Tracking opioid deaths
Questions based on the Science News article "Fatal fix" ask students about the effects of opioids and to analyze a graph of overdose deaths.
Educator Guide: Fatal Fix
SYSTEM SHUTDOWN Opioids are killing tens of thousands of people in the United States every year. A look inside the body shows how the potent drugs shut down crucial systems during an overdose.
STEVE HEAP/SHUTTERSTOCK
About this guide
The article “Fatal fix” describes the harmful physiological effects associated with opioid overdoses and presents a graph showing the annual U.S. deaths from opioid drugs. Students can focus on information reported in the article, follow connections to earlier articles about opioids and pursue cross-curricular connections in biology, chemistry and engineering. In a related activity, students can work individually or in small groups to explore different parts of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website on opioids and then summarize the findings for the rest of the class.
This Guide Includes:
Opioids in the archives
These questions ask students to search the Science News archive to expand their knowledge about opioid use and misuse.
When drugs and body meet
These discussion prompts cover the biology and chemistry of opioids and ask students to brainstorm strategies for preventing or reversing opioid addiction.
Opioid data dose
Students will work individually or in small groups to study different parts of the CDC website on opioids and summarize their findings for the class.