A sample of trash that washed up in South Padre Island, Texas. (Source: NRDC)

Overview:

Students will predict how long it takes different debris to breakdown in nature. They will discuss what these timespans mean for debris that finds its way into our waterways and identify why tracking marine debris is important.

Objective:

Students will identify the types of debris that are prevelant in marine debris.

Materials:

Activity: Marine Debris Timeline* , laminated images of each item (see answers), a physical representation of each item, and the Answers

Reference Material: "What is Marine Debris?"

Worksheet: The What, Where, and Why of Marine Debris

* This can be a digital timeline that can be manipulated on a Smartboard or Chromebooks, mini-timelines given to partners, or a large timeline that is completed in a group.

Procedure:

Ask students to help generate a list of things they threw in the garbage over the last 24 hours. Create a list of their answers on the board. Ask them what they think happened to a specific item after it was thrown away. Ask students to choose an item from the list and discuss its possible fate with a neighbor.

Explain that much of what we throw away does not find its way to the city or county landfill. Items that can be recycled often end up as litter that is carried via stormwater and wind to our waterways. Some litter is intentionally dumped from cruise ships and other sources. All this litter becomes marine debris. Explain that they are going to think critically about the life cycles of this debris by using an interactive timeline.

Share the Marine Debris Timeline, the real-world items (these can be used to think critically about each item - what is it made of? how thick is it? etc), and the laminated images of each item. Ask students to pair-up to determine their predictions of how long each item takes to break-up in the environment. Have them place the laminated image of each item next to the amount of time they predict it takes to breakdown. After the specified time, ask teams to share their predictions. What did they get right? What surprised them? What do they notice about items that breakdown quickly? (they are made of organic materials) What are most items made of that take hundreds to thousands of years? (plastic) Remind them that every plastic item every made still exists: diapers, bottles, straws, etc.

Pair up and explore "What is Marine Debris?".  Have students work together to explore this resource. Ask them to refer back to the list of items they threw away in the past 24 hours. Are those items represented in the list of types of marine debris? How does litter become marine debris? What are the primary sources of marine debris?

Complete The What, Where, and Why of Marine Debris worksheet. Give students access to "What is Marine Debris?".

Assessment: Completed worksheets and observation during discussions.

Marine Debris floating in a waterway. (Source: National Geographic)

Overview:

Students will  locate a piece of plastic trash to highlight in a graphic story that illustrates the life cycle of a plastic item as it becomes marine debris.

Objective:

Students will explain the process by which plastics become marine debris.

Materials:

Article: "Citizen's Guide to Protecting the Mississippi Gulf Coast from Marine Debris"

Gloves, trash bags, garbage grabbers

Photo: Creating a Graphic Mini-Story

Graphic Novel Templates #1 and #2

Paper, rulers, colored pencils

Video: "What is Marine Debris"

Video: "The Great Pacific Garbage Patch"

Procedure:

Ask students about their current understanding of marine debris.

Read and discuss "Citizen's Guide to Protecting the Mississippi Gulf Coast from Marine Debris"  How are plastics getting into our water ways?  How can we prevent marine debris? What are some common sources of marine debris? What happens to the majority of debris that ends up in our waterways?

Explain that they are going to take a short walk on or around campus to look for (and clean-up) plastic trash.  Hand out garage bags, gloves, and garbage grabbers (if you have them).  As students pick-up garbage around the school, ask them to find one piece of plastic trash that they will use to create a life-cycle story of how plastics become microplastics.

Pair up and create a mini-story of how one plastic item becomes microplastics.  Share the photo of students Creating a Graphic Mini-Story.  Have students use the graphic novel templates #1 and #2 or create their own using the paper and rulers.  Encourage creativity!  They can begin from when the item is thrown away.  What happens to it?  How does it become marine debris? Where does the debris ultimately end up? Share these videos as reference material for these stories: "What is Marine Debris" and "The Great Pacific Garbage Patch".

Assessment:

Completed mini-stories and observation during discussions and activities.

Marine debris on Hawaii's Kanapou Bay. (Source: NOAA/Flickr/CC BY 2.0)

Overview:

Students will explore and collect a variety of marine debris data. Students will analyze the data and determine how marine debris is impacting our waterways.

Objective:

Students will use a variety of tools to collect marine debris data.

Materials:

Article: "Marine Debris: The Problem and its Impacts"

Computer and Internet Access

Data: NOAA's Marine Debris Tracker

Collection Options: Field Day Procedures

Materials for marine debris transects (see Field Day Procedures)

Data Sheets: Marine Debris (choose the most appropriate data sheet from the packet for your students/location)

Worksheet: The Consequences of Marine Debris

Procedure:

Reflect on the previous two sessions. What do they know about marine debris? How do we know?

Read and discuss "Marine Debris: The Problem and its Impacts" Why is plastic debris particularly dangerous?  Which species are most vulnerable to the effects of marine debris?

Explain that they are going to explore and collect marine debris data in the waterways near them. What do the think they will find?  Is the problem as wide-spread as it seems?

Ask students to explore the data on the NOAA's Marine Debris Tracker. What seems to be the most common kind of marine debris?  Are they finding different items depending on where they are looking? Who is submitting this data? Why does that matter?

Review Field Day Procedures for marine debris data collection. Have students visit a nearby waterway, set transects, and collect data. Whenever students are on-site working near water, please give detailed water and wildlife safety briefings for all participants.  Here is some general guidance.  For those of us near alligators, here is some advice.

Record the data on Marine Debris data sheets. What did they find? Is it what they expected to find? Were there any surprises?

Pair up and complete the The Consequences of Marine Debris worksheet using the data they collected and other resources from the sessions.  How does data help us to understand impacts and critical issues?

Assessment:

Completed data sheets, worksheets, and observation during discussions and activities.

Student cleaning up a beach. (Source: Nature Conservancy).

Overview:

Students will learn about solutions that are being proposed for the removal and prevention of marine debris in our waterways.  They will also propose their own solutions.

Objective:

Students will propose possible solutions for marine debris.

Materials:

Article: "The Makah Tribe Meets the Challenge of Marine Debris"

Video: "The Ocean Clean Up"

Worksheet: Proposed Solution for Marine Debris

Online Resource: NOAA Marine Debris Program

Procedure:

Reflect on the previous sessions.  What do they now know about marine debris?  Where is it coming from?  Where are we finding it?  What impacts are marine debris having on wildlife?  On humans?  Can we tackle this issue?  Take a vote.  How many students think there are concrete ways we can get rid of marine debris?  How many think it is a problem that can't be solved?  Ask students to support their votes with statements about why they voted the way they did.

Share and discuss "The Makah Tribe Meets the Challenge of Marine Debris" and "The Ocean Clean Up" Revisit the vote.  Ask students to use these articles as a way to explore the results of the vote.  Are these examples enough?  What are the actual effects of these two examples on the amount of marine debris in our waterways?  What would have to happen for these examples to have substantial impacts on the amount of microplastics in the water?

Explain that they are going to choose one type of marine debris and propose a solution for either keeping it out of waterways or removing it from waterways.  Remind students of the kinds of microplastics with the Types of Microplastics PDF.

Pair up and complete the Proposed Solution for Marine Debris worksheet.  Have students share their ideas.  Did anyone come up with similar ideas?  Have students ask questions about each of the proposed solutions.  Can we solve the problem of microplastics?  What are the first steps to take?

Extend the Learning by having students learn about, and possibly participate in, the NOAA Marine Debris Program.  Data collection helps communities and scientists understand the issue of marine debris in our waterways.  When we understand an issue, we can propose solutions.

Assessment:

Completed worksheets and observation during discussions.

Source: #breakfreefromplastic

Overview:

Students will reflect on how their knowledge of marine debris has shifted during this exploration. They will also examine this new knowledge as it relates to environmental justice.

Objective:

Students will organize and communicate the take-aways from this exploration.

Materials:

Computer and internet access

Data: Plastic Pollution

Online Resource: "What You Can Do"

Worksheet: Marine Debris in Our Waterways

Procedure:

Share Plastic Pollution with students.  Give them time to explore the data. Ask them to write down any items that catch their attention. Ask them to add a few words as to why the item stood out.

Ask students to share the items that were of most interest.  Discuss why they found those items interesting. Ask students to reflect on what they knew about marine debris before this exploration. How has their knowledge changed?

Explain that environmental justice is a factor that is central to communities that have been historically marginalized. Is marine debris an issue that can impact marginalized communities differently? Why? What resources need to be available for a community to manage marine debris? Are the proposed solutions accessible to all? Did the data support the idea that marine debris affects economically disadvantaged countries differently?

Share and discuss "What You Can Do." Ask students to choose one action they would like to try. Schedule a check-in to follow-up on their progress.

Complete Marine Debris in Our Waterways.  Ask students to reflect on what they have learned.

Share and discuss student's answers.  Where can they find out more about this topic? What aspects of this exploration had the most impact on their thinking about this issue?

Assessment:

Completed worksheets and observation during discussions.