Today's Trash is Tomorrow's Problem
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Provided by: Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation|Published on: May 24, 2024
Activity - ClassroomScientist Reviewed
3-12
Scientist Reviewed 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
- In this activity, students will learn what happens to plastic waste after they throw it away and why it is a huge problem for people and the planet.
- Students will collect plastic items from their backpacks, watch a short video about the plastic life cycle, read how a plastic bottle travels from Houston to the Gulf of Mexico, and discuss how they can reduce plastic waste.
Subjects: Biology, Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation
Region: Global, Texas
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- This activity helps students differentiate between single-use plastics and multi-use plastics.
- The video helps students see how the production of plastic is harmful to the environment and society.
Additional Prerequisites
- The video is 4 minutes and 16 seconds long.
- For the "Journey of a Plastic Bottle" story, teachers should click the "Slideshow" button in order to get the full effect.
- To read the explainer for background information, readers must enter their email.
Differentiation
- Before participating in this activity, students can research the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
- This activity can fit within a larger unit on waste management in the United States, how it has changed over the years, and why waste management is an important environmental issue.
- After viewing the "Journey of a Plastic Bottle" story, students can take a walk and safely collect litter in their environment.
- The animated video can enhance a lesson on environmental racism in the United States.
- After students learn about incineration's environmental impacts, they can research the effect of poor air quality on health.
This activity informs students about plastic pollution and tasks them with understanding the lifecycle of plastics in their lives. Several excellent sources are linked, notably a Google Earth slideshow that tracks a discarded bottle from a Houston park to the Gulf of Mexico. The resource is well-sourced, and effective recycling is stressed. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
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Resource Type and Format
About the Partner Provider
Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation
The Children's Environmental Literacy Foundation (CELF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2003 with the mission to make Education for Sustainability (EfS) an integral part of every child's K-12 learning experience. CELF engages educators, students and community leaders through award-winning programs that are designed to succeed in a wide range of education settings, including multi-day Summer Institutes, school professional development workshops, custom curriculum and instruction consulting, green career speaker series, and outdoor learning experiences. CELF's programs aim to help cultivate a society of global citizens with deep understanding of the dynamic interdependencies among human systems nested within natural systems, and the critical role education plays in cultivating healthy, equitable communities in a changing climate.
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 →
