GARBAGE IN OUR OCEANS
(1 Hour)
Addresses NGSS
Level of Difficulty: 2
Grade Range: 3-5
OVERVIEW
In this activity, students will learn about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Students will discuss how organisms
are being impacted by this garbage patch and the impact it has on our resources and environment. Students
will identify the major items contributing to the garbage patch. Students will design a solution to reduce the
impact these items have on the environment. Their solutions may include (but are not limited to) ways to
clean up the garbage patch, education of individuals, or new uses for materials.
Topic: Human Impacts on Earth’s Systems
Real-World Science Topics
• Understand the challenges of disposal of waste materials and their impact on the environment.
• Evaluate how scientific knowledge and technology can be used to design a solution to environmental issues
Objective
At the end of this activity, students will evaluate the major challenges faced by Earth’s systems due to waste
management. Students will develop a solution based on research and data. Students will communicate their
solutions to others.
NGSS Three-Dimensions
Science and Engineering
Practices
Disciplinary
Core Ideas
Obtaining, Evaluating, and
Communicating Information
• Obtaining, evaluating, and
communicating information in
3–5 builds on K–2 experiences
and progresses to evaluating
the merit and accuracy
of ideas and methods.
• Obtain and combine
information from books
and/or other reliable media
to explain phenomena or
solutions to a design problem.
(5-ESS3-1)
ESS3.C: Human Impacts
on Earth Systems
• Human activities in agriculture,
industry, and everyday life
have had major effects on
the land, vegetation, streams,
ocean, air, and even outer
space. But individuals and
communities are doing
things to help protect Earth’s
resources and environments.
(5-ESS3-1)
Crosscutting
Concepts
Systems and System Models
• A system can be described
in terms of its components
and their interactions.
(5-ESS2-1),(5-ESS3-1)
(Source: Next Generation Science Standards)
Background Information
What is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a mass of debris in the Pacific Ocean. Due to the currents in the Pacific
Ocean, the waters swirl in a giant circular pattern, called a gyre. The calmest water is found in the center of
this swirling circle. As a result, debris is pulled along by the currents, eventually finding its way into the calm
waters of the center. These garbage patches are not only found in the Pacific Ocean but are also in most
major bodies of water, including the Great Lakes.
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GARBAGE IN OUR OCEANS
What is the impact of the Garbage Patch on Earth’s Systems?
These garbage patches are impacting all four of Earth’s systems. The hydrosphere is moving this debris
throughout the water system. The debris in the water is often seen as food to many marine animals that are
part of the biosphere. This marine life includes fish, which are eating the contaminated debris. Marine life
that is contaminated with this debris can cause human health issues when humans eat fish. The impact
on the geosphere is that some of this debris is sinking down to the ocean floor contaminating the sea bed.
Finally, the garbage patch is adding to the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
What kind of material is in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch?
Most of the material is small particles of plastic that have broken apart.
• 70% of debris sinks to the ocean floor
• 80% of the trash comes from land based activities that take up to 6 years to travel there from
the U.S. (only 1 year from Japan and Asia)
• The remaining 20% comes from boating activities, in particular fishing nets
• Plastic makes up most of the debris because it is durable and is not biodegradable
• Only 7% of plastic in the US is recycled
• The patch in the Pacific is twice the size of the state of Texas
What are some issues related to cleaning up the Garbage Patch?
Cleaning it up is problematic, because microscopic organisms such as plankton will also be taken, reducing
the amount of food available for the existing marine life.
What is the effect on marine life?
Marine animals see much of this debris floating in the water and it looks like food to them. Plastic bags
can look like jellyfish; plastic pellets can look like fish eggs. These items are not food, and as a result, marine
animals that eat them can die. Also, the rings from plastic bottles can get caught on legs and beaks, damaging
limbs and restricting growth.
Key Vocabulary
Biodegradable – able to decompose naturally
Current – flow of liquid moving from one place to another
Durability – difficult to wear out or decay
Marine Life – animals that live in the water
Ocean Gyre – area of the ocean that rotates in a giant circle
Materials Needed for Activity
• Solution Worksheet
• Assorted items of waste found in the oceans for students to observe as samples
• Presentation materials - computers, posters, or index cards.
Teacher Preparation
Obtain a variety of plastic items that might be found in a garbage patch
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STEPS FOR
GARBAGE IN OUR OCEANS
1.
Warm-up Activity: On student desks, there should be a variety of plastic materials. Ask students to
discuss what they know about these materials (physical characteristics). Write characteristics on the
board. Teacher should ask students if they know how to dispose of these items when they are no longer
needed.
2.
Ask students to make inferences about what happens to them after they dispose of them.
3.
Teacher will say, “imagine that you are groups of ecological scientists. You have just found out that a lot
of these items that are disposed of in landfills are ending up in the ocean, causing harm to the marine
environment. You have been invited to travel on a ship out into the Pacific Ocean to look at this environmental issue that is causing great concern. In your role as ecological scientists, you are being asked to
design a solution to solve this ecological situation.”
4.
Next, the teacher will provide students with background information and statistics about this environmental issue. Teacher should include visual images of how this debris has deteriorated.
5.
Students will divide into small groups of 3 to research the issue.
6.
Once time has been allowed for research, provide students with handout. Groups will use the handout to
brainstorm and develop a solution for this problem. They will create a presentation for their ecological
science colleagues supporting their argument and reasoning.
7.
The teams will present their solution (presentation) to the class. Once all the presentations are completed, your class of ecological scientists can decide which one or ones would be viable solutions to the
problem.
8.
Teacher can close with a question such as, “why is it important for us to consider solutions for this ecological problem?”
Extension Activity
Students can take the ideas from their presentations and create surveys to see what a cross section of others feel about their solution. Using the data from the survey, students could choose one idea to submit either
as a school project or even to send on to their congressman or representative.
Sources
“22 Facts About Plastic Pollution (And 10 Things We Can Do About It).” EcoWatch. N.p., n.d. Web.
8 Feb. 2016.
“Great Pacific Garbage Patch.” National Geographic Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2016.
“The Next Generation Science Standards.” Next Generation Science Standards. N.p., n.d. Web.
8 Feb. 2016.
“| OR&R’s Marine Debris Program.” OR&R’s Marine Debris Program |. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2016
Websites
http://education.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/garbagepatch.html
http://www.education.noaa.gov/Ocean_and_Coasts/Ocean_Pollution.html
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GREEN PLASTICS
STUDENT HANDOUT
Names: __________________________________________________________________
Date: _______________________________
Our Solution for Cleaning Up the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch”
Brainstorming (list your ideas here)
Go back and review your ideas and discuss in your group. Highlight your best solutions. Choose one of your
solutions to develop into a plan.
The solution we are going to develop is:
What will you include in your presentation?
Name or title
Explanation of the solution using background data to support your reasoning (claim)
What are factors or problems you need to consider? (time, cost, size of problem, resources)
Who needs to be involved in putting your solution into action?
How will you put your solution into action?
What will be the result of your solution? (What will the impact be on Earth’s systems?)
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