This is the teacher's guide for the "Mind Over Matter" series. This exciting new neuroscience education series, developed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), a component of the National Institutes of Health, is designed to encourage youngsters in grades 5-9 to learn about the biological effects of drug abuse on the body and the brain.

The "Mind Over Matter" series includes six colorful, over-sized, glossy magazines, each of which is devoted to a specific drug or drug group; including stimulants, hallucinogens, inhalants, marijuana, opiates, and steroids. Each of the magazines describes the effects of specific drugs or drug types on the anatomy and physiology of the brain and the body. These educational materials further elaborate on the way in which these drug-induced changes affect both behaviors and emotions.

This teaching packet informs students (high school) how 3 drugs of abuse (cocaine, opiates, marijuana) actually work in the brain. The packet is arranged in 3 sections. The first section introduces the brain and presents some basic neurobiology, the second introduces the reward pathway and the third presents the mechanism of action of each drug and how each affects the reward system.

This teaching packet is to illustrate to the audience the basic function of the brain, the neurobiological basis for addiction and the actions of heroin and cocaine. The packet is arranged in 4 sections. The first section introduces the brain and presents some basic neurobiology, the second introduces the reward pathway and the third and fourth present the mechanism of action of heroin and cocaine and how each affects the reward system.

Teachers! A series of curriculum modules dealing with drug abuse prevention are available from NCADI free! Each module of "Learning to Live Drug Free" contains detailed background information, curriculum models and actual teaching materials for grades K-3, 4-6, 7-8, and 9-12.

The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention

Neuroscience for Kids

A Teacher's Guide to Working with Young Adolescents

Teacher Talk