Ocean Plastics Webquest - Weebly

Ocean Plastics Webquest

An informative way to learn about the Ocean Plastic Crisis! Complete with information on

Solutions and personal Action Items!

Oceanfront Adventures

Ocean Plastics Webquest

The global ocean is in crisis. On average more than 8 million tons of plastic are dumped into our ocean each year. Plastic contamination and toxins are entering the food web and causing the alarming decline of many marine organisms.

Complete the following Webquest to learn more about the Ocean Plastic Crisis!

Part 1: Plastic Soup Visit the following Website:

In the "Key Facts" section answer the following questions:

1. What is the problem with plastic?

2. a) How much plastic do we produce each year? b) How has this changed over previous decades? c) What might account for these changes?

3. What materials are required to make 1 disposable water bottle?

4. On average how many water bottles are thrown away in the US each year? How much plastic does this add up to?!

5. List 2 other interesting facts.

6. What percentage of all waste comes from beverage bottles?

7. Of the 100.7 billion beverage bottles sold in the US, what percentage were water bottles?

8. What is plastic composed of?

9. The chemicals used in making plastic "mimic estrogenic activity". Explain what this means. Are there implications for humans?

10. Explain how plastics are transported throughout the ocean. Can this explain why plastic from other parts of the world wash up on our beaches?

11. Explain how toxins in the water are becoming part of the food chain.

12. How are humans at risk of consuming these toxins?

13. What are microplastics? Why are these so detrimental to the ocean?

14. What is a "Nurdle"?

15. Explain how seabirds are starving on "full" stomachs.

Part 2: Possible Solutions, Possible Problems From the list of potential solutions choose 3 and identify the advantages and disadvantages of each potential strategy.

Strategy 1: Advantage: Disadvantage:

Strategy 2: Advantage:

Strategy 3: Disadvantage: Advantage:

Disadvantage:

Part 3: Visit the following Web site: Ocean Clean Up Project: 1. What is the Ocean Clean Up Project?

2. What are the four stages of this project? Briefly explain.

3.Who created this project?

4. What is the projected impact of the Clean Up Project?

Watch the following TED talk:

5. What was the motivation for creating this project?

6. Why are there very few red plastic particles?

Part 4: Action! In pairs, using the resources from this Webquest and other sites from the internet , create 2 action items that you can do that would:

1. Help to reduce your personal use of "single use" plastic products

2. Raise awareness about the problem with plastics in our ocean.

Ocean Plastics Webquest: Answer Key Part 1: Plastic Soup

1. What is the problem with plastic? Plastic is indestructible. Every item of plastic that has ever been created is still with us on the planet today.

2. a) How much plastic do we produce each year? More than 300 million tons!

b) How has this changed over previous decades? Consumption has increased 5 times the amount used 50 years ago.

c) What might account for these changes? (This question is not directly answered on the website ? students should think about what accounts for the increase in consumption!) Increase in population, better technology, more convenient and easier to use single use products

3. What materials are required to make 1 disposable water bottle? 250 ml of oil and 3 L of water

4. On average how many water bottles are thrown away in the US each year? How much plastic does this add up to?! 38 billion water bottles adding up to 2 million tons of plastic.

5. List 2 other interesting facts. Any two facts from the website! For example: 50% of all plastic is single use, plastic has an average lifespan of 12 minutes!! (But lasts forever )

6. What percentage of all waste comes from beverage bottles? 14% of all waste

7. Of the 100.7 billion beverage bottles sold in the US, what percentage were water bottles? 57%

8. What is plastic composed of? Plastic is made from oil with a combination of chemical ingredients to form different types of plastics. All plastics are made from synthetic polymers, which give them their unique structure and flexibility.

9. The chemicals used in making plastic "mimic estrogenic activity". Explain what this means. Are there implications for humans? (Students may have to "google" this if they are not aware of the function of estrogen). This is what happens when certain chemicals, such as BPA, enter the body. Over time plastic beaks down and chemicals leach into the environment (often the ocean or water systems) and humans come into contact with the chemicals. These chemicals act similarly to estrogen, causing a similar effect of increased estrogen in the body. In some cases, it can be linked to healthrelated problems such as early puberty in females, reduced sperm counts, obesity, and altered functions of reproductive organs.

10. Explain how plastics are transported throughout the ocean. Can this explain why plastic from other parts of the world wash up on our beaches? The 5 ocean basins are connected and plastic travels along ocean currents. There are five main ocean currents, also known as `gyres' which are created by the Earth's rotation and the resulting predominant winds. These are: North & South Pacific, North & South Atlantic and Indian.

11. Explain how toxins in the water are becoming part of the food chain. Water born chemicals, from decades of industry and agriculture attract to plastic like a magnet. When these plastics mix with plankton, they are eaten by fish and become part of the food chain. These toxins `hitch-hike' on plastics. Different types of plastics attract toxins at different rates, making some more potent than others.

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