A Degrading Experience

A lesson plan for Turning the Tide on Trash

Marine Debris Curriculum.
Unit 1 of Turning the Tide on Trash

Students perform an experiment to learn how different types of debris break down in the environment (degrade) and how weather and sunlight affect the rate of degradation.

Turning the Tide on Trash is a learning guide on marine debris. This set of lesson plans and background information introduces educators, students and researchers to the topic of marine debris. The interdisciplinary education guide is designed to provide maximum flexibility in the classroom: it can be used as a stand-alone teaching tool or to supplement work in other subject areas. Appropriate for grades K-12.

Lesson Plans
A Degrading Experience
Education Tags:
Marine Debris Topics:  
• Types and Sources  
Audience:  
• Grade 3-5  
• Grade 6-8  
Subject:  
• Earth Science  
• Physical Science  
Special Categories:  
• Working with Data  
• Outdoor Activity  
• Class Discussion  
• Scientific Method  
NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas:  
• PS1: Matter and Its Interactions  
• ESS3: Earth and Human Activity  
• ETS1: Engineering Design  

For citation purposes, unless otherwise noted, this article was authored by the NOAA Marine Debris Program.

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