The following is an outline for an inquiry based project that explores where our plastic ends up! Follow the steps below with your class. The unit should take about 30 minutes a day for 3 weeks.
Step 1: Engage
Show students this short video. Then provide this template. Ask students to create a comic strip that depicts what happens to plastic after it is discarded. Depending on the age of your class they may need a quick lesson on what items are considered plastic.
Step 2: Explore
The next thing you need to do is provide opportunities for your class to investigate where their plastic goes. You do not tell them the answers, just provide opportunities for them to investigate the answers. Some examples of how I have done this include collecting plastic waste out side to see if it appears to composting. Visiting a recycling depot to see how plastic is sorted, reused, and discarded. Ask the class what they want to do find the answers they need. Provide opportunities that will challenge the misconceptions you noticed from the comic book pre-test.
