Our+group+discussion

=To Diane: Just so you can see some of the thinking behind this project. . .= Theme: "Some people are in so much emotional pain, they turn to drugs, alcohol, or self injury as an escape, but those things just magnify the original problems and cause new ones." =NATALIE: Hey group. I look forward to working with all of you.We'll designate this page to post any announcements or for general brainstorming ideas.=

"Drug Abuse Brochure" lasts two fifty minute periods and includes national standards. It also has a crossword puzzle that might be a good opening activity: [] Scholastic has a WONDERFUL bank of articles and activities focused on drug and alcohol use and its impact on young people. Lots of free lesson plans and reproducibles with this one. We could mix and match without reinventing the wheel: [] Here's the mother-lode for video clips and books about alcohol and drug abuse in young people. The links at the bottom of the page are excellent as well. ** Our opening activity could be to view two of the videos about teen drug and alcohol use/abuse then have a worksheet, crossword puzzle, discussion, journal, etc to wrap it up: ** []
 * Dede Pazour: I did some brainstorming by googling and following these links. Check these out.** As guides or jumping off points: Discovery Health has a library lesson on the theme "Deadly Highs: Substance Abuse" for grades 6-8; it lasts for five class periods. []

Books about Teen Drinking Buzzed, Cynthia Kuhn Are You Dying For a Drink?: Teenagers and Alcohol Abuse, Laurel Graeber Twisted, Laurie Halse Anderson Addressing Addiction, Thematic Guide to Young Adult Fiction-Text Excerpt w/ 4 book recommendations and lots of great info so we don't necessarily have to try to read all of the books. []

Melissa Budde: Another book we could use for this unit could be //Cut// by Patricia Mccormick. We could talk center the unit around self abuse and why teens harm themselves. I like the opening ideas that Dede has listed above about viewing some video clips and then having a discussion or journal entry. What do you all think?

Natalie Schiele: I agree with Melissa. For our class, the video clips/journal entry might be the most practical and easy to pull off. The others might require computer use and it doesn't seem like our location is condusive to that. We should try to perhaps pick four books that address different addictions teens face: __Cut__ is a good one for self-abuse. I've also read __Twisted__--which address teen suicide and bullying more than teen drinking as listed before. I think someone mentioned __Perfect__ by Natasha Friend, which addresses eating disorders and teen depression, __Crank__ by Ellen Hopkins address teen drug use--should we have 5-another about alcohol abuse? I can bring in Crank as a text to show because I have a copy. Should we make a list of what needs to be done between now and Monday-I will not have internet access Wednesday afternoon-Friday morning or all day Saturday, but I can certainly help anytime Sunday-Monday. I would ideally like to have a lot of this done by Monday class so that we can perhaps finish up and finalize during the week. Thanks Dede for getting these ideas started. Great work.

Melissa: I think those four books are good choices. They would all appeal to the high school student. It is also nice to have a variety of different addictions to use for the thematic unit. I do not have any copies of the book at home, but maybe Natalie could bring in __Crank__ and we could print out a copy of each book cover for the others to show to the rest of the class. What does everyone think?

Mary Ann: Thanks Natalie for creating the wiki and thanks Dede for getting the ideas started. Dede I couldn't find the videos you mentioned- I thought I would start there by viewing them to see which ones we would show. Do we want to go with Melissa's idea of centering on self abuse?

Melissa: I have added some ideas in the themes and objectives sections. Take a look and see if we need to change or add something to this.

Mary Ann: __Smack__ by Melvin Burgess is another book we could add to the list. It's about heroin addiction.

=**7/10 3:14a.m. Dede:**= Sorry my video link was a dud. You have to subscribe to that wiki to access it. Now I've got even BETTER clips!

I think we should be fine using the smartboard and computer connection at class. We have to be 21st Century librarians after all. I went onto Youtube for a couple of hours and pored over videos on these topics. I found three that were very powerful and I'd love for you to take a look and to weigh in on them (unintended pun for eating disorders). Rather than putting on a street-drug and alcohol video for substance abuse, I discovered that prescription drug abuse is on the rise while other substance abuse is decreasing. This seems more valid as a tool to instruct AND serve our student community. I think we agreed that this is a high school level unit, so these videos should be okay. There may be a temptation to shy away from the Rx drug video because it might "give the kids ideas." Many kids don't understand that misused prescription drugs are just as dangerous and addictive as street drugs and it's really important for them to know this. We'll still have the street-drug books because that's a concerns as well.

Here are new and better Youtube links, with lengths and some thoughts and connections. I put them in the order that they most naturally flow.

[|Cut] by Patricia Mccormick ( Paperback - Feb 1, 2002)
 * VIDEO** [] "The Secret Cut" ( Trailer for hour long documentary/help video. Very powerful on its own to start a dialogue. Mentions eating disorders. Smooth transition to next clip. 4:58) Tie-in to:
 * [[image:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41GWQ89YX3L._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_SH30_OU01_AA115_.jpg width="115" height="115" caption="Product Details" link="http://www.amazon.com/Cut-Patricia-Mccormick/dp/0439324599/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247216336&sr=8-1"]] ||
 * Product Details ||

[|Perfect: A Novel] by Natasha Friend ( Paperback - Sep 16, 2004)
 * VIDEO** [] ("Anorexia's Living Face" European anorectic discusses her disease. Graphic images of emaciated body 5:28) Tie in to:
 * [[image:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41ME7BT3CXL._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_SH30_OU01_AA115_.jpg width="115" height="115" caption="Product Details" link="http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Novel-Natasha-Friend/dp/1571316515/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247216428&sr=8-1"]] ||
 * Product Details ||


 * VIDEO** [] (Eye To Eye With Katie Couric: Rx Drug Abuse (CBS News) 3:44) Tie-in to all of the substance abuse novels...

[|Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines] by Nic Sheff ( Paperback - Jan 6, 2009) [|Crank] by Ellen Hopkins ( Paperback - Oct 5, 2004) [|Lush] by Natasha Friend ( Paperback - Sep 1, 2007)
 * [[image:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51MGZ5JQltL._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_SH30_OU01_AA115_.jpg width="115" height="115" caption="Product Details" link="http://www.amazon.com/Tweak-Growing-Methamphetamines-Nic-Sheff/dp/1416972196/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247216754&sr=8-1"]] ||
 * Product Details ||
 * [[image:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41VN5xr0M6L._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_SH30_OU01_AA115_.jpg width="115" height="115" caption="Product Details" link="http://www.amazon.com/Crank-Ellen-Hopkins/dp/0689865198/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247216809&sr=8-2"]] ||
 * Product Details ||
 * [[image:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31eey9kziKL._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_SH30_OU01_AA115_.jpg width="115" height="115" caption="Product Details" link="http://www.amazon.com/Lush-Natasha-Friend/dp/0439853478/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247216847&sr=8-4"]] ||
 * Product Details ||

[|Smack] by Melvin Burgess ( Paperback - May 13, 2003) [|RunAway: A Survivor] by E. Layne Kelly ( Paperback - May 26, 2004) This popped up as a recommendation when I was searching so I added it.
 * [[image:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31GYsS0unpL._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_SH30_OU01_AA115_.jpg width="115" height="115" caption="Product Details" link="http://www.amazon.com/Smack-Melvin-Burgess/dp/0060521872/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247216901&sr=8-1"]] ||
 * Product Details ||
 * [[image:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51E181M8NPL._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_SH30_OU01_AA115_.jpg width="115" height="115" caption="Product Details" link="http://www.amazon.com/RunAway-Survivor-E-Layne-Kelly/dp/0975325205/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247217041&sr=1-2"]] ||
 * Product Details ||

Some Informational/Non-fiction choices [|Dying for a Drink: The Hidden Epidemic of Alcoholism] by Santi Meunier ( Paperback - Dec 17, 2007) [|Addiction by Prescription] by Joan E. Gadsby ( Hardcover - Mar 1, 2000)
 * [[image:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ATVHgWWLL._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_SH30_OU01_AA115_.jpg width="115" height="115" caption="Product Details" link="http://www.amazon.com/Dying-Drink-Hidden-Epidemic-Alcoholism/dp/0595473962/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247217329&sr=1-2"]] ||
 * Product Details ||
 * [[image:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41RHVGJCCAL._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_SH30_OU01_AA115_.jpg width="115" height="115" caption="Product Details" link="http://www.amazon.com/Addiction-Prescription-Joan-E-Gadsby/dp/1552631567/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247217329&sr=1-3"]] ||
 * Product Details ||

[|Eating Disorders For Dummies (For Dummies (Health & Fitness))] by Susan Schulherr ( Paperback - Mar 4, 2008)
 * [[image:http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GZe9i5vzL._SL160_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-dp,TopRight,12,-18_SH30_OU01_AA115_.jpg width="115" height="115" caption="Product Details" link="http://www.amazon.com/Eating-Disorders-Dummies-Health-Fitness/dp/0470225491/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247217665&sr=1-8"]] ||
 * Product Details ||

Rather than watch the videos straight through, I thought we could intersperse each video viewing with a one minute journal response and use the last few minutes of our presentation/activity to allow the "students" to share their thoughts. That should take up 15-20 minutes. How does that sound to everybody? I can be responsible to the technology piece of this and maybe we can all come up with some journal prompts after viewing the videos. Or I could do the whole thing and then do a little less on the main project. Will this be a choice project where the students pick the book and issue they want to know more about (out of the above choices)?

NATALIE: Great work on these videos Dede. Were you really up at 3:14 am? You're crazy, girl! I think you've done a great job getting us going here. If you would wouldn't mind writing the journal entries and then look forward to an easy week and the rest of the group can do the rest of the requirements. I think the prescription drug issue is very important but the news clip is geared more toward an audience of parents. What does the group think about this one instead? []

Also, I put together a bibliography and will make copies for the class. It just has a list of books-nonfiction and fiction that students might be able to pick from to either for this hypothetical health class or just to read in further detail. Bibliography for thematic unit.doc Let me know if there is something else on here that we should add. There are certainly a lot to choose from. I tried to pick a variety that would interest both boys and girls, hit the nonfiction/poetry/fiction requirement piece. I'll also post to the literature link not as an attachment but as typed text so it is easier to add to.

DEDE: I like your alternative prescription drug video Natalie. We'll go with that one, plus it has an excellent lead in to the anorexia clip because at the very end it mentions "perfect appearance." I'll go ahead and prepare journal prompts and run those by you guys for final approval. Natalie, also a great job on the bibliography! It's coming along.

Melissa: Dede - the video clips are great. Thanks for spending the time looking for those. I also think we should use the other one Natalie found. It does seem more geared to students and transitions nicely into the anorexia video. I think all these videos will be perfect for engaging students and getting them interested in the unit. I believe the students should also have the choice to read which book they want; that will engage them more in the unit. Dede - if you need any help coming up with journal questions, just let us know. I can easily send you some questions.

Dede: I think we also need to walk into class on Monday with a specific theme, which is really a lesson message. This is what Diane has listed on the shell: "Theme: A central idea that ties the story together and answers such questions as what the story means and what there is to think about when it is all over." A theme isn't a one word topic such as love, hope, forgiveness. It's a lesson.

So, after exploring cutting, drug, and alcohol use, we're not talking so much about addiction but about the causes of addiction and the reasons that adolescents turn to these things.

How does this sound for a theme? "Some people are in so much emotional pain, they turn to drugs, alcohol, or self injury as an escape, but those things just magnify the original problems and cause new ones."

LISA: Hi guys--Sorry that I've been so invisible on this project so far--I'm happy to take on the lion's share of next week's work, or whatever work remains for this week (today and tomorrow). Is there anything that I can help with for tomorrow's presentation? After reading through the thread, it seems that tomorrow's presentation is pretty solid:

I was looking through the books that we'll be talking about, and I was wondering if it wouldn't be interesitng to include (with the TWEAK novel if we're using that one) the FACES OF METH website that Multnomah County Sheriff's Office made public a few years ago (2004 I think) which compares mug shot photos of meth users over a span of months to years--it's a really horrific, yet realistic look, at the rapid degeneration that occurs through the use of meth:

[|__http://www.drugfree.org/Portal/DrugIssue/MethResources/faces/index.html__]

[|I] think that the theme sounds very solid and does a good job encompassing the myriad of addiction subjects we're looking at.

Anyway, sorry again for being so invisible--not as an excuse, but somewhat of an explanation, I'm almost 8 months pregnant and this entire pregnancy has been a totally complicated affair, and this past week has been a really rough one.

But I hope that my work next week on our project will make up for that!

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow,

Lisa

MELISSA: I think the theme sounds good. Let's go with it.

DEDE: Okay, I've finished the activity sheet that accompanies the video clips. I added a very short (and brilliant) video clip about binge drinking at the end since this is so common among teens. Please let me know if you see anything that needs to be changed before I print off copies for the class. Thanks!

LISA: Hi Dede, I think the activity sheet looks great. Just a small mistype with "incorrectly" misspelled in the second prescription drug question. Also, just a thought about the first question where you're asking about "which is most addictive"...would it make sense to add another option about the addictive nature of self-injury (cutting, anorexia) since it figures so prominently in the discussion and can be so addictive in it's own right? Great job! I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.

DEDE: Thanks Lisa! I made the changes and added over-the-counter drugs to the addictive question as well. Good call. I think we're all set. Whew! TU Pre-test and Viewer Responses.doc

NATALIE: Looks great. I will also bring copies of the bibliography for the class, along with the book Crank and a print out of covers for several others. Where's MaryAnn in all of this? I've emailed her but have gotten no response. Great work team!

Mary Ann: I haven't received any emails!!!! I left a couple of notes but they seemed to have gotten mixed up with Melissa's.

Mary Ann: I had time earlier in the week to work on the project but had trouble since I couldn't find Dede's videos and I didn't want to go off on my own since I don't have any experience with high school students so I was hoping to follow Natalie's and Dede's lead. I was out of town over the weekend so I wasn't able to work on it. It looks like you did a lot of work on it- thanks. I know I don't have much experience with high school students, but would we really show all those videos for an opening activity? I know I wouldn't be able to show them in my district. We can only show curriculum approved videos. Mary Ann: I'm sorry guys I don't think I can handle this topic- the cutting, drug and alcohol abuse, and anorexia is just too much for me. I've spent most of the morning crying. I tried getting a hold of Diane but I can't find a phone number for her. I'm going to ask her if I could just do something on my own.

L ISA: Hi there, I know I'm coming in late in the game (!!), but I've really been giving this project a lot of thought in the past few days. I've read all the posts and looked at all the videos, and I think you guys have done some tremendous work!!

I did have an idea, tho, if we were looking for another angle to complement the anorexia disorder/complex. I was thinking that since obesity is such a major epidemic these days, especially among young people, that it might be interesting (if we've got space and time, not necessarily for today's class) to add in some titles/information about food addiction. Food addiction is just as horribly devastating as any other addiction, and learning about the causes and effects of such a disorder might help teenagers with their own body images, or might only serve to increase their compassion for overweight/obese people.

I was thinking that an excellent, critically acclaimed novel that fits into this theme is Wally Lamb's SHE'S COME UNDONE.

I don't know if anyone else has read it, but the female teenager at the beginning of the story copes with personal tragedies in her life by eating, and eating, and eating...during the course of the novel, she grows into a young woman with the same food addictions, but does eventually overcome them.

Also, another book that deals with the struggles of food addiction is Chris Crutcher's STAYING FAT FOR SARAH BYRNES. In this novel (if you haven't read it), a teenage boy, who has been grossly overweight for years and is an outcast, struggles between his desire to "stay fat" (for his fellow outcast friend, Sarah), or to continue losing weight through swimming.

Another book that I have read that would also fit well is THE EARTH, MY BUTT, AND OTHER BIG, ROUND THINGS by Carolyn Mackler. It's the winner of the Michael L. Printz Honor, and is about a 15-year-old girl who, because of being overweight, has a huge inferiority complext. Her life is consumed with the internet and junk food, and she always follows the "Fat Girl Code of Conduct."

Anyway, those are just some ideas that I had. Looking forward to see you guys tonight at class!

Ta, Lisa

NATALIE at 2:00 p.m.: Good idea Lisa, but I almost think we will extend ourselves too much if we continue to add every addiction, I will add these three other titles to our bibliography, but then we no longer need anymore books--what we need to concentrate now is how we will set objectives, what assessments will be given to assess the skills learned. Melissa has tossed out a few. I will try either later this afternoon or tomorrow to find two in English--perhaps we could say that this unit is cross-curricular with an English teacher and a Family and Consumer Studies teacher. Anyone good at putting together assessments? We have the pre-test that could certainly turn into something a bit more formal for a final. We have one activity set, then another should perhaps be to pick a book from the list and then create a book trailer that highlights the most significant plot points and how it addresses the essential question: "Some people are in so much emotional pain, they turn to drugs, alcohol, or self injury as an escape, but do those things just magnify the original problems or cause new ones?" Students could use Voicethread or Animoto to create a 1-2 minute trailer, then the third activity could be some sort of research project where the study the abuse that is most relevant to their book. Can someone look back through Dede's posts. I think it might have been the scholastic one that had a great research project. Just a thought but the three assessments could be: the book trailer, some sort of research project final, and then either an in-class essay that answers the essential question or a multiple-choice quiz. We would have to make sure they match up with our objectives which aren't set in stone yet. Just sort of brainstorming in writing here. Hopefully Diane will give us some time tonight to work with our group. To Mary Ann:I totally get that these are really tough topics. I have been working with teens in the classroom for eight years and I do know that these are issues that they face--or really think about. I have taught 10th grade Honors kids for 4 years and it amazes me that even the brightest and most promising students turn to drugs, alcohol or self-injury because they have so much pressure to be perfect. I think that the videos are hard to watch, so it may be appropriate to send home a permission slip before viewing, but I don't think they are inappropriate for high school students. Let us know how the discussion goes with Diane-I support you in your decision.

DEDE: Wed. 11:00pm Here are the final assessments and the key for the multiple choice test. There is a self-assessment portion on the second page of the final test. Please let me know is there's anything else that needs to be done. TU Final Assessment and Self-Assessment.doc TU Final Assessment Key.doc

MELISSA: Thurs. 4:24 PM-- I added the counseling and language arts standards to the objectives page. I will type up the journal writing assignment with a rubric and put that on the assessments page.

NATALIE: Friday 8:30. I worked on the formatting a bit here. We still need activities posted. Good work on the assessments and thanks Melissa for getting the objectives done. I'll be able to work on this today, but will have limited access to the internet tomorrow so I would really like to get this done today. What else still needs to be completed? I can be reached by email natalie@bodocolorado.com or phone today: 303-875-9164.

LISA: Friday 3:30pm--I added in pieces for literature circles (with documents linked) in the Language Arts section. I added in frameworks and role sheets for lit. circles in the activities section (Activity #2), and also an end-of-unit literature circle creative project (4 choices with rubrics) for Activity #3. Do we need another activity? I also made a self-assessment rubric and attached that to our assessment page. I'll be home all night and can work on this as much as necessary--I can also work on this all day tomorrow, if needed...what else do we need to do? P.S. the formatting looks really great!!

LISA: Friday 3:45pm--I decided to add a 4th activity just so we'd have it...

MELISSA: Friday 4:19--I just added the last assessment with a rubric. I think we may be finished with this and can submit it.

DEDE: Friday 4:54 pm-This looks absolutely amazing! Great work team! A special shout out to Natalie who formatted, organized, hosted, and cleaned up this complex wiki! The only thing I noticed is that there is a blank next to the role and responsibilities of the Family and Consumer Studies Teacher. Who did the standards for that one? Could you please fill that last piece in on the main page?

Dede: Friday 5:00pm-I don't know if anyone will see my previous post, so I just added this to the Family and Consumer Studies Teacher's Role: "To help students to develop an effective plan for positive use of leisure time and recreational activities." I took it directly from our standards listed under objectives. I think we're done! Whew! I'm going to submit the link to Diane now. We can still tweak and make small changes if necessary.

MELISSA: Friday 7:41--I agree! This looks amazing. Thanks for submitting this Dede. Great work team! Everyone enjoy your weekend.

LISA: Friday 8:54--Great job! Thanks for submitting this, Dede. Did you post the link, or just e-mail it to Diane?

NATALIE: Saturday, 7:50--I am very impressed by all of this. It has truly been a pleasure working with all of you. I rearranged the navigation bar. It took me a bit to figure that one out. I also added a different logo--please let me know if you had something else in mind. I wanted something general enough to teens but something other than the standard wiki logo. Also to Lisa--how did you add a comment to your update when you worked on the literature and material page? Great additions on the bibliography. I wasn't quite sure what she meant on the annotations but that is great.

LISA: Saturday, 8:24--Hi Natalie--when I hit the "edit" button, underneath whatever you are typing there is an elogated box that says "Optional: a note about this edit for the page history log". So I used it! Where does it come up?