EMC 675 Class Web Quest:
Substance Abuse

This Web Quest on Substance Abuse was written
during the Fall 1997 Critical Issues in Technology class at ASU West by
Jolene Barresi, Carrie McCune, Mary O'Malley and Kevin Rapps,
under the guidance of Dr. Alice Christie.

The Task

Your best friend, Chris, is in the hospital. Chris was rushed to the emergency room by ambulance last night and is in critical condition. Although they cannot talk with their patient, Chris's doctors feel certain they are dealing with a drug overdose. This comes as a total surprise to you. You have no idea that Chris may have been involved with drugs. Your shock is compounded by your lack of knowledge about drugs, drug addition, telltale signs of drug consumption, and ways to get help when drugs become a problem. Your job, then, is to:

  • Become an expert about illegal drugs and issues surrounding their use.
  • Create an ad or poster that visually conveys the message you want to get across.
  • Demonstrate your commitment to fight drug use by writing an editorial for the local paper.
  • Get your classmates' attention and give them a memorable message using a music video, skit, or TV commercial.

The Process

  1. Determine how you will organize information in your journal. You will use this to record all information and activities throughout the project, including a log of your daily activities, brainstorming questions, notes from research, comments from other students, drafts of project tasks, etc.

  2. Conduct research on one drug and respond to the following questions:
    • Describe the culture surrounding the use of this drug.
    • At what age do youths often become involved with this drug?
    • What influences people to use drugs?
    • What keeps them using drugs?
    • What role does peer pressure play in drug use among youths?
    • What are the facts about this drug?
    • What are the myths about this drug?
    • What can you find out about the people producing this drug?
    • What are the physical and psychological risks to using this drug?
    • Is this drug natural or synthetic?
    • Is it addictive upon first use?
    • What are the behavioral and psychological symptoms of use?
    • What are the laws surrounding the use of this drug?
    • Collect any other interesting or important facts.

  3. In your journal, brainstorm the position and supporting facts you will use to convince Chris to seek help with his alleged drug problem.

  4. Collect anti-drug ads, posters, etc. and analyze them using the following questions:
    • What graphic design techniques did they use to appeal to you?
    • What does the ad say directly?
    • What does it say indirectly (hinting, suggesting)?
    • Who do you think this advertisement is designed to interest? How does it do this?

  5. Based on your research, design an advertisement or poster to convey your message about drug use. Consider analyzing any ads aimed at your age level for techniques graphic designers use to attract you. Use these techniques in your ad to promote your position against drug use.

  6. Spread the word by writing an editorial to your local newspaper making a persuasive statement about one of the issues related to drug abuse. To get a feel for style and format of this type of writing, read a variety of editorials published in newspapers or magazines. Does the editorial convince you to agree with the author's position? If so, how was it convincing? If not, why wasn't it convincing? How can you relate this to your task of writing an editorial?

  7. Give a message that will stick! Determine how you will convince Chris to seek help with his drug problem. Select from the following presentation ideas or propose your own idea. Regardless of your approach, you need to be convincing, relate important facts, and connect with your audience. You can create a:
    • song and a music video for it
    • skit using a scenario related to youth using drugs
    • TV commercial

  8. Prepare a presentation for your classmates in which you can offer your letters and ad/poster as testimony to your knowledge and commitment.

  9. Present your final product to your classmates on a designated "Youth Against Drug Day" at your school.

Resources

Some sites that will help you accomplish your tasks are listed below. Many have links to additional sites. Visit these sites with your tasks in mind so that you do not become distracted by irrelevant links and waste a lot of valuable time.

Important Note: When you leave this site, you may encounter sites which are biased, opinionated, controversial, or objectionable. If you encounter such sites, simply move to a more appropriate site. The authors of this Web Quest do NOT endorse the use of illegal drugs or under-age drinking.

Alcohol

  • Alcohol Awareness
    Gives a few facts about alcoholism in America. Updated in November 1997, so they are very recent facts. Includes statistics about abuses contributed to alcoholism.
  • Alcohol Awareness: Effects on the body
    Describes the effects of alcohol on the body including metabolism and brain damage.
  • Alcohol Awareness: Alcohol and The Law
    This site describes implications of breaking the law in regards to alcohol.
  • Staying Sober
    A support group for students in recovery. The hot line numbers are in Virginia provided by Virginia Tech.
  • RU Aware?
    Test your knowledge on alcoholism. Blank statements about alcohol are verified as true or false.
  • Alcohol Awareness: Alcohol and Behavior
    Describes false statements about sobering techniques.
  • Just Say No!
    This site is intended for students in grades 6-12 and includes activities for parent involvement, outside projects, and additional resources. This site won the Blue Web'n Award.
  • AA Net
    The first step is admitting to alcoholism. Describes the other steps involved in recovery.
  • Phoenix Resources and Referrals
    Provides resources by number and address for recovery of alcoholism.
  • Another Empty Bottle
    Are your parents alcoholics? Find out how to break this family addiction.

Marijuana

Methamphetamine and Heroin

  • DRUGS DON'T WORK
    A concise statistics page about substance abusers and the effects of substance abuse on daily life activities.
  • AMPHETAMINES
    Resource page on amphetamine, what it's made of, the slang terms used to describe it, what it looks like and how it is used.
  • HELP! MY KID'S ON DRUGS
    This site is called "Help! My kid's on drugs." It gives the warning signals to look for, resources for help, and tips on prevention of substance abuse.
  • METHAMPHETAMINE (ICE)
    Brief description of the most common slang term for methamphetamine and how it is consumed. Additional links here for negative effects and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
  • METH
    Methamphetamine is defined here, along with a list of its other names, uses, and effects.
  • HEROIN
    Detailed description of what heroin is, how it affects people, how it is used and the physiological consequences of its use.
  • FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
    Short commentary on what people can do on a daily basis to stop drug abuse.
  • JOIN TOGETHER ONLINE
    Prevention page with lots of helpful links to other sources for all substances and organizations.
  • DEA PUBLICATION--DRUGS OF ABUSE
    U.S. Dept. of Justice/Drug Enforcement Administration page giving information about heroin.
  • DEA PUBLICATION-DRUGS OF ABUSE
    Reference chart on the uses and effects of heroin.
  • DEA PUBLICATION-DRUGS OF ABUSE
    Controlled substances reference chart on the uses and effects of methamphetamine.

Cocaine

Learning Advice

Get feedback from at least two other people while each part of your project is still in rough draft form. Have them record their comments (what's good, suggestions for improvement) in your journal. Record your reaction to their feedback and any changes you made based on their suggestions.

  • Writing a song: If you're having trouble designing both the music and lyrics, pick out a catchy tune or a popular song to which you can rewrite the lyrics.
  • Performing: Determine whether you would prefer to act out your presentation live or videotape it. If you choose to videotape it, become familiar with the functions of your camcorder, storyboard the presentation, and determine effective shooting techniques.

Evaluation

Use the following questions to evaluate the quality of your work:

  • Were you able to put together accurate and current information about the effects of using drugs?
  • Is your journal complete, including notes, feedback from others, log of activities, etc.
  • Is your poster creative, appealing, and professional looking?
  • Does your skit get your point across? Is it thought provoking and interesting to watch?
  • Is your letter to the editor written in proper form and expressing a clear opinion substantiated by facts? Is it persuasive and supported with facts?

Reflection

  1. Do you feel this was an effective learning experience? Explain.
  2. How did you determine which information was helpful and accurate?
  3. If you were doing this activity again, what would you do differently?
  4. What suggestions or hints would you offer to future students doing this WebQuest?

Conclusion

What have you learned about the effects of drugs that you didn't really know before? In what ways has this project affected you and your opinion about drug use?

Extension

Find out about the new legalization of marijuana for medical purposes laws recently passed in Arizona and California. Why do you think these laws were enacted? What impact do they have on you and your community? Write to your council members supporting or urging action.

Notes to the Teacher

 

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