Ocean Pollution Pictionary
This educational game allows students to convey the meaning of an ocean pollution
term or concept through pictures. Having students draw their representation of a
concept allows for deeper understanding of the meaning of the issue. The game is
meant to be a prompt for a longer discussion about ocean pollution. Please feel free to
add additional terms!
Instructions
1. Divide your class into groups of three or four students. Give each group pieces of
scratch paper to draw on and ask them to keep track of their points as they
play.
2. Send one student from each group to the front of the room to get the first word
or concept from you. Give the student the term/concept prompt card. They can
(and should) use the associated “Fact” to help construct their drawing.
3. The students then return to their groups and get ready to draw a pictorial
representation of the word without speaking and without using words or letters.
4. Set a timer for 30 seconds to one minute (depending on the difficulty of the
concept) and then tell the students to begin drawing. When their group
correctly identifies the word within the time limit, the group gets a point.
5. Lead a brief discussion about the term and the definition/fact as described on
each card. Ideas and concepts you may want to discuss:
• What is the definition of this term or concept?
• How does this type of pollution enter the ocean ecosystem?
• How does this type of pollution harm the ocean ecosystem? How does this
type of pollution harm humans?
• How may a landlocked town (i.e. having no coastline) contribute to
ocean pollution?
• How might a plastic bottle discarded into the ocean from the East Coast
of the U.S. end up on a beach in West Africa? (Fun Resource:
http://adrift.org.au)
• What can you do to prevent this type of ocean pollution?
• What can you do in your own life to create an ocean solution? What are
you already doing to help?
6. Have another student from each group come up to play the next round.
Continue play until everyone has a chance to draw at least once.
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Terms/Concepts: Ocean Pollution
Entanglement
Draw a whale that is caught in abandoned fishing gear (nets, lines, etc.)
Submerged gill nets, lines running between lobster or crab pots, and other fishing
gear can have tragic, unintended consequences for right whales. When the tough
lines lodge in a whale's mouth, or wrap around its flippers or tail, they can cut into the
whale's skin or restrict its movement. Entanglement is so common that around 75
percent of living whales bear scars from fishing gear.1
Acidification
Draw your interpretation of how the chemistry of our oceans is changing
As human activities (such as burning fossil fuels from factories or transportation)
release more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, more carbon dioxide is absorbed
by the ocean. Acidification is a change in the chemical make-up of the oceans’
waters, as well as its temperature, resulting from excess carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere. The changes involve the lowering of the pH of the water. 2 Shellfish and
reef-forming corals in particular are very sensitive to changes in pH, and may have
trouble building their protective shells in a more acidic ocean.
Nuclear Waste
Illustrate an example of how nuclear radiation might enter and travel through ocean
ecosystems
The ocean contains many small sources of naturally occurring radiation. In addition,
the remnants of nuclear weapons testing in the 1960s and 70s are also still detectable
around the world. Except for locations on land in Japan and sites near the Fukushima
Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, all of these sources combined pose little risk to human
health. 3 Radiation uptake by the food web and consumption of contaminated fish is
considered the main health concern from the oceans. 4
Oil Spills
Draw how an oil spill impacts ocean ecosystems
Oil and water don’t mix. Oil that comes out of the ocean floor is a dark, thick, and
sticky liquid that coats everything it touches. When oil comes in contact with the
coastline, it covers almost everything it touches—the plants, the animals that eat the
plants, and the animals that eat the animals that eat the plants. When birds come to
feed, they can get coated in oil or poisoned by the oil-covered animals they eat.
And when the oil-covered plants die, they wash away, and the natural areas can
disappear. The oil also soaks into the soil and sand and can suffocate and poison
living things. 5
Marine Debris
Draw an example of how a plastic bag could get into the ocean, and how it may
impact marine life
Marine debris is any man-made, solid material that enters waterways directly through
littering or indirectly via rivers, streams, and storm drains. Marine debris can be simple
items such as a discarded soda can, cigarette butt, or plastic bag that ends up in the
ocean. Lost or abandoned fishing nets, lines, and traps are another form of marine
debris. These items may sit on the seafloor, get caught on rocky or coral reefs, or float
on the ocean surface. 6 All marine debris have the potential to harm marine life
through accidental ingestion and entanglement. It is estimated that eight million tons
of just plastic flow into the world’s oceans every year. 7
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Noise Pollution
Illustrate a source of noise pollution in the ocean and the potential impact on a
marine animal
The oceans are actually very noisy places – from the clicking of dolphins to the
singing of whales to the snapping of shrimp. Hearing is often as important for marine
creatures as sight is for us humans. 8 Sound travels faster and farther under water. The
increasing levels of noise pollution in the ocean – from shipping, exploration for
oil/gas, and military activity – is such a recent change that scientists do not yet fully
understand the long-term impacts on marine life. However, they have already
observed some impacts: for example, whales changing direction on a migratory
path, or being unable to communicate with other whales in areas of high sound
levels. Excessive noise have also been found to cause injuries and deaths to whales.
Runoff
Draw how runoff may contribute to ocean pollution
Runoff is water which is not absorbed by the soil and eventually flows into a stream,
river, or other body of water. When rainwater flows through urban areas – through
streets, parking lots, and construction areas – it becomes polluted with contaminants
it picks up (such as motor oil, litter, paint, pet waste, etc.). 9 Because of these
pollutants, untreated runoff can harm the larger bodies of water into which it drains.
Dead Zones
Illustrate a source of a dead zone and its impact on marine life
"Dead zone" is a more common term for hypoxia, which refers to a reduced level of
oxygen in the water. 10 One of the largest dead zones forms in the Gulf of Mexico
every spring. As farmers fertilize their lands preparing for crop season, rain washes
fertilizer off the land and into streams and rivers. Excess from these fertilizers that flow
into rivers and coasts can stimulate an overgrowth of algae, which then sinks and
decomposes in the water. The decomposition process consumes oxygen and
depletes the supply available to healthy marine life.
Microplastics
Draw how microplastics move through an ocean food-web
Microplastics are fragments of plastic smaller than 5mm, which often come from
larger plastic pieces that have entered the ocean and deteriorated over time.
Microplastics are also found in personal care products such as toothpaste and
shower gel. These tiny plastic pieces are of particular concern as they can move
easily through the ocean’s food-web. Microplastics have also been found to attract
and collect chemical toxins which accumulate in plankton, fish, birds, marine
mammals, and ultimately humans. 11
Invasive Species
Draw how an invasive species may cause harm within its new habitat
An invasive species is any organism that exists somewhere in or near water where it
doesn't belong, and causes ecological or economic harm. A species may “hitch a
ride” on a ship, or pets from a home aquarium may be accidentally released into a
new home. Invasive species that “take over” usually do so because their new habitat
lacks natural predators to control their population. They do damage mainly by
consuming native species, competing with them for food or space, or introducing
disease. 12 Invasive species can lead to the extinction of native plants and animals,
destroy biodiversity, and permanently alter environments.
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Terms/Concepts: Ocean Solutions
Advocacy
Draw what being an ocean advocate means to you
Being an advocate is working to raise awareness and influence policy to bring about
positive change in social and environmental issues. Advocates work with everyone,
from scientists to government officials to citizens. Advocacy means taking a stand for
something you believe in. It requires problem-solving skills, assertiveness, and most of
all, knowing when to call the world to action.
Sustainability
Draw your interpretation of a “sustainable” action or practice
Sustainability, or sustainable development, is often defined as “development that
meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs.” 13 This could include using renewable energy (like solar or
wind power), eating locally grown foods, recycling or buying items with less
packaging, etc.
Biodegradation
Draw an item breaking down naturally when thrown away
In nature, there is no waste because everything gets recycled. Biodegradable
materials are “organic” matter like food peels, egg shells, coffee grounds, paper, hair,
and leaves. Biodegradation is nature's way of recycling wastes, or breaking down
organic matter into nutrients that can be used by other organisms. 14 Plastics, on the
other hand, never fully biodegrade.
Three R’s
Draw an interpretation of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
The Three R’s conserve natural resources, landfill space, and energy. 15 Even if you live
in a place that is completely landlocked, your actions still affect the health of our
oceans. Do your part by participating in the Three R’s as often as possible.
Resources
Right Whale Listening Network. http://www.listenforwhales.org
eSchoolToday. http://www.eschooltoday.com/ocean-acidification/what-is-ocean-acidification.html
3 Our Radioactive Ocean. http://www.ourradioactiveocean.org
4 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.
http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=83397&tid=3622&cid=94989#sthash.ythEtHtG.dpuf
5 National Wildlife Federation. http://www.nwf.org/Kids/Ranger-Rick/Ranger-Rick-on-the-Big-Oil-Spill.aspx
6 Thank You Ocean. http://thankyouocean.org
7 National Geographic. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2015/02/150212-ocean-debris-plasticgarbage-patches-science
8 See the Sea. http://see-the-sea.org
9 St. Johns River Water Management District.
http://www.sjrwmd.com/education/lessonplans/whatstheflow.html
10 NOAA National Ocean Service. http://oceanservice.noaa.gov
11 National Geographic. http://voices.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/04/pesky-plastic-the-true-harm-ofmicroplastics-in-the-oceans
12 National Geographic. http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/explore/pristine-seas/critical-issuesmarine-invasive-species
13 Global Footprints. http://www.globalfootprints.org
14 Environmental Inquiry, Cornell University. http://ei.cornell.edu
15 Missouri Department of Natural Resources. http://dnr.mo.gov/env/swmp/pubs-reports/threers.htm
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