Marine Debris Education Materials

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Making the most of the filterable categories. 

• "Marine Debris Topics" filters help learners discover more about the different types of marine debris, where it comes from, and the ways it impacts wildlife, habitats, and people. Get answers about garbage patches, and learn how you can make a difference and help solve the marine debris problem, whether you live on the coast, or hundreds of miles away!
  • Types and Sources: Resources that incorporate what marine debris is and where it comes from. 
  • Impacts: Resources that incorporate the many ways marine debris impacts communities - both wildlife and humans. 
  • Garbage Patches: Resources that explore the science, sources, and solutions of garbage patches in the ocean.
  • Microplastics: Resources that dive into these small plastics and the big problems they can cause for our environment.
  • Solutions: Resources that incorporate the large-scale, systemic ways that we can address the issue of marine debris. 
  • How to Help: Resources that incorporate individual, specific actions that students can take in their own lives and communities.
• “Audience” filters by grade level, including postsecondary education, and also has a filter option for informal environments and adult learners. 
• “Subject” filters by the general subject area, such as Art, Earth science, Math, and more. Many marine debris lessons are interdisciplinary by design!
• “Special categories” offers additional filters for specific instructional strategies or learning environments.
  • Citizen Science: These materials provide students with an opportunity to collect data and contribute to community or participatory science efforts. 
  • Working with Data: Students will collect, analyze, and/or utilize marine debris and other data as a part of lesson activities. 
  • Cleanups & Waste Audits: These materials instruct students through two popular methods of reducing trash in the environment: Organizing and executing a cleanup or assessing the waste produced at home or in the community. 
  • Student Advocacy: Students have the opportunity to develop and share their own opinions on marine debris topics, including raising their voices to the community and decision-makers.
  • Research: Students will independently investigate marine debris topics to ask and answer questions about phenomena. 
  • Outdoor Activity: Lessons that incorporate some element of outdoor education - either a field trip to an outdoor space or using nearby spaces like school campuses or neighborhoods.
  • Crafts, Fun & Games: Resources that make marine debris a little more fun! These include upcycling crafts, classroom games, and more. 
  • Class Discussion: These resources ask big questions and invite learners to discuss them as a large group. 
  • Multimedia: Resources that incorporate videos, infographics, and other multimedia tools as critical lesson components. 
  • Virtual Learning Ready: These activities can be easily self-directed, engaging learners outside of direct instruction. 
  • Spanish: Resources that are available in Spanish. 
  • Scientific Method: These activities are guided by the scientific method as a key learning component or lesson structure. 
  • Action Project: Learners conclude these lessons or activities by implementing an action project to address the issue of marine debris in their communities.
  • Models: These resources use models or role-playing as methods of exploring the types, sources, impacts, and solutions of marine debris.
• “NGSS DCI” filters by Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs). Not all resources have this alignment.