Lesson Plan

Simulation Instructions

Students simulate blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in a safe, hands-on activity and reflect on how increasing impairment affects decision-making, then create personal strategies for safer choices.

Understanding how alcohol metabolizes and impairs faculties helps students make informed choices, recognize risks, and adopt harm-reduction strategies.

Audience

Time

Approach

Materials

Prep

Set Up Simulation Materials

10 minutes

Step 1

Introduction & Safety

5 minutes

Step 2

Explain Alcohol Metabolism

10 minutes

Step 3

BAC Simulation Activity

20 minutes

Step 4

Impairment Relay Race

15 minutes

Step 5

Debrief & Discussion

10 minutes

Step 6

Personal Action Plan Cool-Down

10 minutes

Slide Deck

Alcohol Metabolism Explained

Welcome students. Introduce the purpose of this mini-module: to understand how alcohol enters, moves through, and leaves the body, and how that relates to Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC).

What Is Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)?

Define BAC in student-friendly terms and show the basic formula. Emphasize “grams of alcohol per deciliter of blood.”

Absorption & Distribution

Explain absorption in the stomach and small intestine, then distribution to organs and tissues. Use a simple diagram on the slide (teacher can point to each stage).

Metabolism & Elimination

Discuss liver metabolism using alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and zero-order kinetics—explain that a constant amount of alcohol is processed per hour regardless of BAC.

Factors Influencing BAC

List common factors influencing BAC. Encourage students to think about how individual differences lead to different impairment levels.

Sample BAC Calculation

Walk students through a sample calculation. Use numbers they can later apply in the BAC Calculation Sheet activity.

Interpreting BAC Levels

Highlight typical impairment levels so students can relate calculated BAC to real-world effects.

Key Takeaways

Prepare students to move into the hands-on simulation using their BAC Calculation Sheet and relay activity.

Lesson Plan

Simulation Instructions

Audience

Time

Approach

Materials

Prep

Set Up Simulation Materials

Step 1

Introduction & Safety

Step 2

Explain Alcohol Metabolism

Step 3

BAC Simulation Activity

Step 4

Impairment Relay Race

Step 5

Debrief & Discussion

Step 6

Personal Action Plan Cool-Down

Slide Deck

Alcohol Metabolism Explained

What Is Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)?

Absorption & Distribution

Metabolism & Elimination

Factors Influencing BAC

Sample BAC Calculation

Interpreting BAC Levels

Key Takeaways

Worksheet

Activity

Cool Down

Sip or Skip?

Kaitlyn Braschayko