OVERVIEW

Activity Overview:

3rd grade learns about Jacques Cousteau and his conservation efforts to clean up the ocean. Plastic waste has become a huge problem in the oceans affecting animals and our planet. Students will be researching websites to graph data that they find in relationship to the amount of plastics in the world and brainstorm ideas about what they can do as a solution.

Meta description

• Subject Area: Computer Science, Mathematics, Science, Reading/Language Arts, Technology
• Grade Level : 3-5
• Computer Science Domains:
  • Computing Systems, Networks and The Internet, Data Analysis, Algorithms and Programming
• Computer Science Principles:
  • Fostering an Inclusive Computing Culture, Collaborating Around Computing, Communicating About Computing
• Materials:
  • Website, 1- https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/nature/kids-vs-plastic/article/10-tips-to-reduce-your-plastic-use; 2-https://youtu.be/Ue35VMmRwKg; 3-Tracking Ocean Plastic From Space | Earthdata (nasa.gov) 4-https://sites.google.com/site/jacquescousteauconservation/artifact-2
• Considerations:
  • Water pollution

Lesson Plan

Overview

3rd grade learns about Jacques Cousteau and his conservation efforts to clean up the ocean. Plastic waste has become a huge problem in the oceans affecting animals and our planet. Students will be researching websites to graph data that they find in relationship to the amount of plastics in the world and brainstorm ideas about what they can do as a solution.

ASSESSMENT PRE/POST-TEST

Is there a problem with plastics in the oceans? What is your research to support this answer?

OBJECTIVES

Research data, graph data and interpret the data from their computers.

CATCH/HOOK

https://youtu.be/Ue35VMmRwKg- This is short youtube video about a problem with plastics affecting sea animals. I think this would be a great way to get students thinking about the repercussions of garbage that they throw away.

ACTIVITY INSTRUCTIONS

3rd grade Module 1 The Sea- These videos will be placed on their library page so the students can directly view them.

After the introductory video (whole class) https://youtu.be/Ue35VMmRwKg about plastic affecting sea animal, students will be asked the question , ‘Have you studied an environmentalist that is interested in cleaning up the ocean? Third grade studies Jacques Cousteau. Have them discuss in pairs about Jacques and use his book as a resource, The Fantastic World of Jacques Cousteau, and also ’ Who was Jacques Cousteau? Also view the video about his grandson and the World Ocean Day-https://youtu.be/TlgwAk-Nj1Q as he is continuing the conservation efforts that his grandfather started.

Next look at the website https://theoceancleanup.com/research/. Have students think about how plastics affect their lives? Use the video 10 tips to reduce your plastic. Website-10 tips to reduce your plastic use (nationalgeographic.com) Have students make a graph of what plastics they use in their homes and how can they reduce the plastic. Have students brainstorm what they can do in their lives to eliminate and reduce plastic.

Next video- How to keep Plastics out of our oceans? https://youtu.be/HQTUWK7CM-Y

Use the Plastics video as a illustration as to how our own plastic use can affect the oceans. How do currents affect the flow of pollution?

Are there other types of pollution that is affecting the oceans?

Supplements

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REVIEW

How do plastics affect our lives?

STANDARDS