Educators sort trash in a box that is also filled with sand and other natural debris during a workshop.

For Educators

Explore our marine debris resources designed to support your needs and learning for students of all ages.

See Also:
For Students
For Kids and Families
For Adults and Professionals

  • Spotlight

    Explore some of our most popular marine debris resources for educators.

    Marine Debris Education Materials

    An infographic of a laptop with flying books on the background and stack of books.
    This tool allows you to explore a full collection of the NOAA Marine Debris Program's curricula and filter based on what is best fit for your classroom.

    Coastal Pollution Tutorial

    A pile of debris sits on a large barge surface.
    In this resource, you can explore three major types of coastal pollution: oil spills, marine debris, and harmful algal blooms. These pages present the sources, impacts, and solutions that scientists and others are using to address each of them.

    MDMAP Guide for Educators

    Students lined up on a beach with measuring rope.
    A resource for educators who are interested in implementing Marine Debris Monitoring and Assessment Project (MDMAP) surveys with their students.

    Activities

    Fish illustration.
    Download an assortment of puzzles, brain-teasers, and coloring activities for Grades 1-12. All activities are available for download and print!

    Curricula

    Beach covered with debris.
    Download an assortment of disciplinary lesson plans, units, and full curricula for Grades 1-12. All curricula and lesson plans are available for download and print!

    Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest and Calendar

    A drawing of a coral reef full of sea creatures and trash, with an octopus at the top holding two signs reading "We need clean water to thrive" and "Our home is not your garbage can," artwork by Sahini K. (Grade 6, Florida), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
    The 2025 Marine Debris Calendar is now available for download! Learn more about the annual NOAA Marine Debris Art Contest.

    Collecting Marine Debris Data

    Volunteers cleaning up marine debris along a shoreline covered in logs.
    Interested in citizen science efforts but not sure where to start? This easy-to-use app will help you collect and analyze data about marine debris in your area. The Marine Debris Tracker App is managed by the University of Georgia.

    At School

    Students around a desk.
    The first step to solving a problem is learning more about it. Learn what you can do to create change at school.

    Garbage Patches

    Oversimplified graphic of "garbage patches" in the North Pacific Ocean.
    What and where are garbage patches, anyway? Find out more about this important marine debris topic.

    Regional Emmy® Award-Winning TRASH TALK

    Trash Talk.
    View our Regional Emmy® Award-winning TRASH TALK video series. Each short video covers a marine debris topic. Here you’ll also find a TRASH TALK Webinar for Educators featuring fun and informative activities to pair with the videos for all age levels.

  • Classroom Resources

    Explore a variety of resources available to use in class or virtually.

    Coastal Pollution Tutorial

    A pile of debris sits on a large barge surface.
    In this resource, you can explore three major types of coastal pollution: oil spills, marine debris, and harmful algal blooms. These pages present the sources, impacts, and solutions that scientists and others are using to address each of them.

    Students for Zero Waste Week

    Hand-drawn poster for Students for Zero Waste Week.
    Students for Zero Waste Week is a school-driven, week-long campaign to reduce waste on school campuses and within local communities with the intention of moving towards zero waste.

    Trash in the Deep

    A food container, seen resting at 4,947 meters on the slopes of a canyon leading to the Sirena Deep.
    During a dive along the Mariana Trench wall, the NOAA Okeanos Explorer team saw multiple pieces of marine debris.

    NOAA Live! Alaska: Talking Trash: Marine Debris Research in Alaska

    A person overlooking a large pile of marine debris.
    Learn about marine debris of all shapes and sizes, as well as marine debris projects that NOAA and community partners are conducting in Alaska.

    NOAA Ocean Podcast

    NOAA Ocean Podcast banner.
    Learn about interconnected ocean issues with the NOAA Ocean Podcast, covering topics including microplastics, citizen science, and garbage patches.

    Posters

    Part of a Garbage Patches poster.
    Our poster collection is available to help spread awareness of marine debris and highlight some of the most important issues we’re trying to address through prevention, removal, and research.

    Developing a Bilingual Marine Debris Curriculum for Puerto Rico

    A shoe and other debris scattered on a sandy ocean beach.
    Puerto Rico Sea Grant will develop a bilingual marine debris curriculum to educate students in grades 4-12 about the sources and impacts of marine debris and to promote behavior change through hands-on activities involving teachers, students, and their families.

    One Cool Earth Zero Waste: How To Start School Waste Sorting Stations

    Recycling and waste bins on a schoolyard.
    Get helpful tips to reduce school lunchroom waste and support student responsibility through waste sorting stations in this video from One Cool Earth.

  • Educator Resources

    Explore opportunities, resources, professional development, and more for educators! 

    Marine Debris Education Materials

    An infographic of a laptop with flying books on the background and stack of books.
    This tool allows you to explore a full collection of the NOAA Marine Debris Program's curricula and filter based on what is best fit for your classroom.

    Ocean Guardian School Program

    Ocean Guardian school logo.
    An Ocean Guardian School makes a commitment to the protection and conservation of its local watersheds, the world's ocean, and special ocean areas, like national marine sanctuaries. Learn more about this opportunity for schools!

    Science Update: From Talking Trash to Taking Action: The Science of Marine Debris

    A monk seal sits on a large mass of derelict nets.
    Join NOAA and the National Science Teaching Association to learn all about the science of marine debris, and how to turn that science into solutions!

    NOAA Planet Stewards Program

    NOAA Planet Stewards logo.
    NOAA Planet Stewards supports educators to carry out hands-on action-based stewardship projects with participants of all ages.

    Not Just Talking Trash: Marine Debris and What We Can Do About It!

    Silhouettes of marine debris and the title "Not Just Talking Trash: Marine Debris and What We Can Do About It!".
    Learn how to talk about and connect to the problem of marine debris, resources to help you, what we’re still learning, and how to be part of the solution.

    Educator Opportunities in NOAA

    People sitting at desk with multiple activities.
    Find information about opportunities available to educators throughout NOAA, including professional development, online resources, and grant opportunities.

    Marine Debris Blog

    A person removing debris near a large chick on the beach.
    Here you can learn about all things marine debris! Our blog promotes the work of our dedicated partners, announces new marine debris products and events, and shares information on how you can help.

    NOAA Marine Debris Program Education Newsletter Archive

    NOAA Marine Debris Education Newsletter banner.
    The NOAA Marine Debris Education Newsletter highlights marine debris lessons and educational resources and features upcoming events, art contests, and fun crafts.

  • Student Voices

    Check out the amazing projects and opportunities featuring students around the country working to keep our sea free of debris.

    A Community Approach to Reducing Single-Use Plastic Bottles

    Two plastic bottles float in shallow water.
    Explore resources from this project focused on reducing single-use plastic water bottle use behavior of students at two high schools in Virginia through increased awareness of and connectivity between bottle usage and inland and marine debris problems.

    Water and Climate Stewards of San Diego Bay

    Marine debris littering a beach at the surf line.
    A NOAA Planet Stewards educator shares resources and lessons learned from their work in the 2022 issue of The Earth Scientist.

    Environmental Stewardship on St. Paul Island

    Buoys, floats, and other marine debris piled up after a cleanup.
    A NOAA Planet Stewards educator shares resources and lessons learned from their work in the 2022 issue of The Earth Scientist.

    Salem Sound Coastwatch & Girls, Inc., of Lynn, Massachusetts, Talk Trash for Clean Oceans

    Salem Sound Coastwatch & Girls, Inc., of Lynn, Massachusetts.
    These high school students have created outreach campaigns around issues including cigarette butt litter, composting, and working with restaurants.

    Eckerd College Reduces Single Use

    An Eckerd College student with a reusable tumbler.
    Students at Eckerd College have led an effort to reduce single-use plastics on campus through research, outreach, and policy changes.

    Creating a social norm: A student-designed program to reduce marine debris

    A cafe sign that reads, "Think of our seas and be single-use plastic free!".
    Fifth graders from Falmouth, Massachusetts, worked with partners to create a campaign to reduce single-use plastics in their community.

    Refuse Plastic: Save the Seas!

    Image of a fish and the words "Refuse Plastic: Save the Seas!".
    With funding from the NOAA Planet Stewards Project, these students focused on reducing waste through reusables in school and home lunches.

    Empowering Students to Prevent Marine Debris in the Long Island Sound Watershed

    A plastic water bottle buried in a sand dune.

    The Connecticut Audubon Society is working with 14 schools in the Long Island Sound watershed to assess the most prevalent types of marine debris in local waterways and implement prevention methods using student-designed solutions.

    Central Coast Alliance for Expanding Marine Debris Prevention in Schools

    Six students wearing "Green Team" jackets lined up in a schoolyard.
    One Cool Earth is leading an alliance of partners across the Central Coast of California to incorporate marine debris reduction activities in schools and empower youth to change their waste disposal behaviors.

    Aventureros Averting Plastics for a Better Baja

    Volunteers removing a derelict fishing net from the shoreline.

    The Vermilion Sea Institute expanded the work and research of local youth in the Aventureros educational program to support the Bahía de los Ángeles community in Baja California, Mexico in reducing waste and sources of marine debris.

    A Plastic-Free Education Campaign in Southeast Florida

    A shoreline covered in plastic bottles and other marine debris.
    The Ocean Conservancy and their partners will engage local Miami-Dade County youth and businesses through their Plastic Free Cities campaign to reduce single-use plastics.

    Empowering Ocean Stewards Through the Ocean Guardian Schools Program

    Students handing out reusable water bottles and bags at an outdoor campus event.

    Students and teachers at Simon A. Sanchez High School and John F. Kennedy High School in Guam implemented Ocean Guardian School projects that prevented marine debris and encouraged students to lead environmental stewardship in their communities.

    Taking a Bite Out of Lunchroom Waste in Northeast Michigan

    Hands holding out marine debris collected from a lake shoreline.
    The Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan and Northeast Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative are leading "Food for Thought," a project engaging 500 youth in grades 3-12 in Northeast Michigan to reduce waste produced in school lunchrooms.

    Changing Littering Behavior through Student Leadership and Peer Mentorship

    Students in a classroom.
    The Alice Ferguson Foundation is expanding its current marine debris focused education programming to engage secondary students in Prince George’s County, Maryland, around the issue of marine debris and litter prevention in their schools and communities.

  • Crafts

    Gobble Up this Thanksgiving Craft!

    Two turkeys made of egg cartons sit against a plain background.
    Share a spirit of gratitude for Thanksgiving by upcycling an egg carton into a flock of turkeys!

    Make Your Own Recycled Paper Snowflakes

    The finished craft.
    Create snowflakes from paper tubes and paint. 

    Make a Calendar into an Envelope

    The back of a colorful envelope.
    Follow this step-by-step guide to transform a calendar, or any other scrap of paper, into an envelope.

    A Totally Tubular Upcycling Project

    A tall canister decorated and holding a ruler and long straws.
    We've put together a fresh new take on desktop organization with this special container to wrangle your rulers - Using a potato crisp can!

    From Plastic to Placemats

    A collection of colorful plastic film pieces.
    Turn discarded plastic bags into sturdy, artistic, useful products that hold value and are unlikely to be thrown away.

    Go Make a Kite

    A kite in a windowsill.
    Plastic bags can be difficult to recycle, but they're hard to avoid. This craft repurposes a large plastic bag into a fun, outdoor activity: Flying a kite!

    Piece it All Together with Marine Debris Art Calendar Jigsaw Puzzles

    Three different puzzles laid out in pieces on a table.

    When you find a calendar you really love, like the annual NOAA Marine Debris Calendar, it can be hard to take it down when the year is over - Especially when the artwork was created by inspiring and thoughtful students from across the country!

    Marine Debris Mural

    A mural made of repurposed bottle caps.
    Help spread the message about marine debris prevention and beautify your school at the same time by getting your students involved in some marine debris art!

    Beeswax Wrap to Keep Lunchtime Free of Debris

    Finished beeswax wrap hanging up to dry.
    Repurpose your old t-shirts and reduce waste at mealtimes with upcycled beeswax wraps.

    Trashy Tinsel: Upcycled Holiday Decor

    The finished tinsel across a door.
    With this easy craft, you can give a new life to non-recyclable bags and make it a part of your holiday decorations.

    Crafty Caterpillars and Brilliant Butterflies

    The completed butterflies.
    Celebrate spring with your students by creating these colorful critters out of repurposed cardboard rolls. They'll make great props for read-alongs, life cycle lessons, or rainy day crafting!

    Egg Carton Flowers

    An egg carton has been cut and painted into flowers.
    Turn an egg carton into a beautiful bouquet of flowers with this quick and easy craft.

    Egg Carton Ecosystem

    A pond made of blue construction paper with recycled-egg-carton frogs and turtles.
    Prevent marine debris from impacting wildlife by creating an ecosystem out of repurposed egg cartons! This fun craft is appropriate for all ages, but will be especially engaging for younger students.

    Bottle Piggy Bank

    A piggy bank made from a plastic bottle.
    For a fun and very simple class craft, here's some easy instructions for turning a plastic bottle into a piggy bank. Let it be a reminder to save both some money and our planet!

    From Trash to Terrarium

    A box full of plastic bottles.
    Use plastic bottles to make greenhouses for all of your plants and seeds.

    Crayon Craziness (Crayons & Candles)

    A pile of broken crayons.
    To keep broken crayon pieces from filling up landfills (or ending up as schoolyard litter), try upcycling them into candles or tie-die crayons to give them a whole new life.

    Let's Hit the Beach! (Beach Toys)

    A coffee cup found on the remote northwestern Hawaiian islands.
    Displays of bright plastic toys can be awfully tempting, but you can have just as much fun with toys from repurposed materials. Dive into this craft to put together your own set of upcycled beach toys!

    Jellyfish Jars

    A drawing of a large, white plastic bag swallowing a fish, which is swallowing a smaller fish, which is swallowing a tiny fish.
    Put some of your old plastic bags to use and help students see firsthand why sea turtles and other animals often mistake plastic single-use bags in the ocean for food.

    Plastic Bottle Bird Feeders

    A grey bird perched on a bird feeder made from a repurposed bottle.
    Make an outdoor space near you into a bustling, zero-waste bird cafe! Using a repurposed bottle and craft materials, along with your favorite bird seed, you can bring your flocks home to roost.

    Creative and Colorful Corals

    The completed coral reef!
    Check out resources to help students learn about reefs, and then create your own coral reef with upcycled materials!

    SEAson's Greetings! (Holiday Cards)

    A greeting card made of upcycled egg cartons.
    Check out this project for how to use egg cartons to make creative and fun holiday cards.

    Shop Waste-Free with Reusable T-Shirt Bags

    A repurposed t shirt and pair of scissors.
    Did you know you can repurpose old t-shirts into sustainable items? Grab your scissors and an old t-shirt, there are only a few steps to a new reusable bag!

    Back to School Organization

    Three decorative writing utensil holders made out of recycled plastic bottles.
    These activities can keep your materials organized, get students engaged in a fun craft, and repurpose hard-to-recycle plastic bottles.

  • Learning in Action

    Stories of practical implementation of marine debris education in the classroom and in the field from the NOAA Marine Debris Program and partners.

    Bring the NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest to Life

    Student artwork of a heart-shaped buoy with text reading Save the Sea from Debris.
    To help you make the most of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest, we've gathered some tips and tricks for getting your students into the creative spirit.

    Listen Up! Teaching Marine Debris with NOAA Podcasts

    Fishing nets on shallow coral reefs around islands and atolls.
    Learn more about sharing NOAA podcasts in the classroom to learn more about marine debris.

    Harness the Power of Theater and Storytelling with Wisconsin Sea Grant

    A woman with blond hair and a child with brown hair, seen from behind as they are reading the cover of the playbill for “Me and Debry.”
    With the support of the NOAA Marine Debris Program, Wisconsin Sea Grant and American Players Theatre incorporated creativity into their marine debris education and outreach efforts by authoring a play about marine debris!

    Students Raise Their Voices in the Duwamish Valley, Washington

    Students collect and sort trash.
    Student groups from the Duwamish Valley Youth Corp Program, a youth environmental justice program, used litter assessments to inform community education and engagement efforts specifically around marine debris and single-use plastics.

    Refresh Your Recycling Routines

    A group of students painting "Please Recycle" messages on a blue sign.
    Between hand-raising, hallway transitions, and homework, it can be difficult to prioritize classroom waste management over classroom behavior management. We're sharing tips on how to make recycling responsibly a part of your classroom culture.

For citation purposes, unless otherwise noted, this article was authored by the NOAA Marine Debris Program.

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