» Post-Viewing Lesson Plan:Regulating Drugs:
The Creation of the FDA
Students will learn about the history and function of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). They will look at concerns facing society today and compare them to the problems of the Progressive Era.
This lesson is divided into two steps. (Note: Each step can be completed independently.)
» Materials Needed:
Students will need Internet access, writing materials and a random selection of popular magazines.
» Lesson Objectives:
In this lesson students will:
Step One "Regulating Drugs and Services"
The FDA has a complex history. Regulation of food and drugs can be traced back to colonial times. In 1948, the federal government began inspecting imported drugs. Today, the FDA is a scientific, public health and regulatory agency responsible for overseeing a large number of consumer products. To determine how much the students know about this agency, write the following questions on the board or an overhead:
Students can brainstorm answers to these questions by examining copies of current magazines. Teachers can obtain magazine copies, up to two or three months old, from the school library. Have the students skim the magazines and take notes on articles and advertisements that illustrate:
Give the students five-10 minutes to examine magazines and then ask students what answers they found. List the answers on the board.
Students should check their answers by selecting "What FDA Regulates" and "What the FDA Does Not Regulate" found on the FDA's Web site at: http://www.fda.gov/opacom/hpview.html
Using the same Web page, have students select "Hot Topics" in the upper right corner.
Step Two "History of the FDA"
The article "History of the FDA," on the FDA's Web site, traces the development of the modern FDA from 1906 with the passage of the Pure Food and Drug Act. The article, written by John P. Swann from the FDA History Office, is quite comprehensive. This material would be most appropriate for 10th-12th grade health or government classes and can be found at: http://www.fda.gov/oc/history/historyoffda/default.htm
Divide the class into six groups and assign each group one of the sections from the reading:
Ask students to summarize, using their own words, the major events, problems, laws and individuals in the reading. Each student should read his section independently and take notes. Groups should compile a group summary using the individual notes. A group leader should be selected to present to the class.
» Method of Evaluation:
Collect the individual notes and group summary.
» Extending the Lesson:
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