During the lesson, the information for you to know is written in regular type, and what we suggest speaking or reading aloud to children is in bold. All resources for this lesson, including the Teacher Guide and Student Page, can be downloaded in a ZIP file by clicking on the following link:
In some lessons you will find "resource articles." These are articles written by experts from around the world to help equip you for your work with children and adolescents. Share them with parents or guardians if you consider it appropriate.
In the end it bites like a snake. It bites like a poisonous serpent. Your eyes will see strange sights. Your mind will imagine weird things. You will feel like someone sleeping on the ocean. You will think you are lying among the ropes in a boat.
Proverbs 23:32–34
While these Bible verses describe the effects of drinking too much alcohol, there are many things that can make us feel like we are out of control of our bodies. Sometimes medicines that are designed to help us to feel better can have negative effects. This does not mean that we should never take anything to help our bodies heal or to manage our pain. If a medicine is really strong, it is important to balance the benefit it has to your body with any potential harm it could cause.
If you break a leg, it is important to keep off of it as much as possible to allow it to heal. If medicine is available to help you manage the pain, taking it can help your body to heal. God wants you to be healthy, but He also does not want you to become dependent on things that, over time, might hurt you. If you feel like your body cannot handle something you are taking, pray and ask God for wisdom. He will help you to know what to do. You can always turn to Him with your pain. Ask for God to guide your decisions. Be comforted in the knowledge that God will not lead you to harm.
Let families know that you will be discussing drug and alcohol use in the next 2 weeks. Share the Resource Article “Drug–Affected Children” with families to help them to better understand the topic.
Teacher Tip: If possible, email or text the Family Connection Card to the families of your students.
Greet each child as she comes to class.
Welcome! Today we will discuss a difficult but important topic. We will learn about the difference between medicine and drugs. We will learn why drugs are not good for us. First we will play a game to see what you know about the difference between medicine and drugs.
Medicine is something that is given to us by doctors or medical clinics to help treat a disease or illness. You should always take medicine exactly as the doctor or clinic said to take it. You should not share medicine with others because they may not need it, and it could hurt them.
Drugs hurt your body. For a short amount of time, drugs might cause you to feel dizzy, shaky, sick to your stomach, confused, or like you cannot breathe or see well. If you use drugs for a long time, you can start to feel completely out of control of your thoughts and actions. You might not be able to tell the difference between what is in your imagination and what is real. You might find it difficult to learn because drugs hurt your brain. Drugs can cause your skin to hurt and you can lose your teeth and hair. Drugs can be addictive, meaning that once you start using them, it can be very difficult to stop.
In our lesson today, the word “drugs” includes illegal drugs and medicines used in the wrong way. It also includes sniffing strong smelling things like paint or glue. We are not talking about medicine given to you by a doctor or health clinic that is used to cure and help with illnesses and injuries.
Let’s play a game to figure out when something is a drug that is not good for us and when something is a medicine that can be helpful to us. Come stand with me in the middle of our space.
Designate 1 side of your teaching space as “medicine” and the other side as “drugs.” You will read 1 situation at a time. For each situation, the children will answer the question by walking quickly to either the “medicine” side or the “drug” side of the space. After each situation, the children should return to the centre.
In a moment, I will read some situations. After each situation, decide whether medicine or a drug is being used. Then walk quickly to the side of the space we named “medicine” or the side we named “drug.” Let’s try an example.
I was sick yesterday. I went to the doctor, and he gave me pills to take to make me feel better. Walk quickly to the side that shows whether you think I took medicine or drugs.
You are correct! I took medicine because the doctor gave this to me when I was sick. Let’s try a few more examples.
I was given medicine from the doctor when I hurt my arm. I did not need all of it, so my friend took the rest of the pills. (Drug)
My friends found some glue. They sniffed it and so did I. I could not think clearly. (Drug)
When I broke my leg, the doctor gave me medicine. I took it to make my leg feel better. (Medicine)
My friend offered me something he was given by his mother. He said it makes her forget everything. When he took it, he felt dizzy and could not walk well. (Drug)
Medicine helps us feel better when we are sick. Drugs usually make us confused and make it hard for us to control our bodies.
Let’s listen to what the Bible says about putting bad things into our bodies.
Read these verses directly from your Bible.
In the end it bites like a snake. It bites like a poisonous serpent. Your eyes will see strange sights. Your mind will imagine weird things. You will feel like someone sleeping on the ocean. You will think you are lying among the ropes in a boat.
Proverbs 23:32–34
This is how it feels to be drunk on alcohol or affected by drugs. It is not fun. Drugs will make you feel sick. They will prevent you from controlling your movements. You also will not be able to think clearly.
Some people may think that drugs help you escape something painful, but that is not true. Even if you forget your pain right now, it still needs to be healed later. For example, some children may sniff glue to forget about how hungry they are. But while they may not think about it for a short time, they still need food. What is more, sniffing could make it difficult for the children to move or think. It could even cause death. God wants us to ask Him for help and ask trusted adults around us. He cares about our needs and our pain.
Drugs can hurt your body and give you more pain than you already have. For example, taking a drug may make you sick to your stomach or give you a bad headache. They may make life more dangerous for you. If you cannot think clearly, you could end up in a dangerous situation.
Let’s do an activity that will show that we are in control of our bodies. Find a partner.
Once the children are in pairs, ask 1 child from each pair to volunteer to show what it looks like to be in control of his body. Ask the volunteers to walk to a location that you choose. Once all of the children arrive, ask the following questions.
Answers may include: They walked straight. They went where they wanted to go.
Very good! Thank you, volunteers, for showing us what it looks like to be in control of your bodies. Now, we will try the activity again, only this time we will add some challenges. If you did not do the first activity, you will close your eyes and walk backwards for this activity. Your partner will guide you to a place I name. The guides may use words but cannot touch the backwards partners.
Choose a place for the guides to lead their partners. Allow the children 2 minutes to complete the activity.
Answers may include: confused, angry, scared, hurt, and lost.
Let’s compare the first activity we did with the second.
The first activity was easier because the children could see where they were going.
In the second activity we did, it would have been easy for the children to get to (the location you named) if they could have seen where they were going. The children could have focused on where they needed to go and walked there without a problem. When you take drugs, it can be very difficult to know what you are doing. Drugs can make you feel like you are not in control. They can make you feel confused as you try to do things that should be easy.
Sometimes people may take drugs because others around them are doing it. Listen to what the Bible tells us:
Walk with wise people and become wise. A companion of foolish people suffers harm.
Proverbs 13:20
This verse warns you that you may get hurt if you follow people who do foolish things, such as taking drugs or sniffing strong-smelling things. If your friends start taking drugs, think about finding different friends. This can be difficult, but it is better to lose friends than to hurt yourself by doing something that is bad for you.
God has good plans for our lives. He knows that sometimes life is difficult and we will get hurt. But He wants us to go to Him when we are hurting. Remember, you can talk to God about anything!
Optional: If you are using Student Pages, ask the children to trace the road with 1 crayon. Have the children each find a different color crayon, and ask them to trace the same road with their eyes closed.
Let’s create a song to help us remember how to say “no” to drugs.
Take the children’s answers to these questions and put them together to make a song or chant. For example, if children say drugs can make them sick, sad, afraid, and helpless, you could make this song:
Say no to drugs, they are really bad. They make you feel sick and very sad.
Say no to drugs, they are really bad. They make you feel helpless and afraid.
Say no to drugs, they are really bad. Say no to drugs, they are really bad.
Lead the children in singing or chanting their song 3 times to help them remember what they learned from today’s lesson.
Thank you for helping me make a song! Now, you will know what to say if you are asked to take drugs.
No!
Remember, God made you to be amazing and wonderful. You should honor the body that God created for you. Our memory verse today is:
How you made me is amazing and wonderful. I praise you for that. What you have done is wonderful. I know that very well.
Psalm 139:14
Help the children remember the verse by teaching them actions to go with the words. Use the same motions each time you say each word or phrase. Lead the children in repeating each sentence in the verse with its actions 3 times.
You—Point up to the sky.
Made—Cup your hands as though an imaginary ball is between them. Rotate the imaginary ball in your hands.
Me—Point to yourself.
Wonderful—Spread both hands out and hold them with your palms facing away from you. Push and pull back your hands 2 times.
I praise you—Fold your hands in front of you as if in prayer. Point them up to the sky.
Have done—Pretend to hammer a nail into something.
I know—Point to the side of your head with a finger.
Very well—Motion yes.
End class by saying this blessing, based on Titus 2:12 and Proverbs 13:20, over the children.
Blessing: May God help you to be wise and surround yourself with wise people. May He help you to say no to things that will hurt you.
Share the worship song for this quarter with your children if possible.
Life on Life ©2020 David C Cook. Reproducible for home or classroom use only. All other uses require written permission from David C Cook [email protected]. All rights reserved.
