What Is Marine Debris?

Students are introduced to the subject of marine debris, its composition, its impact on marine wildlife, and the land-to-ocean connection in an informative talk story session utilizing visual aids and activities.

Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund created this Marine Debris Keiki (Children) Education & Outreach curriculum for grades K-5 as part of a project supported by the NOAA Marine Debris Program.

This curriculum introduces ocean circulation, marine ecology, and human impacts with a focus on marine debris to students in K-5th grade. Student activities meet the math and science benchmarks and Common Core standards for the State of Hawaiʻi Department of Education for each grade level. The curriculum includes presentations, lesson plans, activities, and vocab sheets, and culminates with a family "Beach Cleanup Day" at local marine debris hubs.

You can also check out the curriculum and supporting materials, including video lessons, handouts, and more, on Hawaiʻi Wildlife Fund's website.