How do our choices change our brains?
This key culminating unit brings together all the understanding the students have acquired with an in-depth investigation of how their choices affect their brains, as well as how their brains affect their choices. The students begin by drawing upon their understanding of how neurons collaborate to form a circuit by investigating the reward pathway. They experience a virtual hands-on laboratory to investigate how certain drugs of abuse can hijack this pathway and stimulate the drive to repeat destructive behaviors. Students grapple with the question of substance abuse as a chronic neurological disorder and explore public policy issues to address the questions of how to deal with substance abuse.
Lesson 1
What circuits do drugs affect in our brains?
This lesson is intended to introduce students to the concept of addiction, and the neural reward pathway. The lesson uses experimental data from a rat self-administration experiment to illustrate the idea that certain stimuli are rewarding and thus reinforcing because they activate the neural reward pathway.
| Objectives | – Students will be able to compare the human and rat brains. – Students will be able to describe how scientists can study addiction – Students will be able to name the parts of the brain involved in addiction. |
| Activities | “Lab on Paper” in which students work in groups to analyze data from a rat self-administration experiment. |
| Materials | Printed Materials: – Activity worksheet – Homework worksheet |
| Homework | Worksheet: On addictive behaviors and the chocolate milkshake study. |
Lesson 2
How do drugs alter synaptic transmission?
This lesson emphasizes that all drugs of abuse alter synaptic signaling in the reward pathway. Students will begin the lesson by brainstorming ways in which drugs could alter synaptic signaling. The lesson continues with a jigsaw activity in which students read about the mechanisms through which different drugs of abuse alter synaptic signaling and concludes with a teach-back in which students present their drug of abuse to the class.
| Objectives | – Students will be able to describe how different drugs of abuse alter synaptic transmission. – Students will be able to describe that all drugs of abuse increase synaptic signaling in the reward pathway, specifically between the VTA and NAc. |
| Activities | Jigsaw on how drugs of abuse alter synaptic transmission. |
| Materials | Printed Materials: – Jigsaw readings – Jigsaw worksheet – Homework readings – Homework worksheet |
| Homework | In preparation for the lesson tomorrow, students will be divided into groups and read/research a perspective on animal use in research. |
Lesson 3
Should animals be used in scientific research?
This lesson is intended to prepare students for the virtual cocaine lab that they will be conducting in the next lesson. Since the virtual cocaine lab is based on experiments utilizing animals, this lesson focuses on the issue of using animals in scientific research. The students will explore the issue through a Structured Academic Controversy (SAC) in which student groups learn about/research different perspectives of the issue and then represent that perspective in a class-wide discussion.
| Objectives | – Students will be able to explain the different perspectives on the use of animals in scientific research. – Students will be able to explain their own view on the use of animals in scientific research. |
| Activities | Structured Academic Controversy (SAC) on Animal Use in Research |
| Materials | Printed Materials: – Activity worksheet – Homework reading: Virtual Cocaine Lab Book 3 – Homework worksheet |
| Homework | Prepare for virtual cocaine lab by reading the lab procedures (Virtual Cocaine Lab Book 3) and answering questions on homework worksheet. |
Lesson 4
How is dopamine involved in addictive behaviors?
This lesson is intended to give students a glimpse into research science labs. In this lesson, the students will complete a virtual lab in which they conduct an experiment to test the hypothesis that dopamine levels rise during the seeking phase of addictive behavior. This virtual lab will expose students to many of the components of research science, including stating a hypothesis, conducting an experiment, collecting data and then reviewing data to publish the results.
| Objectives | – Students will be able to distinguish between the seeking and consuming phase of drug use. – Students will be able to describe the role of dopamine in both of these stages of drug use. |
| Activities | Virtual Cocaine Lab by The Mind Project The bulk of Lesson 5.4: How is dopamine involved in addictive behaviors? is The Mind Project’s Virtual Cocaine Lab. This virtual lab was built in Flash player, which is no longer supported by most browsers. We are working on a replacement for this lesson, but for now we recommend using Case Study 5: What role do cues play in addiction?, which explores a similar topic. Alternatively, it is possible to download the virtual lab through the Mind Project’s website, and play the files on a stand-alone Flash player. Instructions for this are available on the Mind Project’s website. |
| Materials | Printed Materials: – Activity worksheet – Homework worksheet Computer Lab |
| Homework | – Read article prepared from experiment data. – Complete worksheet to review experiment. |
Lesson 5
When does drug abuse become addiction?
This lesson is intended to get the students thinking about the bigger picture of drug abuse and addiction. The lesson starts with a discussion of the many reasons why people might start using drugs. Through the use of a card game, the social, psychological, genetic and biological risk/protective factors for drug addiction are explored. The lesson concludes with a case study which demonstrates the importance of motivation for taking drugs in the development of addiction.
| Objectives | – Students will be able to distinguish between drug abuse and addiction. – Students will be able to describe the social, psychological, genetic and biological risk/protective factors for drug addiction. |
| Activities | “Addiction Card Game” in which students draw cards with either risk or protective factors on them. |
| Materials | Printed Materials: – Card sets for Addiction Card Game – Homework worksheet |
| Homework | Worksheet: Case study about Vietnam veterans and use of drugs. |
Lesson 6
What are the long-term effects of drug abuse and addiction?
This lesson is intended to describe how drug abuse changes neuronal structure and function. The lesson begins by asking students to compare the structure of two neurons, one of which has been repeatedly exposed to methamphetamine. The students are asked to figure out why the two neurons might be different. The neurons are different because drug abuse alters protein expression which in turn alters neuronal structure and function.
| Objectives | – Students will be able to describe how drug abuse alters protein expression. – Students will be able to describe how changes in protein expression alter synaptic structure and function. |
| Activities | Socratic discussion of the central dogma and how drug abuse alters gene expression and thus synaptic structure and function. |
| Materials | N/A |
| Homework | Students will choose one drug of abuse and research treatment options. |
Lesson 7
Is addiction a chronic disease?
This lesson is intended to emphasize that addiction is a chronic disease that can be treated effectively, similar to other chronic diseases. The lesson begins with an activity in which students are asked to define disease, as well as categorize a list of diseases as either acute or chronic. After discussing this activity, the lesson continues with a jigsaw activity in which students read case studies of patients with different chronic diseases. This activity is designed to get the students to compare and contrast how the diseases including addiction, heart disease, and diabetes are similar and different.
| Objectives | – Students will be able to distinguish between acute and chronic diseases. – Students will be able to explain why addiction is considered a chronic disease. |
| Activities | Jigsaw of case studies of chronic diseases (addiction, hypertension, diabetes). |
| Materials | – Act as an advisor to government agency – Help agency decide whether insurance should cover treatment for addiction. |
| Homework | Have students write to a government agency to help decide whether insurance should cover treatment for addiction. |
Teacher Prep: Unit 5 Lesson Overview Videos
In the YouTube embed below, click the order listing in the upper right to toggle the display for the full playlist.
