Impacts

Plastic pellets (also called “nurdles”) are small pre-production pieces that are shipped around the world to factories that melt them to produce a variety of products. Pellets are often lost during transit, and because they float can be found throughout the ocean and on beaches everywhere.

Students use photographs of regurgitated albatross boluses to perform a “virtual dissection” and analysis, comparing the amounts of prey and non-prey items found in several boluses. They then use what they have learned to create a model of a bolus, with which they can educate others. This activity is available for Grades 6-8 and 9-12, within the "Impacts" unit. 

Students relate the location of plastics in the water column to the feeding behavior of various marine organisms. They discuss how marine debris can cause problems for different animals inhabiting a variety of ocean depths.

Students learn about at least two possible impacts of microplastics on the marine environment. They calculate the surface area of rectangular prisms of various sizes and create an argument that the greater surface area of small plastic pieces can potentially accumulate more toxins.

Students will explore the mathematical concept of probability in the context of marine debris in the ocean. Using a spinner with items an animal could potentially ingest, students calculate the probability that the animal will encounter marine debris instead of food.

Students focus on one characteristic of some marine debris – the “loop” shape – and learn how marine debris items with this shape negatively impact sea lions. This activity is available for Grades 4-5, within the "Impacts" unit. 

Students use a model to make observations about how an animal entangled in marine debris might be affected. Then they play a game that demonstrates how plastics in the ocean can be ingested by animals. This activity is available for Grades 4-5, within the "Impacts" unit. 

Students extract microplastic beads from personal care products, explore ways microplastics get into the ocean, and learn about a researcher who studies microplastics. This activity is available for Grades 6-8, within the "Sources and Transport" unit. 

Students relate the location of plastics in the water column to the feeding behavior of various marine organisms. They discuss how marine debris can cause problems for different animals inhabiting a variety of ocean depths. This activity is available for Grades 4-5 within the "Impacts" unit, and for Grades 6-8 and 9-12 within the "Composition and Abundance" unit. 

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.

Students will explore the concept of packaging, both what it has been and what it is. Then they will consider how modern packaging is affecting the environment and what they can do about it.

Students will create a class definition for single use plastics. Next, students will create T-shirt bags as an alternative to plastic bags and explore the environmental cost of different types of bags.

In this introductory lesson, slides will show examples of marine debris and also of Washed Ashore sculptures. Whenever possible, actual examples of marine debris and sculpture work will be provided. The lesson will conclude with a brainstorm activity to look at the plastics used in everyday life.

<!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}-->  A summary of removal efforts of abandoned and derelict vessels following hurricanes Irma and Maria.

The goal of this lesson is to demonstrate what happens when natural disasters collide with inhabited areas. Students have the ability to interact with scientific models to learn about weather/natural disasters.