Plastic pollution - Resource Bundle

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Plastic pollution

This resource takes students on a virtual journey exploring the impact of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems. Through interdisciplinary content, it fosters environmental stewardship, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, encouraging students to reflect on the life cycle of plastics, understand global and local impacts, and consider solutions.

This Bundle has 11 Resources.
Bundle Creator: pml-admin


Related Topics: Plastic Pollution.
Suitable Ages: 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Keywords: Microplastics. Ecosystems. Sustainability. Pollution. Conservation.

Number of Views: 5
Number of Downloads: 22
Age: 2 weeks, 5 days
Time since last update: 2 weeks, 5 days

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Plastic

Plastic pollution A virtual journey

Plastic

Original Slide Deck: Plastic pollution

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Teaching about plastic pollution engages students in environmental stewardship while developing skills in science, critical thinking, and problem-solving. This interdisciplinary topic equips students with knowledge about environmental processes, material properties, human impacts, and potential solutions, informing their daily choices and future decision-making.

Teaching about plastic pollution engages students in environmental stewardship while developing skills in science, critical thinking, and problem-solving. This interdisciplinary topic equips students with knowledge about environmental processes, material properties, human impacts, and potential solutions, informing their daily choices and future decision-making. Why teach about plastic pollution? Urgent Environmental Issue: Plastic pollution is a growing crisis affecting marine ecosystems worldwide. Tangible Problem: Students can easily observe and understand the impact of plastic waste in their daily lives. Empowers Action: Teaching about plastic pollution encourages students and their families to make positive changes in their behaviour. Interdisciplinary Learning: The topic integrates environmental science and social responsibility. Develops Critical Thinking: Students learn to analyse the lifecycle of products and their environmental impact. Promotes Global Awareness: Helps students understand how local actions can have global consequences. Encourages Innovation: Inspires students to think creatively about solutions to environmental problems. Builds Environmental Stewardship: Fosters a sense of responsibility for protecting our planet's oceans and wildlife.

Teaching about plastic pollution engages students in environmental stewardship while developing skills in science, critical thinking, and problem-solving. This interdisciplinary topic equips students with knowledge about environmental processes, material properties, human impacts, and potential solutions, informing their daily choices and future decision-making.

Original Slide Deck: Plastic pollution

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Plastic pollution is a growing crisis in our oceans, with an estimated 1-2 million metric tonnes

Plastic pollution is a growing crisis in our oceans, with an estimated 1-2 million metric tonnes 1 of plastic entering marine environments each year, making up over 80% of all marine litter 2 . Most of this plastic originates on land and persists in the environment for hundreds or even thousands of years, gradually breaking down into microplastics that permeate the entire marine ecosystem. This pollution not only entangles and is eaten by marine life, but also introduces toxic chemicals into the food chain, potentially affecting human health and causing significant economic impacts on tourism, fishing, and shipping industries. Background 1 Our World in Data, https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution 2 European Environment Agency, Marine Litter Assessment. https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/european-marine-litter-assessment

Plastic pollution is a growing crisis in our oceans, with an estimated 1-2 million metric tonnes

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Why is plastic pollution such a problem?

Why is plastic pollution such a problem? Plastic is a serious and long-lasting problem because it doesn't break down easily. It can last for hundreds of years, polluting our oceans and land. As plastic breaks into smaller pieces, it spreads throughout the water and settles on the ocean floor, harming marine life and ecosystems. Here are some examples of why it is a problem: Animals get entangled Mistaken for food Microplastics Ecosystem damage Large pieces of plastic can trap and injure animals. Sea creatures often mistake plastic for food, leading to illness or death. Tiny plastic pieces can harm the smallest ocean organisms, such as plankton. Plastic can introduce harmful species to new areas and damage sensitive habitats like coral reefs.

Why is plastic pollution such a problem?

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Where does plastic pollution come from?

Where does plastic pollution come from? Plastic pollution comes from many places. Most plastic waste is from things we use every day and how we make products. Learning about where it comes from helps us find ways to stop it. Littering Dropping plastic rubbish on the ground or in water instead of in bins. Factory waste Plastic materials escaping during production and transport, often through accidental spills or improper handling. Inadequate collection or processing of plastic waste, allowing it to escape into the environment. Improper waste disposal Microplastic pollution Tiny plastic particles from products and clothing that enter waterways through washing and use.

Where does plastic pollution come from?

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The journey to the ocean

The journey to the ocean Have you ever wondered what happens to plastic when it ends up in the ocean? Let's explore how plastic travels, breaks apart, and harms sea animals in its journey through the water. Sea animals Floating plastic in the ocean can trap sea animals like fish and birds or make them think it's food, which can seriously hurt them. Transport Plastics are light and float easily, so wind and water carry them from land to rivers and seas. They often gather in river mouths and bays, causing harmful pollution. Breaking apart Over time, sunlight, waves, and seawater break plastic into smaller pieces, making it easier for sea creatures to accidentally eat them.

The journey to the ocean

Original Slide Deck: Plastic pollution

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Breaking apart: making microplastics

Breaking apart: making microplastics Over time, these processes work together to fragment the plastic into increasingly smaller pieces. As the plastic breaks down, it becomes easier for marine animals to mistake these particles for food, potentially harming their health and entering the food chain. Microplastics are tiny plastic particles less than 5 millimetres in size. They form when larger plastic items, such as bottles, bags, or even a crisp packet, break down due to environmental factors. This breakdown occurs through several processes: Sunlight damage The sun's rays make the plastic weak and brittle. Wave action Ocean waves toss the plastic around, breaking it into smaller pieces. Chemical effects Salt in the seawater slowly breaks down the plastic's structure.

Breaking apart: making microplastics

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Diving deeper: plastics in the water column

Diving deeper: plastics in the water column Microplastics are found throughout the ocean, from the surface to the deep sea, affecting marine life at all levels: Microplastics float at different depths depending on their size and type. Currents and waves move microplastics around, spreading them through the water. Tiny sea creatures called plankton often mistake microplastics for food and eat them. When larger animals eat plankton, the microplastics enter the food chain, eventually leading to humans consuming seafood with plastic.

Diving deeper: plastics in the water column

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The deep sea: plastic’s lasting legacy

The deep sea: plastic’s lasting legacy The deep sea is often the final destination for plastic waste, where it can remain for centuries, impacting marine ecosystems in many ways. The slow buildup of plastic on the seabed serves as a long-lasting reminder of human impact on the oceans. Settling on the seabed Plastic eventually sinks to the ocean floor, even in the deepest trenches. Long-lasting impact Plastic remains on the seabed for hundreds of years, harming sea life. Habitat disruption Plastic waste gathers around corals and rocks, damaging ocean homes.

The deep sea: plastic’s lasting legacy

Original Slide Deck: Plastic pollution

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The journey starts with you!

The journey starts with you! Reducing plastic pollution in our oceans is a challenge we can all help with. Here are some important steps we can take: Reduce: Find creative ways to use less plastic in your daily life. Recycle : Learn and practice proper disposal and recycling methods. Participate : Join community initiatives like beach cleanups. Educate : Share what you've learned and inspire others to take action. Lead : Become an ambassador for change in your school and community. Together, we can turn the tide on plastic pollution and create cleaner, healthier oceans for all!

The journey starts with you!

Original Slide Deck: Plastic pollution

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Script for plastic pollution animation

Script for plastic pollution animation Join us on a journey following the path of plastic litter as it makes its way from land to sea, and discover what you can do to help with this global problem. A crisp packet is carelessly dropped on the street. Rain washes it into a nearby river, where it bobs along with the current, carried downstream towards the coast. Along the way, it passes by towns and cities, picking up more discarded plastic items - a drinks bottle here, a shopping bag there. The discarded crisp packet reaches the mouth of the river and enters the vast ocean. At first, it floats on the surface, carried along by winds and tides. But the ocean is a harsh environment. Waves, salt water, and the intense light from the sun, cause the plastic to become brittle and break apart into smaller and smaller pieces known as microplastics.  These tiny plastic fragments are carried far and wide by ocean currents. Some are mistaken for food by marine life, from tiny plankton to giant whales. Others continue to break down, becoming so small that they are invisible to the human eye. Down the microplastics go, through the water column. The once-clear blue waters become darker and colder. Strange, glowing creatures drift by, their waters now dotted with plastic particles. Deeper still, the plastic comes to rest on the seabed, settling among delicate corals and ancient rock formations. Here, in the slow, silent world of the deep sea, the plastic will remain for hundreds of years. A permanent reminder of a moment of human carelessness.  But this doesn't have to be the end of the story.  Each of us has the power to help keep plastics out of our oceans.  From making smart choices about the things we use, to responsibly disposing of our waste, to participating in beach clean-ups and supporting local recycling programmes - we can all play a part. So join us on this crucial mission. Together, we can turn the tide on marine plastic pollution and protect the incredible diversity of life in our seas. The journey starts with you!

Script for plastic pollution animation

Original Slide Deck: Plastic pollution

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