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Plastic water bottles and other plastics are being used and discarded faster than they can be recycled. Even worse, some plastics cannot be recycled. A large amount of this plastic ends up in our waterways. Our ocean is filled with plastics from water bottles and take out containers to teeny tiny plastic particles you need a microscope to see. All this plastic is impacting the aquatic environment and animals.
What can we do with all that plastic?
Project Focus
During your research you will focus on plastic and how it effects the aquatic environments and animals. You, our future ready changemakers, will use this information to spread awareness about this problem and also innovate a way to help prevent plastic pollution.
Focus Question: What can we do to reduce the effects of plastic pollution to help the
waterways and aquatic animals?
Objective: Know the importance of preventing plastic pollution by understanding what plastic
pollution is and its effect on aquatic animals and their environment.
A Scout Troop in Japan chose to spread awareness about using reusable beeswax wraps as an alternative to wasteful cling wrap.
My Ocean Plastic Pollution Conservation Project
My Ocean Plastic Pollution Conservation Project
After research, your research group will create a presentation to spread awareness about the plastic pollution problem and a product to help reduce the amount of used plastics entering our waterways:
GROUP PRESENTATION: Show what you learned to spread awareness about the plastic pollution issue. Create one of the following to spread awareness about how plastic and microplastics hurt the aquatic environment and their chosen animal. Choose 1
___ Fact card
___ Electronic poster
___ Slideshow
GROUP PRODUCT: Create a way to reduce the amount of used plastics entering the waterways. Choose 1
Advocate to help prevent plastic pollution.
Innovate a way to help solve the plastic pollution problem.
The following are the links to the checklist of the tasks you will need to complete the the project, research organizer you will use to write your notes and the rubric. I will make paper copies to hand out during library class:
Cite Your Sources
Don't forget to create a bibliography of the sources you used for your project. You must use at least 1 nonfiction book, 1 database article and 1 website for your project. Use one of the following sites to help your create your citation for your bibliography:
Project Resources
Project Resources
There are many great resources you can use to gather information for this project including: information books, ebooks, library databases, websites and videos. Please use the suggested resources for research. If you plan to use the Google search engine to locate sources please make sure you are using reliable sites.
Code: cng8765
There are links to Plastic Pollution Collection under the 4th grade assignments.
Once you log into MackinVia, click on the Groups tab in the side menu to locate the Plastic Pollution collection of books.
Library Databases
Library Databases
The Following are helpful keywords and phrases you can use to search each of the databases:
PebbleGo- Plastic as Material
Britannica School - Plastic
Explora- Plastic, Plastic Pollution, Ocean Trash, Garbage Patch
Gale in Context - Plastic Waste
National Geographic Kids- Plastic Pollution, Plastic Waste
Database Articles
Plastic Resources
Problem with Plastic Resources
How Plastic is Harming Animals
How Professionals are Helping
How You Can Help Resources
Threatened Animal Symbaloo
Click on the tiles below to find websites about animals. Look for information about your animal on these websites.
Group Presentation:
Group Presentation:
Show what you learned to spread awareness about the plastic pollution issue.
Student groups will create one of the following to spread awareness about how plastic and microplastics hurt the aquatic environment and their chosen animal. Choose 1
___ Fact card ___ Electronic poster ___ Slideshow
Include:
Photo of animal in its natural habitat.
Name of the animal.
Describe its habitat.
How does it support life on this planet?
Define plastic and/or microplastic (chose the one(s) affecting your animal)
How is plastic harming your animal’s environment?
How is plastic hurting your animal?
Tell what stage(s) in the plastic’s life cycle is hurting the animal.
For example a fish eating the microplastics from a deteriorating water bottle.
How is plastic preventing the animal’s structure from functioning?
How is at least 1 professional organization helping this animal or solving the plastic problem
Group Product
Create a way to reduce the amount of used plastics entering the Aquatic environment.
Remember only choose 1- Advocate or Innovate
Group Product
Create a way to reduce the amount of used plastics entering the Aquatic environment.
Remember only choose 1- Advocate or Innovate
Advocate
Write a 60 second call to action which tells the urgency of the growing plastic pollution problem and how people can help. Include facts and examples about how plastic is hurting your animal and the aquatic environment where they live.
Choose 1
___ Radio announcement
OR
___ Infomercial (is a commercial that informs people about a subject)
Innovate
As industrial designers create a 3D Model - Choose 1:
____ Re-Use It! Repurpose a used plastic item into something new.
OR
____ Eliminate Using It! Create an item typically made of plastic with environmentally friendly material.
OR
____Clean it Up! Create a device or technique to clean up plastic in an aquatic environment.
You must include a written explanation:
Product name.
What does it do? (purpose)
What materials did you use?
How will it help?
reduce the amount of plastic entering the environment.
Or help clean up the plastic in the environment or protect aquatic animals from plastic.
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