Microplastics

ENL Proficiency Level | ENL Program | Standards | Technology

Appropriate for all English Proficiency Levels   |   Stand-Alone, Integrated ENL/ELA, Integrated ENL/Science   |  6R1, 6R2, 6R3, 6R4, 6R8, 6R9, 6W2, 6W6, 6SL1, 6SL2, 6SL4, 6SL5, 6SL6, 6L6   | Nearpod, Newsela, Flipgrid, Canva

Content

I can research and gather information to teach others about the dangers of microplastics.

Procedure

• Project Concept: Create an awareness campaign to inform the community members of the dangers of microplastics and to persuade them to limit their use of products containing microplastics.

• Choose from the UN Goals - Goal #14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

• Project Audience: Community Members 

• Assessment: Flipgrid Persuasive Speech or Group Commercial on Clips, Awareness Posters 

• Tech Tools Used in Assessment: Flipgrid, Apple Clips, Chromebooks/iPads, QR Code Generator

Phase 1: Look Listen and Learn

• How will you introduce the project? How will you build student awareness? 

• Students will be introduced to microplastics and the dangers of microplastics by watching an informative video.

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49OJoTsZYO0   

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tG4AYagBz9Q

  • https://www.britannica.com/video/185601/problem-oceans-Earth-particles 

• Define vocabulary associated with microplastics:

  • Plastic, microplastics, microbeads, environment, biodegradable, synthetic, harm, contaminated, polyethylene

• Timeframe: 1-2 days

• Activities:  

  • Pass around a tube of glitter for students to observe, pour out glitter into a tub of water to show how it is dispersed and record noticings.

  • Show video 

  • Create Frayer Models to define vocabulary

• Language Supports: vocabulary word wall, video, visuals and realia such as tube of glitter and glitter in water and plastic objects (spoon, water bottle)

• Technology Integration: Video on microplastics, student chromebooks to create Frayer Models to define words, add images or gifs, and synonyms

Phase 2: Ask Tons of Questions

• How will you help students ask questions? What will this process look like? 

• Timeframe: 1 Day

• Activities: 

  • Teacher will review the 5W questions in a mini-lesson (from Jen Serravallo’s, The Reading Strategy Book)

  • Students will work in groups to generate as many questions as possible about the topic on chart paper

• Language Supports: Sentence frames, teacher examples, teacher selected partnerships

Phase 3: Understanding 

• What will the research look like? How will students build an understanding of the process, problems, etc.? How will you ensure all students actively participate and share information with one another? 

• Timeframe: 3 Days

• Language Supports: Leveled and/or bilingual articles 

• Technology Integration: Nearpod with articles, slide show, and video links.

• Activities: 

  • Day 1:

    • Nearpod: Microplastics 

• Day 2: 

  • Work together to read and annotate the article, “Microplastic pollution discovered in snow near top of Mount Everest” 

OR

• “The coast of Texas is a hotspot for marine garbage, especially nurdles”

• A Microplastic Mess

• Day 3:

  • Explain to students that scientists are working on possible solutions to this enormous problem. One solution is to create similar versions of products made from alternative materials. Another is to use technology to help clean up the pollution caused by microplastics. 

  • Work together to read and annotate the article “This glitter gets its color from plants, not a synthetic plastic”

OR 

• “Tiny swimming robots may help clean up a microplastics mess” - Jigsaw

Phase 4: Navigate Ideas 

• What will the brainstorming and planning process look like? How will you ensure all students actively participate so that all ideas are valued?

• Timeframe: 1-2 days

• Activities:

• Students will brainstorm ideas on how to inform the public of the dangers of microplastics and how they can reduce their use of microplastics. 

• Students will fill in a bubble map with the 5 W’s and 1 H,  to record their ideas about Who, what, when, where, why and  how to inform the public about microplastics. 

• Have all question words on a wall and select students to record differing ideas, from various parts of their bubble maps and hang them on the wall. All students will have multiple chances to display ideas. 

• Use lots of positive reinforcement!

• Language Supports: Question words on bubble maps

Phase 5: Create a Prototype 

• What will students create? How will you ensure all students actively participate?

• Students will create a Flipgrid video, a Clips commercial, and/or an awareness poster. If students offer an additional method of response, website or app to use we will do our best to accommodate. Teacher will ensure all students are actively engaged by allowing for choice and exploration.

• Students will also be permitted to choose their partnerships based on who they feel they can work with the most productively, based on a set of criteria - such as who do you feel you work the best with? Who are you most likely to talk to outside of school about schoolwork? 

• Timeframe: About 2 weeks

• Activities: 

  • Option 1: Flipgrid video:  Students will will work independently write a persuasive speech informing the community members about the dangers of microplastics and the lasting effects of pollution from microplastics. Students will complete a graphic organizer before writing to help organize their research and ideas. Then students will create their Flipgrid video in the 2nd person point of view. 

• Option 2: Clips Commercial: Students will work in small groups or partnerships to write a script for a commercial. The goal of the commercial will be to inform the community about the dangers of microplastics and the lasting effects of pollution from microplastics. Students will record their commercials by acting out their scripts. Students will then add video clips, images, text, and music to their commercials through the Clips iPad app. 

• Additional: Awareness Posters: Students will create awareness posters to display throughout the school The posters may be hand created or done using the graphic design website Canva. All posters will incorporate at least one QR code linking to student Flipgrid videos or commercials. (Posters could also incorporate a code to a poll encouraging students to participate/interact). 

• Language Supports:Graphic organizers, sentence stems, transitional phrases, mentor videos (i.e. Greta Thunberg), 

• Technology Integration: Flipgrid, Clips, QR Codes, Internet Research - Britannica School, NewsELA, News-O-Matic

Phase 6: Highlight and Fix

• What processes will you use to help students assess their work, reflect on their learning, and improve their products? 

• Student-Teacher writing conferences, video editing, peer conferencing

• Timeframe: About 4 days

• Activities: Student-Teacher writing conferences, video editing, peer conferencing

Phase 7: Launch to an Audience

• What will the final launch be? Who will be the audience? Will you have an event? 

• Activities: 

  • Launch awareness campaign by displaying the posters throughout the school. 

• Have students read an announcement during morning announcements to encourage classmates to scan the QR codes on our posters

  • Provide link to commercial to specific teachers to play during homeroom.