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New synthetic drugs are flooding the markets in Europe and abroad. They are easy to hide and to move, and thus it is difficult to curb the supply. Since the 1990's, the US has experienced an opioid epidemic killing over 100.000 US citizens in 2024. This topic will address the causes and possible solutions to this tragedy as well as deal with the human costs, the loss and dilemmas faced by those affected.
In class, we will spend time reading, watching films, working with language, vocabulary and analysis, presentation in groups and writing. Eventually, students will acquire the knowledge and skills to participate in a dialogue or debate about drugs and addiction.
For SRP, you could for example use chemistry A and English B as a way to describe both the physical properties of a drug and the social impact of its misuse. Or how about proposing a solution to a certain problem by taking an innovative approach?
Lesson 1: background news article: "Why opioids are such an American problem"
Lesson 2: documentary: Pain killer - inside the opioid crisis (47 mins) (2018) / Why America's opiod epidemic is going global (37 min)
Lesson 3: personal essay: (The Guardian): "White means victim, black means addict" (2018)
Lesson 4: Interview:
Lesson 5: Satire: South Park episode 1203: “Major Boobage”
Lesson 6: Speech on TED-ed: Johann Hari's "Everything you thought you knew about addiction is wrong" (201 5)
Lesson 7: Song presentations :White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane), Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (The Beatles), Mr. Tambourine Man (Bob Dylan)
Lesson 8: What happened to the trainspotting generation (The Guardian article)
"Why opioids are such an American problem"
"Why opioids are such an American problem"
Focus: What policies and practises relating to prescription drugs are special to the US?
Messages:
bring notebook, pen/pencil, other guidelines...
upcoming written homework / in-class writing assignments
topic overview
IN CLASS: Brainstorm
- What do you associate with the words “drugs” and “addiction”?
Write your answers on the board.
Today’s focus:
- Why and how has the misuse of opioids become a problem in the U.S.?
- How did the opioid epidemic begin?
- What are some possible solutions to the problem?
Article: "Why opioids are such an American problem"
In groups: Read + explain content in a section, translate + explain difficult words.
Why opioids are such an American problem.pdfPainkiller - inside the opioid crisis
Painkiller - inside the opioid crisis
The first lesson will deal with the opiate crisis in America, its causes (*årsager) and consequences on a socio-economic level.
Introduction (0-4:44):
what important points about the opioid crisis are featured in the introduction?
Segment 1 (4:44-16:32):
who are the typical users of opioids?
Ben Cory's story: what are the dangers of going into relapse?
Tracy's story
Segment 2 (16:32-32:40):
What is done about it?
what does "Stigma" mean, and how does it affect the solution of the problem?
How effective is prohibition (*forbud) as a weapon in the war on drugs?
Why America's opioid epidemic is going global
Why America's opioid epidemic is going global
What is a "playbook"? Look up the word on your computer.
What is Purdue Pharma and what is the case against them?
101 opiods: What are some key facts we told about opiods?
Describe the marketing stages Purdue Pharma used:
Ease minds: How did Purdue Pharma ease the minds of customers? How is this questioned by the documentary?
Leaders lead opinion:
What is big pharma's "marketing playbook" for opiods? Take notes to all the stages.
Who are guilty of letting the epidemic go global? Why?
"White means victim, Black means addict"
"White means victim, Black means addict"
Race still has its central place in American politics - and the opioid epidemic shows how. With this article, we aim to understand the viewpoints of one who criticizes society for holding the Black population responsible for the epidemic and for being prone to regard them as an inferior race. Has he got a point?
white means victim, black means addict.pdfRead the article and answer in full sentences
What part in the opening of Brian Broome’s personal essay catches the reader and creates the desire to read on?
How did the relationship to Matt evolve six years ago?
“He was a victim, I was an addict”. What other differences between himself and Matt does Broome mention?
In what ways does he argue for the notion that inequality still exists between the races in American society? This is what you are going to look for while reading. Take the following anecdotes in the article as examples and notice how each one functions as an example of this.
Conversation with Erica Upshaw-Givner, founder of Visions Towards Peace. (p.2-5)
What compliments did Broome receive from Matt at the rehab facility? (p.5)
Why did Broome stop going to meetings to stay sober? (p.6)
What’s delusional about the things he hears from white people about drugs?(p.6)
“Drug abuse is about pain and loneliness”, he says on p.6. Where have you heard this claim before in this topic?
Conversation with Nique Craft (p.6-9)
how does her story prove his point that the status of Black are kept inferior to the status of Whites?
To round off, do you understand why Broome decided to unfriend Matt on FB? Why or why not? Write a few lines where you explain.
The Crack Epidemic and its impact on Black families
The Crack Epidemic and its impact on Black families
An interview (extract only) about how Black families are impacted. It's a part of the discussion on whether the severity of the epidemic is dependent on what race and class you belong to.
A South Park satire
A South Park satire
Today’s focus:
- Understanding the concept of parody and satire in fiction and why it is relevant.
- Vocabulary practice in relation to the topic.
- Comprehension and analysis of a satirical text.
Humor and parody are ways for us humans to cope with difficult emotions and the dark realities we cannot escape. A “parody” is a comical depiction of someone or something. As a verb, it means “to make fun of something”. In the South Park episode “Major Boobage”, the threat of addiction to drugs are taken up as a theme.
https://www.southparkstudios.nu/episodes/4r4367/south-park-major-boobage-season-12-ep-3
(transcript of the episode here)
Answer in full sentences:
What is shown about the availability of the drug? (follow-up: how does this parody reality?)
How do the parents try to protect their kids?
How are the kids first introduced to the drug? (follow-up: how does this parody reality?)
What do we learn about Kenny from being invited into his hallucinations?
Exercise: Interview in pairs
What advice have you been given by friends, parents and ads that warn against the use of drugs?
Which pieces of advice are the most valuable to you? What pieces of advice are less important to you?
What do you fear most could happen to yourself if you became addicted?
Satirical elements
Checklist: Firstly, consider whether the following elements are present in the episode, and if they are, come up with an example.
Irony
Incongruity (uoverensstemmelse)
Exaggeration
Caricature (exaggeration of physical features)
Parody
Finally, discuss the purpose of satire
“Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong”
“Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong”
What is most important in fighting addiction?
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY9DcIMGxMs
How does the presenter begin his Ted-talk? Why is this an excellent way to begin a speech or an essay?
How does he support his claim that we are not addicted to heroin?
What has Portugal done differently from other countries?
What has the study with rats and the set-up of a “rat park” proved to be true?
How does the problem with addiction compare with the use of smartphones and social media?
What other examples does he give that help to illustrate this his point?
What do the words mean? candid, contingent… (did you notice other words?)
How does the presenter end his Ted-talk? Why is this an excellent way to end a speech or an essay?
Recreational drugs in the 60s and 70s
Recreational drugs in the 60s and 70s
Today’s focus:
Today’s focus:
- Understanding the countercultural movement of the 1960’s.
- Discussing whether there are any advantages to the use of recreational drugs.
- Analysis and interpretation of song lyrics and how to recognize poetic devices.
Warm-up 1: Explain the picture to your partner using the following prepositional phrases:
in front of, behind, beside, in the middle. Your partner must draw the picture based on your explanation.
Warm-up 2: Fill out the missing song lyrics.
IN CLASS: What do you know about the 1960’s in the U.S.?
BACKGROUND: From experiments to illegalization
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WouOr579mfY
Watch the video and explain:
- What were the values of the ”counterculture”?
- What could be some positive uses of LSD?
- Who was Timothy Leary and what were his views on psychedelic drugs?
- What was problematic about the use of LSD?
IN CLASS: A brief introduction to poetic devices.
Songs: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (Beatles), White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane), Mr. Tambourine Man (Bob Dylan)
Poetic devices.pdfPresentations:
Prepare a short presentation (5-7 minutes) in which you present an analysis and interpretation of the song. The presentation should make use of a visual tool, for instance Powerpoint of Prezi.
You will present your song in groups of 6-7.
You may use this guideline to make your presentations.
Background:
1) Present the artist and the song and comment on the time period in which it was written.
Analysis:
2) Look at the language and the structure of the song: How many verses or choruses? Comment on the use of poetic devices. Include examples in your presentation.
3) Who is the speaker in the song? What is their perspective and what are they trying to express? What is the speaker’s opinion on the use of recreational drugs?
4) How is the mood of the song? Does the mood of the lyrics match the music?
Interpretation:
5) What is the message of the song?
Scotland's "Trainspotting Generation"
Scotland's "Trainspotting Generation"
What happened to the Trainspotting generation.pdfWorksheet for What Happened to the Trainspotting Generation.docxhttps://findaudiobook.club/irvine-welsh-trainspotting-audiobook/
IN PAIRS: Interview a partner – questions on drug use.
IN CLASS: We will listen to Trainspotting while reading (20 minutes)
IN GROUPS: Trainspotting
1) Comprehension & analysis
Mother Superior and the protagonist
- Who is “Mother Superior” and what is his relation to Renton?
Magnus, Marius, Jeppe
Withdrawal symptoms
- Describe Sick Boy and Renton’s withdrawal symptoms (page 6). Find examples in the text.
Freja, Freja
-
The heroin high
- How is the heroin high described? (page 10-11) Find examples in the text.
Mads, Victor,
Scotland’s heroin problems – the trainspotting generation
- How does this chapter relate to what we have read about Scotland’s heroin problems? You may consider why the characters have become addicts.
- What is meant by the quote “a brilliant metaphor for our time”, p. 11?
Laura, Frederikke, Hannah, Ida, Maja
The consequences of addiction
- What does addiction do to the characters?
Silas, Daniel, Casper
2) Language
Try pronouncing the following words from the Scots language.
- wisnae – was not
- dinnae – don’t
- wee – small/little
- oot – out
- auld – old
- ken – know
- bairn – child
- skag – heroin
- mooth - mouth
- morn – morning
What is notable about this dialect?
Translate the following to Standard English and find examples of grammatical structures that deviate from Standard English.
Scots
Standard English
Examples of grammatical variation
One ay they cunts wis a McLean. Dandy n Chancey’s wee brar, ah sais. Wis it fuck, he sais, but he couldnae keep the anxiety oot ay his voice. Ah ken the McLeans. Chancey’s awright. No if ye take the pish oot ay his brar, ah sais. He wis takin nae mair notice though.
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