A Short Story of Life was developed to provide a low-cost strategy to help children, adolescents, and adults understand the effects of smoking. The program was designed to be implemented in schools and other educational facilities. It was also developed for use in specialty populations, such as juvenile justice programs and adolescent and adult substance abuse programs. The program includes multiple components: an instructional slideshow, pre and post-tests, smoking calculators, and the manual. Based on the state, there may also be an informational video. The curriculum design first instructs teachers to pre-test their students’ knowledge about smoking before completing the activities. A teacher activity guide is then provided to help students use their smoking calculator to complete student activities. Finally, a post-test will evaluate the change in knowledge of students after the program. There are also detailed instructions, supplemental discussion topics and additional smoking prevention resources provided for schools.

Manual:

A separate curriculum was designed for three different age/grade cohorts: grades 4 & 5, 6-8, and 9-12. The manual is available in hardcopy or on a CD with the instructional slideshow.

Calculator:

There are two components to the smoking calculator. On side one, A Short Story of Life, choosing the number of cigarettes smoked per day gives an estimate of days, weeks and years of life lost based on a lifetime of smoking at that rate. On side two, The Cost of Dying Young, choosing the number of cigarettes smoked per day gives an estimate of the lifetime cost of smoking if cigarettes cost $2.50 per pack and $5.00 per pack and the total packs smoked in a lifetime. Each student will receive a smoking calculator to keep. Student activities are designed to require use of this calculator, which provides a visual aide valuable to the learning process. It promotes active learning and a take-home tool and message to share with others.

Pre- and Post-Tests:

A Short Story of Life is a research-based smoking prevention program. The pre and post-tests are designed to measure the beginning knowledge of participants and the change in knowledge and skills acquired by students who use the curriculum and the smoking calculator. Uniform administration is important for the tests. Research has demonstrated the effectiveness of the program in school-age children.

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