What Goes Around Comes Around

Students split into teams on opposite sides of a visual barrier in the classroom. Debris will be spread over each team’s side of the barrier. Their goal will be to remove all the trash from their side, and they will win when there is no trash on the ground. Students will find that the only way that they can win is by taking care of their own trash rather than throwing it onto the other side. After the game, students will consider what it means to take care of our trash through reducing, reusing, and refusing.

Washed Ashore, in partnership with the NOAA Marine Debris Program, developed an integrated arts marine debris curriculum to educate school students about marine debris.

Washed Ashore, with the help of community volunteers, has been creating large sculptures made of marine debris to add to a traveling exhibit that moves around the country raising awareness about plastic pollution with the goal of sparking changes in consumer habits. Building on this experience educating about marine debris, as well as the experience of the NOAA Marine Debris Program, Washed Ashore developed this integrated arts marine debris curriculum. Through presentations and hands-on classroom activities using the language of the arts, the curriculum educates the students about marine debris, plastic use in our society, and how to prevent marine debris both individually and as a community.

To view and download this marine debris curriculum, visit https://www.washedashore.org/curriculum/.