Plastic Pollution in the Environment
4-307
Mr. Nieves
nievesr@ps062.org
INTRODUCTION
Imagine
yourself walking on the beach, enjoying the breeze and the sound of waves only
to have the serene atmosphere interrupted by stepping on an annoying piece of
plastic? Plastic pollution is a growing
problem in our society. If you spend
some time looking around any environment you visit, you will notice there is
some form of plastic pollution lying around somewhere. Plastic can take many years to break
down. Even after it breaks down it
becomes microplastic and can be around for many years. How can we reduce or eliminate plastic
pollution in our environment?
TASK
You
have been asked to join a team of environmental conservationists to help find
ways to reduce plastic pollution in the environment. Through the course of 6 days
you will research the causes for the problem, its effect on the environment,
and find possible solutions.
PROCESS/RESOURCES
Using the PPA process you will conduct
research to study the problem of plastic pollution and find possible solutions.
Day
1 & 2 Gather Evidence
Day 1:
Trip to Rockaway Beach. During this trip
you will team up with a partner to gather evidence on the different types of plastic and amounts found
along the beach.
Day 2: With your team, you will
analyze the different kinds of plastic found and identify the possible source
of the plastic pollution. Use the sources below to read about whether this is a
problem found elsewhere.
Resource:
NG Kids
Day
3 Identify the Causes
Together
with your team identify the reasons why there was so much plastic pollution at
the beach. What can lead to so much
plastic ending up along the beach?
Use
these resources to help:
Time for Kids: The Problem With
Plastics
Why The
Plastic Pollution Problem is So Much Worse than you think.
Day
4 Identify the Effects
Together
with your team identify the effects of plastic pollution on the environment and
the organisms living in the area. How do
these effects expand to organisms and environments beyond the beach?
Use
these resources to help:
NK
Kids: The Problem With Plastic Pollution
NG
Kids: Plastic In The Ocean
Plastic Pollution Affects Sea Life Throughout the Ocean
Day
5 Evaluate current policies/solutions
At
this point you have spent some time researching plastic pollution. Now it’s time to think about the solutions to
the problem and their effectiveness.
Evaluate Policies/Solutions worksheet
Use
these resources to help:
10 Tips to Reduce Plastic Pollution
How Can
We Keep Plastic Out of Our Oceans?
Day
6 Develop a Solution & Select Best Solution
Now
that you have reviewed several policies already in place, it's time to think of
ways you think we can solve this problem.
Develop your own solutions and choose what you think is the best
solution.
Select Best Solution Worksheet
EVALUATION
CONCLUSION
Throughout this project
you researched Plastic Pollution in an environment. Think about these questions
to discuss.
Why is it important to be
aware of plastic pollution and teach people about the problem?
What causes plastic
pollution in an environment?
What are some ways people
have tried to reduce plastic pollution?
What are some new
solutions to reduce plastic pollution?
STANDARDS
4R1:
Locate and refer to relevant details and evidence when explaining what a text
says explicitly/implicitly and make logical inferences. (RI&RL)
4R3:
In informational texts, explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts,
including what happened and why, based on specific evidence from the text. (RI)
4R4:
Determine the meaning of words, phrases, figurative language, academic, and
content specific words. (RI&RL)
4R5:
In informational texts, identify the overall structure using terms such as
sequence, comparison, cause/effect, and problem/solution. (RI)
4R6:
In informational texts, compare and contrast a primary and secondary source on
the same event or topic. (RI)
4R7:
Identify information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in
charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, illustrations, and explain
how the information contributes to an understanding of the text. (RI&RL)
4R8:
Explain how claims in a text are supported by relevant reasons and evidence.
(RI&RL)