Drug Education - Strategies in Use

SDERA D.E.M.O Lesson

This DVD Demonstrates a range of strategies used in a Yr 3 Drug Education Lesson on

Prescriptive and Non-Prescriptive medicines. Answer the following questions in relation to the
lesson watched.

1. Describe the strategies employed by Judy in the Lesson:

i) Introduction:
Activated prior knowledge- skill of classifying
Introduced an open-ended task- classifying medication
Group work- Clearly articulates expectations for group work
Logistics- groups students and provided them with the materials to complete the task
ii) Lesson Steps
1. Students explore the different medications through a hands-on learning activity. In their group’s students
read labels and discus what they know about certain medications.
2. Questioning- teacher monitors the groups and asks prompting question to guide the student’s
classification of the medicines
3. Whole class sharing- provided groups with an opportunity to share classifications as a whole class
4. Questioning- asking whole class questions about medication
5. Understanding- using an anecdotal story that is relatable to students (Panadol/ character a similar age to
students) to deliver a key health message
6. Worksheet with a partner- design a storage unit that safely holds medications
iii) Conclusion
Worksheet- students applied their knowledge and working with a partner designed their own safety
storage cabinet for medications

2. If you were writing the objectives for this lesson, what would they be.
1. Classify medications into 2 distinctive categories
2. Understand that medicine must be safely stored to maintain safety
3. Demonstrate turn taking in a group task

3. What methods has Judy used to assess student knowledge throughout the lesson?
- Observations/ Anecdotal notes: During the classification task the teacher used observations to assess
evaluate student understanding
- Questioning: during the sharing activity the teacher asked questions that showed students understand on
the topic of medication such as labels to assess students understanding.
- Worksheet: The worksheet is a concrete work sample that the teacher can use to evaluate students
understanding of the safe storage of medications

4. Group work is an integral part of the lesson. What class rules are in place to ensure the effective use of group
work? Why is it so important to have these rules in place?
Ask sensible question, Listening and respecting people’s ideas, taking turns, do not put other people’s ideas
down. This helps to encourage all students to actively participate and engage in the learning, it also limits
unfavourable behaviour and disruptions to student learning.

5. What elements of the lesson appealed to you?

The task was open-ended and required students to be hands on
The learning was highly contextualised to students- using medicines from home
Learning activities promoted discussion

6. Were there parts of the lesson that you would have done differently? If yes, how would you change the lesson.
Organisational- controlling the transition of students from mat to limit distractions/ off task behaviour
Questioning: Same students were answering questions. Using pop sticks could be a more effective way to
ensure all students can respond to questions
7. From SCSA, which Focus Area does this lesson come from? What is the Content Descriptor/ ACARA code and
Elaboration that best fits the lesson content?
Focus Area: alcohol and other drugs (AD)
Content Descriptor: Actions in daily routines that promote health, safety and wellbeing (ACPPS036)
ACARA Code: ACPPS036
Elaboration: identifying how medications and other substances can be stored safely in the home and at school

8. Using the Notre Dame Lesson Plan template, write a lesson plan using the content from the lesson you have
just watched. You may want to make modifications – refer to Q6.