Grade 6-8

A simple experiment demonstrating the bouyancy of several common types of debris and their potential behavior throughout the ocean's currents.

A timed activity/game demonstrating the difficulty of distinguishing "food" from plastic debris for marine life like seabirds.

Discussion of litter-based sources of marine debris, including a brief look at impacts and prevention strategies, including an anecdote about seeds and litter found on the wrack line, or tidal line, in North Carolina.

A coloring and sorting activity identifying an then discussing different types of debris hidden in a picture.

This brief reading passage discusses types, sources, and impacts of marine debris, including an anecdote about recovery from Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi.

In this lesson, students analyze the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup data to make inferences about which countries documented the most amount of marine debris and the types of debris found/collected. Students also answer prompts about why some states or countries had much higher amounts of marine debris reported than others.

In this lesson, students are presented with background information about marine debris – what it is, its origins, and current statistics. Students will engage in a brief discussion about its impacts. Afterward, students are given handouts to review the scientific process. Students are asked to come up with three research questions about the prevention or removal of marine debris.

In this lesson, students build a model showing how water flows through a system and evaluate different management practices to see how they might reduce the amount of marine debris that enters the marine environment. The models in this lesson could be used as a classroom demonstration or traditional lab investigation for students, depending on time efficiency of instructor and students.

This lesson plays on students’ creativity by asking them to design a machine that collects debris in the ocean without impacting wildlife.

Students will find creative new uses for common debris items like bottle caps. 

Students will extend their experience in the cleanup by discussing and analyzing ways to prevent marine debris from entering the environment, including Reduce/Reuse/Recycle strategies, Personal habits; Policy change, etc. Using a 4-corners style activity, students will separate debris materials (from the debris deck) into categories for Reduce/Reuse/Recycle/Other.

This lesson includes discussions and activities meant to help students process and analyze their cleanup experience. Students will reflect on the strangest trash item collected and tell the story of its journey to the cleanup site using a medium of their choice (writing, drawing, skits, etc.).

Students will plan, prepare for, execute, and report back on a cleanup in their local area.

Students will begin to understand the impact marine debris has on their own comunities and lives. 

This lesson covers different impacts of marine debris on the ecosystems and human communities, including ingestion, entanglement, and our own experiences. Students will complete two activities: