Day 7: Oceans and why they are important. Let's talk about waste in the oceans and landfills.
- www.natgeokids.com/au/kids-club/cool-kids/general-kids-club/plastic-in-the-ocean/
- Water experiment
- Before the lesson mix up two cups of water, one with regular water and another that looks disgusting (mix in dirt, plastic, paper, etc.). Ask students which one would be safe to drink? Why? Ask students how water in our environment can get dirty. Tell them that we all need clean water, air and land to live on. If we do not take care of our air, water and land, it might not be usable for everyone. Tell students that today we will learn about how water can be affected by pollution and how we can keep it clean.
- 1. Arrange students into four groups.
- 2. Fill four plastic containers 3/4 full of water.
- 3. Students can add trash to the water (oil, paper, plastic and dirt). 4. Students record and illustrate changes to the water after each item is added, for example the dirt makes the water muddy, the oil floats on top, the paper falls apart into tiny pieces, plastic floats at the top, etc.
- 5. Ask students for ideas on how it can be cleaned up.
- 7. Use tongs to remove large pieces of trash.
- 8. Filter the water into a new container to remove more trash.
- 9. Ask students if they have removed all the pollution. (Some, but not all.)
- 10. Since it is hard to remove all the pollution, brainstorm ways to prevent that water from being polluted in the first place.