Author:
Lauri Bell, Brittany Echols, MSDE Admin, Lea Jaspers
Subject:
Health, Medicine and Nursing
Material Type:
Lesson Plan
Level:
Lower Primary
Grade:
K, 1, 2
Tags:
  • Health
  • MSDE
  • MSDE Health
  • Medication
  • Medicine
  • Opiods
  • Safe
  • Safety
  • License:
    Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike
    Language:
    English

    Appropriate Use of Medication

    Appropriate Use of Medication

    Overview

    The Maryland State Department of Education is working to prevent the misuse and abuse of opioids. This is a student-centered lesson for the K-2 grade band. This lesson can be modified or remixed to meet the needs of the students you teach. The content of this lesson includes teaching students the ground rules for taking medicine as well as having student identify under what circumstances they should be taking medicine.

    Introduction

    Step 1: Introduce the topic by asking students the following series of questions:

    1. How do you know if something is safe or unsafe? 
    2. How do you know when food or drink is safe for you? 
    3. Are medicines safe? 
    4. Are there times when medicines are not safe? 

    After you have given time for students to answer these questions, then debrief students’ answers. When debriefing ensure you address the following points:

    • Not all things are safe to eat and drink. The location of an object can help you determine whether or not it is safe to eat or drink. Ask students where does their family keep most food/drinks that are safe for them to drink/eat?
    • Show pictures of a medicine cabinet and a refrigerator. Discuss why would or why wouldn't objects found in these places be safe to ingest. 

    *Show actual pictures of different items that would be found in the refrigerator and medicine cabinet. 

    Step 2:  After this discussion have students identify foods and medicine that they or their peers maybe allergic to, along with medicines that could be harmful. You may have to  prompt students to share medicines that are good, and then explain that these medicines can be harmful when the wrong quantity is taken or when the medicine is used incorrectly.  

    Warm-up:

    1. How do you know if something is safe or unsafe? 
    2. How do you know when food or drink is safe for you? 
    3. Are medicines safe? 
    4. Are there times when medicines are not safe? 

    Learning Activity/Guided Practice

    Step 3: Safe vs. Unsafe Activity- In these activity, students will sort objects that are healthy from unhealthy, identify  types of medicines, as well as identify trusted adults.

    *Preparation time is required- Have a bin of pretend foods, empty medicine bottles, empty pill bottles, empty detergent, etc.

    Have students sort items (listed above) by safe to ingest and unsafe to ingest (start with the foods). When you get to the medicine bottle, discuss why they are sometimes safe when given by an adult and at an appropriate time (when needed), but otherwise can be harmful if taken without an adult supervising.
    After sorting, discuss the following important rules:

    1.  Do not accept any food, drink, or medicine from anybody without checking with a parent, guardian, trusted adult, or doctor/health care provider (nurse/ school nurse,).
    2. Discuss when it is appropriate to take medicine and the different types of medicines (pain relievers, antihistamines, antibiotics, etc.).
    3. Identify common medicines (Motrin, Tylenol, Tums, Allergy Medicine, Vicks, etc…) and their intended uses.

    Refer to teacher description

    Independent Practice

    Step 4: Instruct students to illustrate a situation where a child is using medicine correctly.  Have students draw a picture of themselves taking medicine.  Before they draw, have students think about/answer the following questions: Who is giving you the medicine?  Why are they giving you the medicine?  How do you know it is safe to take the medicine?  Have students share with a partner.  Also, review the safe rules for medicine use, after students share their illustrations.

    Draw a picture of yourself taking medicince. When creating this picture, keep the following in mind:

    1. Who is giving you the medicine? 
    2. Why are they giving you the medicine? 
    3. How do you know it is safe to take the medicine? 

    Closure

    Step 5: Have students share their illustration with a partner. If students need guidance when sharing illustration, have them ask each the questions from "Step 4."  Also, review the safety rules for medicine use, after students share their illustrations.

    1. Always take medicine with a trusted adult.  (parents, guardian, responsible family member, nurses, etc.)
    2. Never take medicine from strangers.
    3. Only take medicine when a trusted adult says you really need it.
    4. Just because you took medicine one time, doesn't mean you always need medicine.  
    5.  More medicine is not always better.

    *You can add to list, have students add to list, or even have students create their own list as a class, based on what they learned in the lesson.

    Refer to teacher description