Quit Smoking - Together We Can Do It!

Overview How does tobacco threaten the health of both the people who smoke it and the people who involuntarily inhale it? Students utilize the Internet to research smoking and second-hand smoke. In addition to studying its effects and health risks, they examine social, physical, and environmental causes and motivations for smoking as well as statistics (age, gender, ethnicity) related to nicotine addiction. Quit Smoking is the message of student produced brochures and posters distributed throughout school and community youth centers. Presenting a computer slide show during a school learning festival, students personally describe how they have quit and show how smoking adversely affects school achievement and workplace production.

Classroom Activities
Community Activities
Career Activities
Conduct Internet research on smoking.
Identify free resources on smoking & environmental tobacco smoke (ETS).
Divide into groups to choose smoking topics.
Answer key questions for fact sheets.
Use fact sheets to publish Quit Smoking brochure.
Create computer slide show (or download, 1.47 MB) & poster on ETS.
Prepare for learning festival.
Discuss smoking health risks with friends & families.
Share free materials & resources with other classes.
Distribute Quit Smoking brochure throughout school.
Display Quit Smoking poster in school & community youth centers.
Demonstrate hazardous effects of smoking in computer slide presentation at learning festival.
Explore effects of smoking & the workplace.
Research Web sites on smoking & the workplace.
Compile list of related Web sites.
Post list on school & library bulletin boards.
Share findings on smoking & the workplace at learning festival.

Learning Standards Science

Research, analyze & evaluate social, environmental challenges through observation, experimentation, research, & application of unifying concepts of science.
Communicate results obtained from research through illustrations.
Connect study of science & technology to a variety of career opportunities.

School to Career Competencies

Develop Communication & Literacy Skills.
Organize & Analyze Information.
Use Technology.
Complete Entire Activities.
Use Team Skills.

Assessment Students keep note cards on research findings and periodically share with the class. Fact sheets, brochure, and computer slide presentations are peer edited and evaluated by teacher.

Software or Materials Used Worksheets, guides, statistics & graphics downloaded from the Internet; videos (Secrets through Smoke, MediaSharp, SLAM, My Kids & more) available from Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Web Sites Web Sites on Smoking; Smoking and Workpace Web Sites

Keywords Quit Smoking, Second Hand Smoking, Cancer and Smoking, Health Risks of Smoking. Passive Smoking, Environmental Tobacco Smoke, Smoking and Workplace

Final Words This project heightens students' awareness of the hazards of smoking and second-hand smoke. It also prevents adolescents from smoking and equips them to educate and to encourage their peers. Participants learn how to filter Internet resources for reliable information and to organize this information into effective presentations.

Teacher Tip When students access high quality materials - videos, pamphlets, fact sheets - from sites like the National Center Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, they understand how crucial Quit Smoking campaigns are to their personal health and the health of the nation.

E-mail contact Kia Ling Chang kchang@boston.k12.ma.us

Teacher Bio Kia Ling Chang teaches chemistry and technology to bilingual students at Charlestown High School. Her ever-expanding computer curriculum currently includes C++, web design, and Cisco Networking. In addition, she works with Liberty Mutual to hold an annual computer programming competition that challenges students to demonstrate skills they've learned throughout the year. For the past two years, Kia Ling has received the Schott Gender Equity Grant and has developed a project aimed at encouraging Chinese girls to pursue opportunities in the field of computer technology.

Subject Areas Chemistry & technology

Grade Levels 9 -12

Students All students

Return To Index Page