Fake pills are being laced with the highly addictive and often deadly drug. Here’s how to keep yourself—and your friends—safe.
Describe the dangers of fentanyl and the ways teens can prevent opioid overdoses and deaths.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
HEALTH ED STANDARDS
NHES 1: Demonstrate practices and behaviors to support health and well-being of self and others.
CASEL COMPETENCY: Self-Management
KEY VOCAB
opioid
withdrawal
counterfeit
rehabilitation
Lesson Plan: The Scary Truth About Fentanyl
PREPARING TO READ
Invite students to share what they know about opioids. Ask: What are opioids prescribed for? How can they help people? How can they be harmful?
Show the class the video “The Opioid Epidemic.” Note for students that even though the video is from several years ago, the content is still relevant today.
Once the video is over, invite students to share what they found most surprising.
READ AND DISCUSS
Have students read the article independently or in small groups. As they read, have them record answers to the article’s prereading question on a separate sheet of paper: What makes fentanyl such a dangerous drug?
Reconvene and have students share the ideas they wrote down. Then discuss the reflection prompt at the end of the article: What can teens do to help prevent fentanyl deaths?
Review the sidebars “Signs of an Opioid Overdose” and “What to Know About Narcan” together. Remind students that the information can save lives.
RESPOND TO READING
Use the comprehension quiz, critical-thinking questions, or extension activity to reinforce the article’s key ideas.
Print the Lesson Plan
Text-to-Speech