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.

    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 colored pencil drawing of a hand reaching into the ocean amid sea creatures holding signs with "no littering" messages on them, artwork by Anika A. (Grade 4, Washington), winner of the Annual NOAA Marine Debris Program Art Contest.
    The 2024 Marine Debris Calendar is now available for download! Learn more about the annual NOAA Marine Debris Art Contest.

    Collecting Marine Debris Data

    Kids on the beach are picking up debris.
    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! 

    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.

    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 is expanding 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 single-use plastics and waste.

    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 are implementing Ocean Guardian School projects that prevent marine debris and encourage 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

    Creative and Colorful Corals

    The completed coral reef!

    Coral reefs are one of the most important ecosystems on our planet. Thousands of species rely on reefs for survival, and millions of people worldwide also depend on coral reefs for food, protection, and jobs. These unique and sensitive habitats can be devastated by marine debris. Reefs can be impacted by debris that can smother, crush, or break off pieces of coral. Since corals grow very slowly, recovery from any damage caused by marine debris, no matter how small, can take a very long time. 

    SEAson's Greetings! (Holiday Cards)

    A greeting card made of upcycled egg cartons.

    Crafty cards are a great way to have students share holiday cheer with their family and community. And using upcycled materials can also turn those cards into an opportunity to share awareness about marine debris! 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.
    Whether you teach in a formal classroom, a nature center, or virtually, keeping your space organized can be a real challenge. These activities can keep your materials organized, get students engaged in a fun craft, and repurpose hard-to-recycle plastic bo
Last updated Fri, 07/26/2024 - 02:54 pm EDT