Micro Plastics -Small Size, but Big Problem!

Introduction

Show students a photo of plastic in the sea. Ask them what they think
happens to the plastic. Perhaps some nowadays is biodegradable, but a
lot isn’t and there’s a lot of plastic in the seas from the last 100 years.
Plastic lasts from 500-1,000 years, it is believed.

Share information and images from: https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/great-pacific-garbage-patch/

e.g Microplastics (Officially defined as less than 5 millimetres or 0.2 inches in diameter. Have students measure 5ml.

“Most debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is plastic. Plastic is not biodegradable, meaning it does not disintegrate—it simply breaks into tinier and tinier pieces, known as microplastics. Microplastics of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch can simply make the water look like a cloudy soup.”
“The amount of debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch accumulates because much of it is not biodegradable. Many plastics, for instance, do not wear down; they simply break into tinier and tinier pieces. 

Microplastics can’t always be seen by the naked eye. Even satellite imagery doesn’t show a giant patch of garbage. The microplastics of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch can simply make the water look like a cloudy soup. This soup is intermixed with larger items, such as fishing gear and shoes.”

Objectives

• For the students to understand that plastic does not go away but
  disintegrates into micro particles
• For them to learn that microplastics are now found in humans and
  our food sources and are dangerous to human health
• To gain a very simple understanding of what plastic products are
  banned, why and what we can replace them with

Learning outcomes

By the end of this learning scenario, students will be able to:

• They will learn how long plastic stays in the environment
• Explain what micro plastics are, and why they’re not a good idea.
• For them to learn that they are now found in humans and our food sources and are dangerous to human health
• To gain a very simple understanding of what plastic products are
  banned, why and what we can replace them with..
• They will discuss and identify some ideas for replacing plastic things
  in school (and at home.)