Length of Activity: 15 minutes

Materials: Computer, projector, Trash Island video on YouTube

Steps: 

1. Pre-listening activity: Hold class discussion to see if anyone has heard of trash island. Ask class for any background knowledge, lead class discussion on relevant vocabulary, i.e. Trash, garbage, rubbish, pollution, landfill, patch

Provide a few background details: where is the trash island? How big is it? How do we think it got there?

2. During: Assign comprehension questions for the students to answer while they watch the video

How long will it take for the fishing nets to break down?

How large did they say the island is?

3. Post-listening: Follow up with students to make sure that they understand some important points from the video and participate in a group discussion

How long does it take for most plastic to break down?

What happens to the plastic, once it is broken down?

What can we do to help slow down this process?