“The need for students’ understanding of the value of the neurosciences—and the damaging effects of illicit drug use, the mechanisms of addiction, and the scientific and ethical basis of animal-based drug abuse research—is critical to creating a better future for our children.”
—From the Introduction to This Is Your Brain

This innovative curriculum presents 10 comprehensive, ready-to-use lessons about contemporary real-world issues involved in drug use and abuse. Following scientific method principles, the 45-minute lessons guide your middle school students through brain structure and function as well as the neurobiology of drug addiction. In addition, the unit explores the role of biomedical research in understanding addiction and prevention, and the ethics of including animals in biomedical research.

The lessons cover:
• How the brain works
• How drugs affect the brain
• Why research is important
• Applying ethics to research
• The future of research

Supplemental material includes assessments and teacher resources.

Filled with skill-based, multi-curriculum activities, This Is Your Brain includes specific lesson plans for teachers, interactive learning materials for students, and companion materials for parents. The unit is ideal for middle school teachers of science, health, physical education, and family consumer science as well as guidance counselors, social workers, psychologists, and nurses.

This curriculum was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and developed in consultation with nationally recognized experts. It can help you meet an important ethical need in scientific education among young people as you generate greater understanding of scientists who rely on evidence derived from animal research.