OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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Grades 4-5: Explore the four categories that follow a scaffolded understanding of marine debris. No matter where you enter the module, look for ways to incorporate steps toward stewardship actions students can take to make a difference.
What is marine debris? Through classroom and field activities, students sort, categorize and come up with a common definition of marine debris. They identify characteristics common to marine debris by experimenting with different materials and analyzing collected samples.
How does marine debris get into and move around the ocean? Students look for evidence that help determine whether marine debris objects originated from land or sea, or from a particular region in the world. They also learn about the role ocean currents play in the distribution of marine debris.
How does marine debris impact humans, wildlife and ecosystems? Lessons in this section demonstrate that wildlife can ingest or become entangled in marine debris, and changes in the amount of marine debris in the ecosystem can affect the health of marine organisms.
What can we do to address the problem of marine debris? Meaningful change can result from the personal actions and choices that students and families make in their daily lives. In this section, students learn how to manage and talk about materials that could end up in the ocean as debris.