Students explore the issue of marine plastic pollution including sources, distribution and impact on the environment. Special attention is paid to how macro and micro plastics affect wildlife and what actions students can take as individuals to help mitigate the damage caused.
Activities include:
Students are encouraged to implement their action ideas within their own community.
Link to lesson plan video
Link to lesson plan infographic
This resource will provide a solid introduction to the causes and consequences of plastics in the world's oceans and in doing so will support curriculum objectives in a variety of science courses for grades 4-8. It does a good job connecting students to the issue and will serve as an effective prelude to an action project.
The following tool will allow you to explore the relevant curriculum matches for this resource. To start, select a province listed below.
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Consideration of Alternative Perspectives | Good | Students gather information from reliable sources. Emphasis is placed on developing and sharing individual points of view regarding the issue of marine pollution. |
Consideration of Alternative Perspectives:
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Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions | Good | Activities require students to consider the various causes and impacts of plastics in our oceans and provide opportunities to employ a systems-thinking analysis. |
Multiple Dimensions of Problems & Solutions: Effectively addresses the environmental, economic and social dimensions of the issue(s) being explored.
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Respects Complexity | Good | The video, infographic and discussion guidelines present an appropriate representation of the complexity of the issue. |
Respects Complexity: The complexity of the problems/issues being discussed is respected. | ||
Acting on Learning | Satisfactory | Student consideration of individual action is included in the core activities. Implementation is suggested as an extension to the learning. |
Acting on Learning: Learning moves from understanding issues to working towards positive change — in personal lifestyle, in school, in the community, or for the planet
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Values Education | Very Good | The resource includes activities that require students to identify, clarify and express their own feelings about the issue of marine plastic pollution. |
Values Education: Students are explicitly provided with opportunities to identify, clarify and express their own beliefs/values. | ||
Empathy & Respect for Humans | Poor/Not considered | |
Empathy & Respect for Humans: Empathy and respect are fostered for diverse groups of humans (including different genders, ethnic groups, sexual preferences, etc.). | ||
Personal Affinity with Earth | Good | All of the activities raise awareness of and promote concern for the natural world. |
Personal Affinity with Earth: Encourages a personal affinity with -the natural world.
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Locally-Focused Learning | Poor/Not considered | |
Locally-Focused Learning: Includes learning experiences that take advantage of issues/elements within the local community.
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Past, Present & Future | Satisfactory | Students will gain some appreciation for the role of increasing population and consumption over time in the acceleration of plastic marine pollution. |
Past, Present & Future: Promotes an understanding of the past, a sense of the present, and a positive vision for the future. |
Principle | Rating | Explanation |
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Open-Ended Instruction | Very Good | Students collect and analyze their own data and gather additional information from trustworthy sources. |
Open-Ended Instruction
: Lessons are structured so that multiple/complex answers are possible; students are not steered toward one 'right' answer. | ||
Integrated Learning | Satisfactory | The content and process objectives offered in this resource address outcomes in science, social studies and citizenship education. |
Integrated Learning: Learning brings together content and skills from more than one subject area
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Inquiry Learning | Satisfactory | The resource begins with an inquiry activity to determine the amount of trash generated by individuals and how much of that trash could impact the marine environment. |
Inquiry Learning: Learning is directed by questions, problems, or challenges that students work to address.
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Differentiated Instruction | Good | The activities offer different instructional approaches including inquiry, video analysis, discussion, collaboration, reflection, creative expression and action. |
Differentiated Instruction: Activities address a range of student learning styles, abilities and readiness.
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Experiential Learning | Good | There are a number of activities that involve learning in a real world context. |
Experiential Learning: Authentic learning experiences are provided
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Cooperative Learning | Poor/Not considered | There is little explicit emphasis on the elements of cooperative learning. |
Cooperative Learning: Group and cooperative learning strategies are a priority.
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Assessment & Evaluation | Poor/Not considered | Assessment tools have not been included. |
Assessment & Evaluation: Tools are provided that help students and teachers to capture formative and summative information about students' learning and performance. These tools may include reflection questions, checklists, rubrics, etc. | ||
Peer Teaching | Satisfactory | The Gallery Walk activity offers an opportunity for students to take responsibility for educating others. |
Peer Teaching: Provides opportunities for students to actively present their knowledge and skills to peers and/or act as teachers and mentors.
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Case Studies | Poor/Not considered | |
Case Studies: Relevant case studies are included. Case studies are thorough descriptions of real events from real situations that students use to explore concepts in an authentic context. | ||
Locus of Control | Good | Students select their own project topics and methods. They are encouraged to implement their action ideas within the larger community. |
Locus of Control: Meaningful opportunities are provided for students to choose elements of program content, the medium in which they wish to work, and/or to go deeper into a chosen issue. |