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NO MORE PLASTIC (Introduction)

SUBJECTS Language Arts, Science, Social Studies
GRADE LEVEL Primary (K-3)
PLEDGE 1 - Protection of Water, 3 - Plastic Harm to Water

Resources Needed:

  1. No More Plastic by Alma Fullerton

Introduction:

  1. Have students share what they know about plastic. 
  2. Ask students, What happens to plastic when we’re finished with it? Have students share their ideas with a partner or in a small group. Take up ideas as a class.  (Ideas if they need some help: it can not decompose, less than 10% of plastic actually gets recycled, it mostly ends up in landfills and the ocean, it breaks down into microplastics but doesn’t disappear, etc.).
  3. Ask students, Can you think of a time when you, or a family member, got excited to begin something new (project, activity, training program, diet, etc.) and then after a while just forgot about it and went back to the old way of doing things? Have students share examples if they have any.

Lesson:

  1. Read No More Plastic by Alma Fullerton. 
  2. With a partner, or in a small group, engage students with the following discussion questions:
    1. How could the whale have died of starvation?
    2. Why would animals even eat plastic?
    3. What kind of change did Isley decide to make after the whale died?
    4. Did these changes last? What happened?
    5. What did Isley finally do to get everyone’s attention? Did it work? Why?

Follow Up Activities:

  1. Have students think of other marine life that are affected by plastic in the ocean and in what ways.