New York Sea Grant has published “Plastic Pollution and You,” a 126-page, 15-lesson curriculum focused on a human-induced threat to the health of New York’s marine and freshwater aquatic ecosystems. The curriculum is designed to be appropriate for multiple grade levels, meets New York State and Next Generation Learning Standards, and aligns with state and federal marine debris program initiatives in New York’s Great Lakes and marine districts.
The “Plastic Pollution and You” lessons and activities urge students to think about what plastic is, how they use plastic, and about the consequences of plastic pollution in the environment. They learn the different types of plastics, their impact on marine and freshwater ecosystems, and about the recycling process and trash capture technology.
Skills developed through the curriculum lessons include data collection, charting, mapping, position statement preparation, and the design of technological solutions, behavior change campaigns, public policy, and community-level action to address the plastic pollution problem.
The curriculum is co-authored by Nate Drag, New York Sea Grant Great Lakes Literacy Specialist and Great Lakes Program Associate Director at the University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, and Kathleen Fallon, Ph.D., a Coastal Processes and Hazards Specialist with New York Sea Grant, Stony Brook, New York.
For more information, please visit www.nyseagrant.org/plasticpollution.
