Teachers, School Nurses and Counselors

Alcohol and the Developing Brain
Teachers, School Nurses and Counselors

Teachers, School Nurses and Counselors

Together, let’s equip students in grades 5-7 with the tools to say “YES” to a healthy lifestyle and “NO” to underage drinking. Explore no-cost digital classroom curriculum and engaging videos that uncover the science behind how alcohol affects developing brains, bodies and behavior.

Digital Exploration

DigitalExplorationCompanionGuide
Digital Exploration
Resource Container
Digital Exploration, Educator Guide, and Classroom Activities
Ask, Listen, Learn: Alcohol and the Developing Brain Digital Exploration
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Ask, Listen, Learn: Alcohol and the Developing Brain Digital Exploration

15-20 minutes

In this interactive module, students will learn about the effects of alcohol on the developing brain and use this information to help them (and their friends!) make informed and responsible decisions when confronted with peer pressure to drink alcohol underage.

Begin Self-Paced Module

Companion Educator Guide

Companion Educator Guide

15-20 minutes

This resource supports and enhances educators’ implementation of the Ask, Listen, Learn: Alcohol and the Developing Brain Digital Exploration and helps connect the module to topics being taught in the classroom.  

Educator Guide

Related Classroom Resources

Classroom Activity

Making Decisions

Grade Level: Grades 5-7
60 minutes

Students investigate the brain processes that occur when making decisions and consider the potential effects of underage drinking on those processes. 

Classroom Activity
Classroom Activity

Refusal Role Play

Grade Level: Grades 5-7
45-60 minutes

Students react to scenarios related to underage drinking with a refusal strategy, an acceptance of a positive alternative, or a strategy to keep friends from making unhealthy choices.

Classroom Activity
Classroom Activity

Ask, Listen, Learn in Your School

Grade Level: Grades 5-7
45–60 minutes

Students work together to create a Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign to educate their peers about the dangers of underage drinking and promote healthy refusal strategies.

Classroom Activity
ScienceBehindEffects
Resource Container
Video and Companion Activity
The Science Behind the Effects of Alcohol on Your Brain

Learn how underage drinking impacts the development of different parts of the brain. Swimmer Nathan Adrian will dive in to investigate the effects on memory, motor skills and physical coordination.

The Science Behind the Effects of Alcohol on Your Brain

Companion Brain Activity

Grade Level: 5–7
45-60 minutes

Alcohol impacts the developing brain in many ways. Challenge your class to consider what might happen to their ability to create, process and even form memories by exploring the science behind alcohol and the developing hippocampus.

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HealthyDecisionsForTheWholeBody
Resource Container
Video and Companion Activity
Healthy Decisions for the Whole Body

Do your students know that underage drinking impacts both their developing brains and their bodies? In this video, Nathan Adrian discusses how alcohol affects the body and gives scientific examples to help students become better informed decision-makers. 

Treat Your Body Like a Top Athlete

Companion Body Activity

Grade Level: 5–7
45-60 minutes

Students will learn why it’s important to make healthy decisions through the eyes and body of swimmer Nathan Adrian. Then, they will examine the science behind how they should treat their own developing bodies.

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InformedStudentsMakeBetterDecisions
Resource Container
Video and Companion Activity
Informed Students Make Better, Healthier Decisions

Drinking underage affects judgment and the ability to make sound decisions. In this video, Nathan Adrian discusses the critical ways kids can stand up to peer pressure and live a healthy lifestyle.

Informed Students Make Better, Healthier Decisions

Companion Behavior Activity

Grade Level: 5–7
45-60 minutes

Students will consider the influence of peer pressure on their ability to make healthy decisions. Then, they will analyze the causes and effects of this pressure and develop an action plan for tackling it in the future.

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Stay tuned as new curriculum is added and explore AskListenLearn.org for additional materials and lesson plans.