Social Studies

These materials can support student groups in reaching out to restaurants to collaborate on efforts to prevent marine debris by reducing single-use plastics. Materials include a script for engaging with restaruant staff, tips on how to effectively recruit restaurant partners, and examples of products and outreach materials to share with restaurant partners.

The Communication Materials can support student groups in creating and designing a flexible outreach campaign for reducing single-use plastics in their community, including a logo, website, and social media materials. 

In this lesson students pose questions about the nature of the litter found around their school, make predictions, do a campus cleanup to cultivate environmental stewardship, and then brainstorm solutions to prevent litter. 

<!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}-->  As a final activity, this lesson provides an opportunity for students to reflect on what they have learned through the curriculum, think critically about their role in the issue of plastic pollution, and plan strategically to take action.

<!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--> In this activity, students will use persuasive communication methods to contact a local retailer to educate and encourage them to shift to more sustainable practices. Note: Environmental science and marine debris is an interdisciplinary field.

<!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}-->  In this activity, students will have the opportunity to research and present different perspectives from community members considering a policy on plastic bags.

Communities across the world have implemented various policies to reduce the presence of plastic pollution. Policies that aim to change personal and business use of disposable plastic items, in the forms of bans or fees, have grown in number. In this activity, students will read about the current status of these policies in the United States and their local communities.

In this lesson, students will use the knowledge gained from the previous activities and/or independent research to develop a personal position on plastic pollution in their lives and communities. They will support this position with factual information from credible sources, write a concise position statement, and present it to their class.

Students will record what type of plastic pollution they find in their community as they walk through their neighborhood, around their school, or in a local park, shoreline or beach using a map. This data collection will indicate the type(s) of pollution found, identify its potential sources, and begin to think about local solutions to plastic pollution.

By listening to and reflecting on a TEDTalk from author and political commentator Van Jones, students will explore how the life cycle of plastic has various ecological impacts and can have a disproportionate impact on different communities.

This lesson will activate students’ existing knowledge and experiences, stimulate their desire to learn more, and provide an opportunity to reflect on their knowledge acquisition in the future. Activating their prior knowledge is helpful to assess what students already know, understand any misconceptions, and pinpoint areas of interest.

Motivate people in your community to help solve the marine debris issue by creating your own behavior change campaign. Students will be able to use behavioral insights and communication strategies to motivate people to help solve the marine debris issue in their community. 

Become familiar with Google Earth while learning how trash makes its way from our streets to nearby waterways. Students will be able to understand the concept of using remote sensing capabilities to gather useful information.

We make a recommendation, or feasibility study, on how our school can reduce the amount of lunchroom trash. We present this to our class, community partner, and to school decision makers.