S1-30008
The Great Pacific Garbage Patch 6th-12th
What's the real problem with trash? The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a collection of marine debris in the North Pacific Ocean. Marine debris is litter that ends up in oceans, seas, and other large bodies of water. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, also known as the Pacific trash vortex, spans waters from the West Coast of North America to Japan.
Activity Time
STEM Concept
Subject & Grades
Problem-Solving
15
minutes
All
6th-12th
Connections between STEM Concepts, Learning Targets and Standards
Learning Objective
Students will be able to explain the steps involved in problem-solving.
Students can identify and use the appropriate problem-solving technique.
Students can apply problem-solving techniques to arrive at a solution.
Success Criteria
Students will be able to explain the steps involved in problem-solving.
Students can apply problem-solving techniques to arrive at a solution.
Students can identify and use the appropriate problem-solving technique.
Pathway 6: Students collaborate to explore genuine inquiries throughout their studies.
Pathways 7: Students learn STEM independently with the guidance of skilled educators who facilitate learning effectively.
Pathway 11: Presentations serve as evidence that STEM culture is being implemented.
Pathway 14: STEM students use research to support claims, collect evidence, analyze data, and use evidence-based arguments to ensure daily integration of STEM concepts
Activity Introduction
Garbage goes to landfills, correct? No, not all garbage ends up in landfills. In fact our oceans are “littered” with trash and this directly impacts the ecosystem of the oceans and the quality of seafood that we consume. As you watch the video think about ways to solve this problem. As of today - there isn’t any fully effective way to prevent the patches getting bigger or an effective way to clean them up.
[Click image to enlarge]
Prompts for group activities
Why is The Great Pacific Garbage Patch such a problem?
What are the long-term impacts of environmental damage like this?
How could you increase awareness about the problem, and what sort of solutions do you believe would be helpful in cleaning up and eradicating garbage patches?
Do you believe that all governments worldwide consider environmental issues a priority?
Who do you think should be responsible for preventing and cleaning up the garbage patch?
Step 1: Watch the video
Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Activity Tips
Remind the students to write down words they don’t understand or questions that immediately come to mind about the topic they’re watching.
Tell them to be ready to share with their group.
Step 2:
Group Session
After the video, divide students into groups of 3 or 4 and let the students begin their discussions while you circulate; it’s all about what THEY think and feel. Ask them to listen carefully to their friends as they might have different opinions to them.
Step 3:
Assessment
Ask the students
Ask the students who they believe the best listeners and best team players are from this activity?
Ask them to justify their answers in a simple sentence.
Explain to them that the idea is everyone improves both their listening and team work skills over time.
Ask the students to sum m arise the video in 6- 8 words only.