more beneficial, in comparison to the unproductive search methods required

through the poorly structured internet environment. The constructive approach of WebQuests enable

students to manage and control their own learning while teacher assistance, promotes and supports their

learning. (Milson and Downey, 2001) Furthermore, WebQuests allow Blooms Taxonomy to be executed

consistently throughout the task. The six cognitive levels promote thoughtful literacy skills, enabling

students to process information using a variety of complex thinking skills throughout the WebQuest task.

(Forehand, 2010)

In guidance with the Australian Curriculum of Year 7 & 8 Health and Physical, this WebQuest helps

identify the assessment of student’s health literacy skills when applying problem solving techniques in

order to promote healthy living.

Rational references:

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (2017). Foundation to Year 10 Curriculum: ICT General Capability. Retrieved from: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/health-and-physical-education/?year=12997&strand=Personal%2C+Social+and+Community+Health&capability=Literacy&capability=Information+and+Communication+Technology+%28ICT%29+Capability&capability=Critical+and+Creative+Thinking&capability=Personal+and+Social+Capability&elaborations=false&scotterms=false&isFirstPageLoad=false

Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). (2017). Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability. Retrieved from: http://v7-5.australiancurriculum.edu.au/GeneralCapabilities/Pdf/ICT

Milson, A. J., & Downey, P. (2001). WebQuest: Using Internet resources for cooperative inquiry.

Ikpeze, C. H., & Boyd, F. B. (2007). Web‐Based Inquiry Learning: Facilitating Thoughtful Literacy With WebQuests. The Reading Teacher, 60(7), 644-654.

Forehand, M. (2010). Bloom’s taxonomy. Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology, 41, 47.