This past Saturday marked the beginning of Red Ribbon Week. Celebrated annually from October 23-31, Red Ribbon Week raises awareness for substance-use prevention programs and efforts. Around the country, students are learning about the importance of staying substance-free and saying “NO” to risky behaviors like underage drinking and underage cannabis use.
As educators, we play an important role in promoting these efforts and encouraging kids to lead a healthy lifestyle. To help, AMLE partner Ask, Listen, Learn has created eight resources you can incorporate into your classes for Red Ribbon Week.
Through a series of videos and activities, our Ask, Listen Learn curriculum for middle-level students takes kids on a journey to explore how alcohol and cannabis impact different parts of the brain. These eight Ask, Listen, Learn lessons are aligned with national standards and can be implemented in health and science units, or used for general prevention education. Check out the resources below that you can use with your students to encourage them to say YES to a healthy lifestyle and NO to underage drinking.
8 Resources to Incorporate in Your School for Red Ribbon Week
- Alcohol and the Developing Brain– Provide your students with an overview of how the brain functions and the impact that alcohol can have on those functions.
- Alcohol and Your Developing Central Nervous System– Have your students explore how the central nervous system, the brain’s information super-highway, works and can be affected by alcohol.
- Alcohol and Your Developing Cerebellum– Take a closer look at alcohol’s effect on the cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls coordination and motor control.
- Alcohol and Your Developing Cerebral Cortex– Students will discover how the alcohol can inhibit decision-making that occurs in the cerebral cortex and use scenarios to practice good decision-making skills.
- Alcohol and Your Developing Hippocampus– Use games and activities to test your students’ memory while they explore how alcohol can impact memory and emotions.
- Alcohol and Your Developing Hypothalamus– Explore how the body stays in sync and how alcohol can throw the body’s systems out of balance.
- Alcohol and Your Developing Medulla– Discuss the risks of overconsumption as students learn how the brain maintains basic functions like their breathing, swallowing and heart rate.
- How Marijuana Affects the Developing Brain– Have your classes learn about the impacts of marijuana on their developing brain, body, and behavior.
During Red Ribbon Week, and throughout the entire year, we are happy to provide resources for you to facilitate these important discussions about the dangers of underage drinking and underage cannabis use. Thank you for all you do to help keep kids safe and substance-free!