Pharmacology Lesson Plan for 12th Grade Example Students

Topic: Pharmacology of antihypertensive drugs

Objectives & Outcomes

• To understand the mechanisms of action and uses of antihypertensive drugs.

Materials

• Examples of antihypertensive drugs (e.g. angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, β-blockers, calcium channel blockers, diuretics)
• Handouts with information about antihypertensive drugs and their mechanisms of action
• Access to a computer or other electronic device for research purposes

Warm-up

• Ask students what they already know about hypertension and its treatment.
• Review the basic pathophysiology of hypertension and the different classes of antihypertensive drugs.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the concept of pharmacodynamics, explaining that it refers to the way a drug works in the body.
• Discuss the various mechanisms of action of antihypertensive drugs, including reducing peripheral resistance, reducing cardiac output, and reducing renin release.
• Discuss the different classes of antihypertensive drugs, including diuretics, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers, and beta-adrenergic blockers.
• Provide examples of each class of antihypertensive drugs and their typical side effects.

Guided Practice

• Divide the class into small groups and provide each group with a handout listing common antihypertensive drugs and their mechanisms of action.
• Have the groups discuss the mechanisms of action of each drug and identify which class it belongs to.
• Have the groups share their answers with the class and discuss any differences in opinion.

Independent Practice

• Have the students research a specific antihypertensive drug that they are unfamiliar with and write a short paragraph describing its mechanism of action.

Closure

• Review the key points of the lesson and have the students share their writing with the class.

Assessment

• Collect the students' written responses and use them as a formative assessment to check their understanding of the topic. You could also ask the students to give a verbal presentation of their written response and use this as a summative assessment.