Background
This lesson is part of the Plastic Pollution and You curriculum developed by the educators from New York Sea Grant.
Communities across the world have implemented various policies to reduce the presence of plastic pollution. Policies that aim to change personal and business use of disposable plastic items, in the forms of bans or fees, have grown in number.
In this lesson, students will read about the current status of these policies in the United States and their local communities.
Objectives
Students will:
- Identify policies that reduce the presence of plastic pollution.
- Locate policies that aim to change personal and business use of disposable plastic items, in the forms of bans or fees.
- Determine the current status of plastic use policies in the United States and their local communities.
Lesson Alignment
This lesson is part of the Plastic Pollution and You curriculum and is aligned to the following standards document:
New York State P-12 Science Learning Standards & Next
Generation Science Standards | LINK
SCI: MS-ESS3-3, HS-LS2-7
New York State Social Studies Learning Standards and K-12
Framework | LINK
SS: 8.8.c, 10.9.a, 10.9.b, S5-KI #3, S5-KI #4
Materials
Access printed copies or electronic versions of lesson materials below.
National Geographic Article: See the complicated landscape of plastic bans in the U.S.
One per student
Map of U.S. Plastic Reduction Policies
One per student
Student Response Sheet
One per student
PBS.org Research Guide
One per student
Plastic Pollution and You
Full Curricula
Time Required
This lesson may require 60-90 minutes to complete.
Activity Set-Up
Student must be able to provide an email address to access the National Geographic Article.
Instruct students to read the National Geographic Article: See the complicated landscape of plastic bans in the U.S.
Lesson
- Complete Part 1 of the student response sheet (questions 1-3). Discuss the students responses as a class.
- Have students research plastic pollution policies that have been debated in their local community or state, using the PBS.org Research Guide as needed.
- Have students complete Part 2 of the student response sheet (questions 4-6). Discuss the students responses as a class.
Optional Activity:
Count how many students in the class selected a ban or a fee.
This lesson is part of a larger curriculum, Plastic Pollution and You.
