Outdoor Activity

Reading and accompanying activity about the importance and challenges faced by diamondback terrapins.

Experiment comparing the breaking points of several weights of fishing line.

In this lesson, students make observations about what is in their classroom trash receptacle (or various trash items brought by instructor). Students then go outside to collect trash from the surrounding area and record what they find using the NAMEPA Trash Data form.

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

This activity will serve as a catalyst for students to derive connections between their actions and the impact on the environment. Students will observe marine debris from around the world, collect their own trash data around school, and use technology to further research. Once the data can be compared, students will communicate their findings in a group setting.

In this lesson, students follow a scientific data collection procedure to collect and analyze debris at their school campus. They compare their results to a larger existing marine debris database in California, and make connections between campus debris and marine debris using the concept of watersheds. This activity is available for Grades 4-5, within the "Sources and Transport" unit. 

Students perform an experiment to learn how different types of debris break down over time and how they are their degradation is affected by environmental conditions. This activity is available for Grades 6-8 and 9-12, within the "Composition and Abundance" unit. 

Students use a sampling protocol to collect, sort and quantify (by number or by weight) marine debris collected from a beach. The 5 Gyres lesson provides data cards for macro and micro marine debris. This activity is available for Grades 4-5, 6-8, and 9-12, within the "Composition and Abundance" unit. 

Students explore a local riverbank or beach and carry out a survey to assess human impacts on the area. Students analyze and share their findings. This activity is available for Grades 4-5, within the "Composition and Abundance" unit. 

Utilizing field work and in-class activities, students will learn to identify, sort and classify marine debris in the Virgin Islands.

Students will investigate and learn about nearby watersheds and about the ridge-to-reef concept. Students will use this knowledge to investigate how marine debris gets into and moves around the ocean. They will look for evidence to determine the source (land or sea) of different types of marine debris.

In this activity, students will investigate how long it takes different types of debris to degrade and how weather and sunlight affect the breakdown rate. Students will learn how degradation rates impact how long debris persists in the environment. Students will learn the difference between human-made and natural materials.

Have you ever found litter on the beach and wondered what it is and where it came from? In this project, organized by Oregon Sea Grant and supported through funding by the NOAA Marine Debris Program, students focus on one particular item of marine debris and try to learn about the item's story. What was the item originally used for?

Have you ever found litter on the beach and wondered what it is and where it came from? In this project, organized by Oregon Sea Grant and supported through funding by the NOAA Marine Debris Program, students focus on one particular item of marine debris and try to learn about the item's story. What was the item originally used for?

Have you ever found litter on the beach and wondered what it is and where it came from? In this project, organized by Oregon Sea Grant and supported through funding by the NOAA Marine Debris Program, students focus on one particular item of marine debris and try to learn about the item's story. What was the item originally used for?