Minors and Alcohol

Glenda Cranford Moses
Suwannee Elementary West School
Live Oak, FL 32060
89027

OBJECTIVE: Student will learn that it is up to him/her to say no to excessive alcohol consumption. Many students live tormented lives because of alcohol abuse, not knowing they can avoid that torment by living a life of being responsible. Student will know alcohol is illegal for minors.

Vocabulary-(suggestion: you may want to add more depending on how wide of a range you need to cover.)

Introduce the lesson by writing this question on a large piece of paper and place in the center of a bulletin board. You will fill up the space around the question with newspaper articles reporting crimes resulting from excessive alcohol. (See example page.) "If you were the adult in your family and you had a daughter or son, what would you tell your child about the use of alcohol?" "What advice do you think you would give?" Ask children to bring in newspaper articles about any news concerning the use or abuse of alcohol. (Not advertisements) Let each child paraphrase his/her news clipping then post on bulletin board around opening question. (You can get newspapers from the library and have on hand for child to find the news articles on alcohol abuse, if your time is short. Spend a couple of days on this.)

Assign vocabulary - add more if needed.

Ask resource person (State Attorney) to come in and discuss his job in prosecuting people who have lost control of their lives and have become criminals because of excessive alcohol consumption. Schedule enough time for students to ask questions. (approximately one (1) hour) Make arrangements for class to go to local court house the day the judge is sentencing criminals. Have students listen to hear how many are alcohol (drug) related. If possible schedule a walk through the jail after you've heard the sentencing that day.

The next day after the court room visit let children write their feelings about alcohol before he/she started the lesson on alcohol abusiveness, and how they feel now, did they feel differently? If so how or why?

Keep bulletin board up for several days. Let students make posters that say no to abusive alcohol and post on walls outside of room or around the building.

If the teacher wants an evaluation he/she can use vocabulary and meanings as a test, or have student write an essay on "What you would say to someone who insists that you drink alcohol so you can enjoy yourself at a party?"

 

Minors and Alcohol

Vocabulary

1. teetotaller - a person who never drinks alcoholic beverages.

2. social drinker - a person who accepts alcoholic drinks because others around them are drinking.

3. alcohol abuse - is the irresponsible drinking of so much alcohol that it harms or threatens the safety of the drinker as well as other people.

4. drunkenness - is the temporary loss of control over a person's behavior that results from that person having consumed too much alcohol.

5. intoxicated - is a state of being where the person has had so much alcohol they have lost control over the ability to think clearly or has trouble behaving in a responsible way.

6. hangover - the body is reacting to having been poisoned by too much alcohol.

7. detoxification center - a place where excessive drinkers can be taken to clear their bodies of the poison alcohol puts in.

8. detoxification - clear body of alcohol and its poisons. (to get sober)

9. alcoholism - a disease that will last all your life, it is incurable and affects your mind and body.

10. Antabuse - a medication used in treating alcoholism when taken it causes the person to feel very sick as soon as he drinks alcohol. (disulfiram)

11. Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) - a "one day at a time" program organized for recovering alcoholics and their families to help those who have difficulty controlling their intake of alcohol. It is open to anyone with an alcohol problem.

12. Alateen - a "one day at a time" organization for teenagers (12 to 20 years of age). The members help each other face problems that are caused by parents who are alcoholics.

13. minors - anyone under 21 years of age can't be sold alcoholic beverages. (in Florida)

14. Ethyl Alcohol - made from grains such as: barley, corn, wheat or rye, can also be made using fruit juice.

15. Methyl - referred to as wood alcohol and is found in rubbing alcohol among other products.