Materials

• NIDA Junior Scientists videotape and VCR, or online video
• Newsprint
• For each group (four students per group):
  • three clear cups
  • one cigarette
  • one small bunch of green leaves (gathered from outside)
• Water
• Bucket (if you don’t have a sink in the class)
• Instruction Sheets (PDF, 55KB)
• Log Sheets (PDF, 35KB)
• Trading cards
• Paper and pencils
• Labels
• Markers
• Neurotransmission poster or overlay from Module 3
• Poster: The Effects of Nicotine on Neurotransmission (PDF, 47KB)

Preparation

1. Divide the class into groups of four students. Each group of students will get three cups, one cigarette, and one leaf.
2. Decide how to distribute the materials for the experiment. One approach is to set up a materials center and have one student from each group collect the materials needed.
3. Make one copy of the log sheet and one copy of the student instruction sheet for each student.
4. If you don’t have a sink in your classroom, decide how you will bring water into the class. One possibility is for two students to fill up a bucket and bring it into the class. Another approach would be for a parent volunteer or an instructional assistant to bring in the water.
5. Make a poster or an overlay of the neurotransmission diagram from Module 3 and a copy showing how nicotine acts, which is found here (PDF, 47KB). You will use them during the Discussion Questions part of the mission.