Mr. Richards was one of the two health teachers at a small rural high school located in the Western part of the United States. For “Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Month” he came to the conclusion that this year he would address the following three alcohol-related topics: alcohol addiction statistics, alcoholism effects, and alcohol dependency signs and symptoms.
Once Mr. Richards arrived at the topics he would be discussing, he decided he would provide his students with their class assignments the following Wednesday morning. When the day arrived for the class assignments, Mr. Richards passed out some general alcohol-related information and then instructed his students on the three specific topics he selected.
Mr. Richards answered some questions and then discussed the paperwork he handed out. He then talked around fifteen minutes about the major differences between alcohol addiction and alcohol abuse. Mr. Richards also emphasized the fact that the terms “alcoholism,” “alcohol dependency,” and “alcohol addiction” meant the same thing.
Due to the fact that his students displayed a lot of enthusiasm and anticipation about their task, Mr. Richards decided to inform the class that one-half of the assignment included writing a twenty page, double-spaced term paper about one or two of the alcohol-related subjects or about all three topics. He then revealed that the second half of their assignment would be a ten-minute speech in front of the class that focused on their composition.
As a reward for their extraordinary academic accomplishment, the students with the top two grades on the in-class presentation and on the research composition will be asked to present their project at the tri-county drug and alcohol abuse prevention symposium at the state capital during the second week in March.
After Mr. Richards explained both parts of their assignment, almost everyone in the class said they needed a more explicit description and an example of one of the sub-topics that they could chose for their oral presentation and for their term paper. In a word, while all of the students seemed fascinated with the assignment, they required additional direction so they could side-step turning in a less than exceptional project.
Mr. Richards was ready for the questions he received and so he began going over four or five alcohol dependency signs and symptoms on which the students could focus their research. For example, Mr. Richards went over the following alcohol addiction symptoms and signs: cloudy thinking, an obsession with drinking, getting arrested for a DWI, loss of control, and boasting and a “big shot” complex.
Since there were several alcohol addiction symptoms and signs to choose from, Mr. Richards mentioned that he was not overly concerned about the possibility that two or more students would select the same alcoholism symptoms and signs for their class project. In fact, even if more than one student selected the same alcohol dependency signs or symptoms, this would not matter because each pupil would have his or her own perspective on the subject.
Mr. Richards then emphasized the fact that although there were more than a few alcohol dependency signs and symptoms from which to select, the pupils were also able to concentrate their research on alcoholism statistics or on alcoholism effects. When the extensive range of all three topics was taken into consideration, it became apparent that the number of doable research topics was almost limitless.
Why did Mr. Richards decide upon alcohol addiction symptoms and signs, alcohol dependency effects, and alcoholism statistics as the subject matter for this student project? Mr. Richards’ basic goal was that by compelling each pupil to follow a line of investigation into one, two, or three of the alcohol-related topics he assigned, all the pupils would have a more complete comprehension of a relevant and complex topic such as alcoholism.
Mr. Richards also thought that by challenging his students to raise their comprehension about the detrimental and deadly effects of alcoholism and the deplorable existence that most alcohol addicted people struggle through, his students might think more intelligently before they get involved in damaging and unhealthy drinking.
Denny Mitchell writes about substance abuse interventions, blood alcohol tests, alcoholic symptoms, alcoholism tests, and blood alcohol test. For more info please visit teen alcohol abuse statistics.