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How Much Plastic Waste do we Create?

Secondary, Middle

Description

In this short video, students will take a look at how a cargo ship hit a storm and tumbled over, releasing plastic into the ocean, 28 800 bath toys to be exact. The bath toys started to wash ashore in multiple parts of the world, but most ended up in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Students will then look into how plastic becomes microplastics in the ocean and why this is dangerous for the oceans and wildlife. Students will learn how plastic came to be and why single use plastic became so popular. They'll take a look into how much plastic waste is created each year and how plastic makes it's way up the food chain. The video then takes us into examples of how to reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink, repair, and refuse.

Lesson ideas to accompany this video are also included on the website.

General Assessment

Recommendation of how and where to use it

This video would be excellent to introduce plastics in the marine environments and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.  This video could be used to support environmental days such as World Oceans Day, Earth Day, or Waste Reduction Week. 

Relevant Curriculum Units

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        • Environment and Outdoor Education: Environmental Core
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        • Biological Diversity
        • Knowledge and Employability Science: Biological Diversity (Social and Environmental Contexts Emphasis)
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        • Science 10-4 (Knowledge and Employability Science): Investigating Matter and Energy in Environmental Systems
        • Science 14:Investigating Matter and Energy in the Environment
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        • Science 9: The biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere are interconnected, as matter cycles and energy flows through them.
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        • Science 10: Climate and Ecosystem Dynamics
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Themes Addressed

Ecosystems (3)

  • Appreciating the Natural World
  • Habitat Loss
  • Wildlife Protection

Water (1)

  • Marine Environments

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