FOCUS:  THE IMMENSE PROBLEM OF PLASTIC IN OUR OCEANS, WITH A SUBSTANTIAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE MAJOR HUMAN-INDUCED THREATS TO OUR OCEANS

AUDIENCE:  UPPER GRADE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS (PREFERABLY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR TO ALLOW TIME DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR TO POTENTIALLY WORK ON PROJECTS RELATED TO THESE PRESENTATIONS; FIRST YEAR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

DESCRIPTION OF PRESENTATIONS CONTENT:

The INTRODUCTION presentation provides an understanding of the importance of our oceans.

The MARINE POLLUTION – THE IMPACTS OF PLASTIC DEBRIS presentation provides an understanding of the magnitude of plastic in our oceans and the impact this is having on life in our oceans.

The following three the State of our oceans presentations provide an understanding of the other major dangers facing our oceans:

The POLLUTION – TOXIC WASTE AND NOISE POLLUTION presentation provides facing our oceans – marine pollution, overfishing, and climate change.

The OVERFISHING presentation provides educational material on unsustainable fishing, including bycatch and shark finning, and the decimating results of overfishing.

The CLIMATE CHANGE presentation provides an understanding of the major impacts of climate change on our oceans and also on the rest of the planet.

CLASS TIME INVOLVED:

APPROXIMATELY FIVE HOURS OF CLASSROOM TIME IS REQUIRED TO PRESENT AND DISCUSS ALL OF THE PRESENTATIONS.

If the students/class decides to undertake one or more follow-up projects, further time (possibly outside of regular school hours) will be required for project planning, discussion, and implementation.

IF LESS CLASS TIME IS AVAILABLE:

If the aim is to teach students about PLASTIC IN THE OCEANS, even though the MARINE POLLUTION – TOXIC WASTE AND NOISE POLLUTION presentations provides good background information for this, OUR OCEANS AND THE IMPACTS OF PLASTIC DEBRIS can be presented following the INTRODUCTION presentation.

Should the instructor want to focus on the material in all or any of the other STATE OF OUR OCEANS presentations, any or all of them can also be presented independently, following the INTRODUCTION presentation.

PROJECTS:

If interested, the students can undertake a project to reduce the use and improper disposal of plastic and/or increase sustainability in their school, in their community, or even on a broader scale, such as at the local, state, or federal government level.

For ideas on projects that students could undertake to reduce the amount of plastic going into our oceans and to improve the sustainability of our environment, see:

PLASTIC IN OUR OCEANS – Sample student projects – 160320