How Much Plastic from the Pandemic Ends up in the Ocean?
Provided by: Science Journal for Kids|Published on: December 3, 2022|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
Type: Videos
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: Science Journal for Kids
Location: Asia, Earth, Polar Regions
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This lesson explores scientific research about the extra plastic waste produced as a result of the pandemic that may eventually end up in the oceans.
- It includes an adapted version of the scientific paper with vocabulary terms and reading comprehension questions, videos to support student understanding, and additional links to support implementation.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The PDF included within this lesson is colorful, engaging, and contains maps and highlighted text to enhance comprehension.
- This resource compels students to reduce single-use plastic consumption and provides tips on how to do so.
Prerequisites
- Teachers must sign up and provide some basic information, such as name, email address, and school, in order to access the Teacher's Key.
- Particularly for students who were young when the pandemic started, it may help to give some background information on changes to daily life that may have increased plastic usage compared to pre-pandemic times.
Differentiation & Implementation
- The second video consists of a narrator reading the article aloud and, therefore, could serve as a reading support for some readers who may benefit from hearing the text read aloud.
- Preview the "Related Articles from our Archives" section of this resource to provide extension articles for students who might be ready for additional reading material.
- In order to help students process the article, put them into groups to discuss the "Check for Understanding" questions before asking them to write responses in their own words.
- Create a simple graphic organizer for students to use while reading that asks them to capture the most important aspects of the content, such as research question, sources of plastic investigated, research findings, and actions you can take.
- Consider using this other video on the impact of plastic pollution on the environment to further understanding and spark curiosity about plastic production and the impacts of plastic pollution.
- Art classes can use the article or videos within this resource prior to analyzing artwork on the same topic, such as "Plastic Culture," "Sea of Plastic," and "A Hui Hou." These pieces of art depict the massive worldwide problems associated with plastic usage.
- High school students can utilize the original scientific paper, linked in the additional teaching resources, for lessons about scientific writing, the scientific method, or data analysis.
Plastic pollution is a common threat to marine resources and habitats. Fish, turtles, other marine species accidentally eat plastic and eventually die, it might also end up in the food we eat. It also suggest strategies to reduce plastic pollution including recycling, help to remove plastic from the ocean, reduce the use of single-use plastic, etc. Hence, this resource has been exhaustively fact-checked and is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
