Lay the foundation for holistic well-being and future alcohol education by helping students understand how their bodies work, how emotions and decisions are connected, and how to care for themselves in age-appropriate ways.

Learn how the body works

Students will identify basic body systems and understand how everyday actions (like eating, sleeping, moving, and expressing feelings) impact how their body works and feels.
Related Standards: 1.2.4, 1.2.5, 7.2.1

How this connects to future alcohol education: Understanding how the body works lays the groundwork for learning how substances like alcohol impact physical and mental health.

Learn how to make a decision

Students will be introduced to the concept of decision-making and practice choosing actions that are safe, kind, and healthy for themselves and others.
Related Standards: 5.2.1, 5.2.2,5.2.3, 5.2.4

How this connects to future alcohol education: These basic decision-making skills will evolve into structured models like WISE in middle and high school, supporting intentional, values-based choices.

Recognize and manage emotions

Students will build awareness of their feelings and begin practicing healthy ways to manage big emotions like frustration, sadness, or excitement.
Related Standards: 7.2.1, 7.2.2, 4.2.1

How this connects to future alcohol education: These regulation tools provide the emotional foundation for healthy coping and resilience, key components in navigating stress and substance use.

Build self-advocacy and coping skills

Students will begin identifying what they need to feel safe and supported and learn how to ask for help, set boundaries, and care for themselves with age-appropriate coping strategies.
Related Standards: 3.2.2, 4.2.3, 8.2.1

How this connects to future alcohol education: These early communication and self-awareness skills develop into refusal strategies and self-advocacy in higher grade levels.

Elementary functional knowledge introduces students to simple, meaningful ideas that help them understand how their choices and feelings affect their bodies and minds. This learning builds a foundation for future alcohol education.

What we put into our body impacts how our body works

Students will learn that what we eat, drink, watch, and listen to affects how our body feels and functions. Healthy choices help us feel strong, focused, and ready to learn.

This builds the foundation for understanding how substances like alcohol affect the brain and body.

We make choices for many different reasons

Students will explore how their feelings, surroundings, and needs shape the choices they make every day. They’ll begin to reflect on how to make choices that feel right for them.

This helps prepare students to explore the reasons people may choose to use alcohol and how to navigate influences in the future.

The B.E.S.T. Model [Video Clip]

Students will use the B.E.S.T. Model (Body, Environment, Self, Social) to learn how all parts of their health are connected. They will practice checking in with each area to understand how they feel and what they might need.

This whole-person model becomes a lifelong tool for evaluating well-being and recognizing how choices impact holistic health.

Learning to manage our emotions

Students will build a toolbox of calming strategies, like deep breathing, movement, or talking to a grown-up, to help them handle big feelings in healthy and kind ways.

This emotional awareness and regulation will support future coping strategies, helping students manage stress and avoid harmful behaviors like substance misuse.

These hands-on, student-centered activities bring foundational health concepts to life. Through play, creativity, and exploration, students begin to understand how their bodies and emotions work, while practicing decision-making and reflection in age-appropriate ways.

What Sugar Does to Your Body

Students explore how sugar affects their body, mood, energy, and emotions. They make connections between what they eat and how they feel and function throughout the day.

Decision Detective Puzzle Stations

Students rotate through multiple stations with mini-scenarios or comic panels and become "decision detectives." They work to uncover why a character made a certain choice by identifying clues and reflecting on feelings, needs, and surroundings.

B.E.S.T. Model Learning Stations

Students rotate through stations focused on each part of the B.E.S.T. Model: Body, Environment, Self, and Social. They learn about each area of well-being, then personalize the model by reflecting on how they take care of each part.

Emotions Explorer Board Game

In this introductory game, students draw cards or spin to land on different emotions. For each one, they identify what it feels like, what might cause it, and learn strategies to manage it. This is a low-stakes way to build emotional vocabulary and awareness.

These assessments go beyond simple recall. They help students apply their learning to real-life situations and build habits for caring for their well-being.

Decision-Making Comic Strip

Students create a short comic that shows someone making a decision. It should include what the choice was, what influenced it, and what happened next. This helps them apply decision-making steps in a fun, creative way.

B.E.S.T. Model Check-In

Students complete a check-in sheet or visual activity where they assess how they’re doing in each part of the B.E.S.T. Model and write/draw one thing they can do to take care of themselves in each area.

Coping Skills Toolbox

Students create a visual or interactive representation of their favorite coping skills — things they can do to feel better when they’re upset, overwhelmed, or stressed.

My Healthy Choice Reflection

Students write or draw about a recent choice they made (what they ate, how they handled a feeling, etc.). They explain what influenced their choice and how it made them feel in their body, emotions, or relationships.

The Goal of Middle School ATOD: Alcohol Education:Help students build the self-awareness, emotional resilience, and social understanding needed to navigate a world where alcohol exists, even if it’s not yet part of their lived experience.

Recognize the presence of alcohol in everyday life

Students will become aware of how alcohol shows up around them, in family settings, media, and conversations, and begin reflecting on what messages they are receiving.

Health Standards: 1.8.6, 2.8.2, 2.8.3

Explore how alcohol affects the body

Students will access valid information to understand what alcohol does to the brain and body. This functional knowledge supports their ability to recognize how alcohol use can impact health and development as they grow up.

Health Standards: 1.8.5, 3.8.3, 3.8.4

Understand how life experiences impact holistic well-being

Students will learn to view their health through a whole-person lens, recognizing that what they experience, feel, and choose affects their body, emotions, surroundings, and relationships. The B.E.S.T. Model will continue to serve as a tool for reflecting on personal well-being.

Health Standards: 1.8.2, 1.8.6, 7.8.2

Identify valid resources and services for support

Students will learn who they can go to for support if alcohol is negatively impacting their lives or the lives of people around them, such as trusted adults, school counselors, or community services.

Health Standards: 3.8.1, 3.8.3, 3.8.4

Build self-awareness to support values-driven choices

Students will explore their values, needs, and personal goals, setting a foundation for making intentional choices that align with their version of well-being. This exploration also helps students understand the many reasons people choose to make certain health choices (i.e. to drink alcohol) and the various health needs individuals are trying to meet.

Health Standards: 2.8.2, 5.8.2, 6.8.1

Learn how to make WISE decisions

Students will be introduced to the WISE decision-making model and practice using it to evaluate everyday choices, focusing on how their decisions can support or harm their holistic health.

Health Standards: 5.8.1, 5.8.3, 5.8.4

Practice refusal and boundary-setting skills

Students will develop strategies to say and hear “no” in a respectful and confident way. These skills will be applied to general life situations, not just situations involving alcohol.

Health Standards: 4.8.1, 4.8.3, 4.8.4, 4.8.5

Strengthen emotional health and coping skills

Students will learn to recognize their emotions and practice coping strategies that support their mental and emotional health in challenging situations.

Health Standards: 1.8.2, 7.8.2, 7.8.3

To make informed decisions about alcohol now and in the future, students need honest, age-appropriate information that builds awareness, encourages critical thinking, and helps them reflect on how alcohol shows up in their lives, even if they never use it.

What Is Alcohol and What Does It Do to You?

Students need to know that alcohol is a drug. It slows the body down, changes how a person feels, and can cause harm, especially for growing bodies and brains.

Alcohol Is Everywhere

Even if students aren’t drinking, they see alcohol in music, shows, family gatherings, and online. It's important they begin noticing these messages and thinking about what they’re learning from them.

Building Decision-Making Skills [Video Clip]

Students will explore what influences their choices. Using the What’s BEST and WISE Decision making tools, they’ll learn how emotions, social settings, routines, and personal needs all impact decision-making. Buy | Free Access for All Members

Practicing Refusal Skills [Video Clip]

Students will develop the confidence to say and hear “no.” These communication skills help them handle peer pressure and set healthy boundaries in all areas of life. Buy | Free Access for All Members

Mental Health Bucket and Coping Skills [Video Clip]

Students will learn about the "mental health bucket" as a simple way to understand how stress and emotions build up. They'll begin exploring healthy coping skills that help manage emotions and protect their mental well-being.

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These classroom activities are designed to help students explore key alcohol education concepts through discussion, reflection, and hands-on learning.

Alcohol Station Walk

Students rotate through stations that represent different places alcohol shows up in daily life, restaurants, commercials, sporting events, grocery stores, TV shows, and more. At each stop, students reflect on what they notice and how those messages might influence beliefs or behaviors.

What Alcohol Does to Your Body Exploration

Using visuals and interactive content, students explore how alcohol affects different body systems. Focus on what happens in the brain, liver, and decision-making processes.

Decision-Making Skill Development

Introduce and practice the WISE decision-making model. Students apply it to everyday middle school situations (like time management, peer conflict, or screen time), building foundational decision-making skills.

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Refusal Skills in TV, Movies, and Books

Students analyze how characters in books, movies, or shows set boundaries or say no, even when it’s not about alcohol. They reflect on what effective refusal looks and sounds like in real life.

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Personalized Mental Health Bucket

Students create a personal version of the mental health bucket — identifying what fills their bucket and which healthy coping strategies help empty it. This serves as a visual tool for self-awareness and emotional regulation.

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These assessments are designed to evaluate how well students understand key alcohol education concepts and how effectively they can apply health skills in realistic and relevant ways.

Alcohol Counter

Students track where they see alcohol in real life (at a restaurant, in a movie, in a store, etc.) and describe the messages associated with each observation. They reflect on how these messages shape what they believe or expect about alcohol.

Media Analysis 

Students review a commercial, TV scene, YouTube clip, or ad that includes alcohol. They identify the explicit and implicit messages about alcohol, reflect on what those messages suggest about drinking, and discuss how the media might influence people their age.

WISE Decision Scenario [Video Clip]

Students apply the WISE decision-making model to a realistic middle school scenario — such as navigating peer pressure, handling time management, or managing conflict. They identify the situation, list possible options and outcomes, make a choice, and reflect on how it impacts their holistic well-being.

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Practical Refusal Skills [Video Clip]

Students choose a Skill Cue STOP) and create a peer PSA demonstrating how to authentically use refusal skills in everyday situations. Scenarios can be based on social pressure, setting boundaries, or standing up for themselves or others.

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Mental Health Bucket Reflection [Video Clip]

Students complete visual reflection explaining their personalized mental health bucket. They identify what fills their bucket, what helps empty it, and how these strategies support their emotional and mental well-being.

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*Health Skill Choice Board Project

Students select a health skill (e.g., decision-making, self-management, analyzing influences) and design a final product that applies that skill to the topic of alcohol use. This project allows for creativity while reinforcing key content and personal reflection.

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Equip students with the knowledge, confidence, and skills to exist in a world with alcohol in ways that support their joy, security, happiness, and peace.

Build self-awareness of their relationship with alcohol
Students will reflect on their thoughts, feelings, and actions related to alcohol. This includes recognizing how alcohol shows up in their lives, even if they do not use it.
Health Standards: 1.12.4, 6.12.1, 7.12.2

Assess the impact of alcohol use on holistic well-being
Students will evaluate how alcohol affects a person's physical, emotional, and social health using tools like the B.E.S.T. Model and ARAT.
Health Standards: 1.12.2, 5.12.1, 5.12.5, 7.12.2

Identify the attitudes and perceptions about alcohol around them
Students will explore how media, family, peers, and cultural norms influence their beliefs, expectations, and behaviors related to alcohol.
Health Standards: 2.12.1, 2.12.2, 2.12.3

Understand the reasons people use alcohol
Students will investigate the holistic health needs, such as social connection, emotional regulation, or physical discomfort, that alcohol is sometimes used to address.
Health Standards: 1.12.2, 1.12.6, 2.12.2, 5.12.1, 6.12.1

Make alcohol-related decisions that align with personal joy and well-being
Students will apply values-based decision-making strategies to choose how they want to engage or not engage with alcohol, both now and in the future.
Health Standards: 5.12.1, 5.12.3, 5.12.4, 5.12.5, 5.12.6, 5.12.7, 6.12.1, 6.12.2, 6.12.3

To make values-based decisions around alcohol, students need a strong foundation of practical, honest information. This knowledge helps them understand how alcohol shows up in their lives and how to navigate it with intention and care.

Understanding Your Relationship with Alcohol [Video Clip]

Having a relationship with alcohol doesn’t mean you use it. It means alcohol exists in the world around you, and you have thoughts, feelings, and make choices in response to its presence.

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Alcohol Is Everywhere

Alcohol is embedded in culture and daily life. Because it is so common, it can feel normal or expected. Students need to recognize it as a drug with real impact.

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Alcohol Is a Drug

Understand how alcohol affects the body and impacts holistic well-being, including mental, emotional, and physical health.

Why People Use Alcohol [Video Clip]

Examine the emotional, social, cultural, and physical reasons people use alcohol, such as stress relief, social bonding, coping with pain, or fitting in.

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Using the ARAT [Video Clip]

Learn how to use the ARAT (Alcohol Relationship Assessment Tool) to reflect on personal well-being and assess the role alcohol plays in one’s life.

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Building Healthy Habits [Video Clip]

Develop personal habits and routines that support how you choose to engage or not engage with alcohol in ways that align with your values and well-being.

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Unit Plans

The Project School Wellness ATOD Curriculum includes 8 lessons and a summative activity designed to help students reflect, build skills, and navigate their relationship with alcohol and other drugs.

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Cultural Perceptions Questionnaire [Video Clip] – Explore how students perceive alcohol and where their ideas come from.

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Personalize an ARAT [Video Clip]

Students fill out their own version of the ARAT to reflect on their relationship with alcohol.

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Viral Moment Breakdown

Students bring in a trending or viral media moment involving alcohol and analyze the messages and underlying influences.

Media Analysis

Choose a film, ad, or social media post and guide students through a media literacy activity focused on alcohol messaging.

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We Listen and We Don’t Judge

Create space for open discussion about real-life situations students are seeing or experiencing. Focus on listening without judgment.

B.E.S.T. Character Analysis

Students apply the B.E.S.T. Modelto analyze a character’s relationship with alcohol in a book, movie, or real-world story

These assessments are designed to measure student understanding of core functional knowledge and their ability to apply key health skills, such as decision-making, self-management, and analyzing influences.

Teen Alcohol Use Case Study

Present students with a realistic scenario involving alcohol. Students use the ARAT to assess the character’s relationship with alcohol, identify internal and external influences, define the motivation for use, analyze the impact on holistic well-being using the B.E.S.T. Model, and reflect on what decision they would make in the same situation.

Peer PSA Project

Students create a peer-focused public service announcement that communicates relevant, values-aligned messaging about alcohol. The PSA should reflect real student experiences and be crafted in a way that would resonate with their peers. Buy | Free Access for HS Members

Media Correction Project

Students choose an ad or media portrayal involving alcohol, identify the key messages, and redesign it to more authentically represent the impact and role of alcohol, using functional knowledge and health skills to inform their edits.

*Health Skill Choice Board Project

Students select a health skill (e.g., decision-making, self-management, analyzing influences) and design a final product that applies that skill to the topic of alcohol use. This project allows for creativity while reinforcing key content and personal reflection.

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