Grade 9-12

This lesson will activate students’ existing knowledge and experiences, stimulate their desire to learn more, and provide an opportunity to reflect on their knowledge acquisition in the future. Activating their prior knowledge is helpful to assess what students already know, understand any misconceptions, and pinpoint areas of interest.

Through these activities and lessons, students will explore what it means to be a scientist, break down assumptions and misconceptions about science identities, and ultimately see themselves as scientists in action. 

Repurpose common trash materials through upcycling ‘waste’ plastics into arts and crafts. Students will be able to repurpose common trash materials through upcycling ‘waste’ plastics into arts and crafts.

Motivate people in your community to help solve the marine debris issue by creating your own behavior change campaign. Students will be able to use behavioral insights and communication strategies to motivate people to help solve the marine debris issue in their community. 

Get the chance to make real-life choices and practice making plastic-free purchases for lunch. Students will be able to understand they have the ability to reduce the amount of plastic packaging in their lives depending on the choices they make. They will also be able to discuss how difficult plastic-free shopping can be.

Upcycle plastic bags that would thrown out while creating art and learn about the properties of materials. Students will be able to identify the benefits and consequences of plastic properties and functions. Students will explore how to alter and upcycle waste plastics into new repurposed items with value as a solution to the plastic pollution problem.

Understand where, how much and what kinds of debris are present in your environment using this activity that introduces the Urban Trash Monitoring Protocol.

See the effects of trash on an area by trying to find all of the items on this scavenger hunt. Students will be able to illustrate the types of human-made trash that occur in our urban spaces and explore how these items can affect the human and non-human world. 

Explore the properties of plastic trash and see how they behave in the marine environment. Students will be able to describe that different types of plastics float, sink, or stay neutrally buoyant once they enter the ocean. Students will be able to begin to make connections between where a marine organism lives and feeds and their likelihood of debris exposure.

Assess the contents of your trash to see the types and amounts of waste we generate, and how much is misplaced, which prevents proper disposal. Students will be able to conduct a trash audit to understand the types of items being thrown away in your area and determine ways to create less waste.

Become familiar with Google Earth while learning how trash makes its way from our streets to nearby waterways. Students will be able to understand the concept of using remote sensing capabilities to gather useful information.

Build a city, trash it up and visualize how trash and contaminants move through a watershed after precipitation events. Students will Identify the various ways that pollutants are introduced and flow through watersheds. Discuss the impacts that these pollutants have and ways to reduce impacts throughout the watershed.