Life Science

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.

Developed as a means to educate the next generation about ocean trash and, most importantly, how we all can prevent it. Created through an educational partnership between Ocean Conservancy and the NOAA Marine Debris Program. Flexible curriculum, appropriate for all ages.

Designed as a stand-alone teaching tool or to supplement lessons for educators in both formal and informal settings. Appropriate for students grades K-12, with a focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) objectives.

This guide is designed for educators in both formal and informal education situations. It is a regional introduction to three main categories of marine debris: litter; derelict or abandoned boats; and lost or abandoned commercial and recreational fishing gear. Appropriate for grades 5-8.

Turning the Tide on Trash is a learning guide on marine debris. This set of lesson plans and background information introduces educators, students and researchers to the topic of marine debris. The interdisciplinary education guide is designed to provide maximum flexibility in the classroom: it can be used as a stand-alone teaching tool or to supplement work in other subject areas.

Created by the NOAA Marine Debris Program and Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, the Ocean Guardian Activity Book teaches students about the ocean, marine debris, and why it's important through word searches, games, and coloring pages.

This popular assortment of puzzles, brain-teasers and coloring activities helps children understand the problem of marine debris while having fun at the same time. Suitable for all ages.

The students will research, write, and create materials to educate the community about marine debris – its sources, impacts, and solutions. Students will share their research by creating a web site, newspaper, podcast, or television show (depending on the resources available at your school).

As a class, students organize and conduct a cleanup of a local beach, lake, or stream. Students keep track of the types and amounts of trash picked up and analyze this information in the classroom. As a class, students discuss the marine debris problem in their community and consider ways to prevent it.

In this unit, students will learn steps they can take to prevent marine debris, investigate what individuals and organizations are doing about the problem, and explore ways to educate others about possible solutions.

Students complete a form that requires them to make decisions about how severely different types of marine debris affect animals, people, vessels, and habitat. As a class, results are totaled and analyzed to determine which types of marine debris are most harmful to the different categories.

Students perform an experiment in which they wrap a rubber band around their fingers and across the back of their hand and try to disentangle themselves. As a class, students discuss their thoughts and reactions and relate to real animals. Older students will write a short story about an entangled animal.

Students listen to descriptions of marine animals and then identify marine debris items that could harm them.

In this unit, students will explore the effects of marine debris on wildlife and coastal communities and the potential hazards it poses to humans.

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