Solving Environmental Problems through Engineering

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 20.04.07

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Introduction
  2. Rationale and School Demographics
  3. Content Objectives
  4. Content Background
  5. Teaching Strategies
  6. Classroom Activities
  7. Appendix: Implementing District Standards
  8. Teacher Resources
  9. Bibliography
  10. Endnotes

Confronting the Plastic Wasteland through Engineering

Taissa Leann Lau

Published September 2020

Tools for this Unit:

Endnotes

1 “The Basics: Polymer Definition and Properties,” The Basics: Polymer Definition and Properties (American Chemistry Council), accessed June 14, 2020, https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/plastics/The-Basics/

2 Hannah Ritchie, “Plastic Pollution,” Our World in Data, 2018, https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution.

3 Roland Geyer, Jenna R. Jambeck, and Kara Lavender Law, “Production, Use, and Fate of All Plastics Ever Made,” Science Advances 3, no. 7 (July 19, 2017), https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1700782

4 “Plastics: Material-Specific Data,” EPA (Environmental Protection Agency, October 30, 2019), https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/plastics-material-specific-data#PlasticsTableandGraph

5 “Plastics: Material-Specific Data,” EPA (Environmental Protection Agency, October 30, 2019), https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/plastics-material-specific-data.

6 Roland Geyer, Jenna R. Jambeck, and Kara Lavender Law, “Production, Use, and Fate of All Plastics Ever Made,” Science Advances 3, no. 7 (July 19, 2017), https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.1700782

7 Martin Wagner et al., “Microplastics in Freshwater Ecosystems: What We Know and What We Need to Know,” Environmental Sciences Europe 26, no. 1 (September 2014), https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-014-0012-7.

8 Veronica McGowan, Phillip Bell, and Marcia Ventura, “How Can Students' Everyday Experiences Support Science Learning through Engineering Design?,” Stem Teaching Tools, November 2016, http://stemteachingtools.org/brief/39

9 Jane E. Boyd, “Celluloid: The Eternal Substitute,” Science History Institute, April 30, 2019, https://www.sciencehistory.org/distillations/celluloid-the-eternal-substitute

10 “Bakelite First Synthetic Plastic - National Historic Chemical Landmark,” American Chemical Society, accessed June 14, 2020, https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/bakelite.html

11 Marianne Gilbert, “Plastics Materials: Introduction and Historical Development,” in Brydson's Plastics Materials, 8th ed. (Oxford, UK: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2017), pp. 4-8.

12 Susan Freinkel, “A Brief History of Plastic's Conquest of the World,” Scientific American (Scientific American, May 29, 2011), https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-brief-history-of-plastic-world-conquest/.

13 Marianne Gilbert, “Plastics Materials: Introduction and Historical Development,” in Brydson's Plastics Materials, 8th ed. (Oxford, UK: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2017), pp. 4-8.

14 “Plastics: Material-Specific Data,” EPA (Environmental Protection Agency, October 30, 2019), https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/plastics-material-specific-data.

15 “How Plastics Are Made,” How Plastics Are Made (American Chemistry Council), accessed July 14, 2020, https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/How-Plastics-Are-Made/.

16 “How Plastics Are Made,” How Plastics Are Made (American Chemistry Council), accessed July 14, 2020, https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/How-Plastics-Are-Made/.

17 SEPUP Issues and Physical Science (Ronkonkoma, NY: Lab-Aids, Inc., 2006).

18 “Cracking,” Encyclopædia Britannica (Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., June 2, 2020), https://www.britannica.com/technology/cracking-chemical-process.

19 “Lifecycle of a Plastic Product.” Lifecycle of a Plastic Product. American Chemistry Council. Accessed June 14, 2020. https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/Life-Cycle/.

20 “Polymerization: How Plastic Materials Are Made - Polymerization,” Craftech Industries, November 14, 2019, https://www.craftechind.com/polymerization-how-plastic-materials-are-made/

21 “Polymerization: How Plastic Materials Are Made - Polymerization,” Craftech Industries, November 14, 2019, https://www.craftechind.com/polymerization-how-plastic-materials-are-made/

22 “Lifecycle of a Plastic Product.” Lifecycle of a Plastic Product. American Chemistry Council. Accessed June 14, 2020. https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/Life-Cycle/.

23 “Lifecycle of a Plastic Product.” Lifecycle of a Plastic Product. American Chemistry Council. Accessed June 14, 2020. https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/Life-Cycle/.

24 “Lifecycle of a Plastic Product.” Lifecycle of a Plastic Product. American Chemistry Council. Accessed June 14, 2020. https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/Life-Cycle/.

25 Hannah Ritchie, “FAQs on Plastic,” Our World in Data, 2018, https://ourworldindata.org/faq-on-plastics.

26 Hannah Ritchie, “FAQs on Plastic,” Our World in Data, 2018, https://ourworldindata.org/faq-on-plastics.

27 “Lifecycle of a Plastic Product.” Lifecycle of a Plastic Product. American Chemistry Council. Accessed June 14, 2020. https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/Life-Cycle/.

28 “Lifecycle of a Plastic Product.” Lifecycle of a Plastic Product. American Chemistry Council. Accessed June 14, 2020. https://plastics.americanchemistry.com/Life-Cycle/.

29 Susan Gawlowicz, "Researchers Study Plastic Pollution in Great Lakes," Rochester Institute of Technology, December 19, 2016, accessed July 08, 2020, https://www.rit.edu/news/researchers-study-plastic-pollution-great-lakes

30 Matthew J. Hoffman and Eric Hittinger, “Inventory and Transport of Plastic Debris in the Laurentian Great Lakes,” Marine Pollution Bulletin 115, no. 1-2 (2017): pp. 273-281, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.11.061.

31 Alexander G.j. Driedger et al., “Plastic Debris in the Laurentian Great Lakes: A Review,” Journal of Great Lakes Research 41, no. 1 (2015): pp. 9-19, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2014.12.020.

32 Alexander G.j. Driedger et al., “Plastic Debris in the Laurentian Great Lakes: A Review,” Journal of Great Lakes Research 41, no. 1 (2015): pp. 9-19, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2014.12.020.

33 “Chicago Beaches: Guide to Local Beaches on Lake Michigan,” Choose Chicago, September 3, 2019, https://www.choosechicago.com/articles/parks-outdoors/chicagos-beach-guide/.

34 “Pathways Program Removes 86 Lbs. of Litter from Foster Beach,” Alliance for the Great Lakes, August 17, 2018, https://greatlakes.org/2018/08/pathways-program/.

35 Alexander G.j. Driedger et al., “Plastic Debris in the Laurentian Great Lakes: A Review,” Journal of Great Lakes Research 41, no. 1 (2015): pp. 9-19, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2014.12.020.

36 Alexander G.j. Driedger et al., “Plastic Debris in the Laurentian Great Lakes: A Review,” Journal of Great Lakes Research 41, no. 1 (2015): pp. 9-19, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2014.12.020.

37 Alexander G.j. Driedger et al., “Plastic Debris in the Laurentian Great Lakes: A Review,” Journal of Great Lakes Research 41, no. 1 (2015): pp. 9-19, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2014.12.020.

38 “Microplastics in the Great Lakes: Becoming Benthic,” ScienceDaily (Geological Society of America, September 23, 2019), http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190923164532.htm.

39 Alexander G.j. Driedger et al., “Plastic Debris in the Laurentian Great Lakes: A Review,” Journal of Great Lakes Research 41, no. 1 (2015): pp. 9-19, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2014.12.020.

40 “The Microbead-Free Waters Act,” U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), accessed July 14, 2020, https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-laws-regulations/microbead-free-waters-act-faqs.

41 Alexander G.j. Driedger et al., “Plastic Debris in the Laurentian Great Lakes: A Review,” Journal of Great Lakes Research 41, no. 1 (2015): pp. 9-19, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2014.12.020.

42 Alexander G.j. Driedger et al., “Plastic Debris in the Laurentian Great Lakes: A Review,” Journal of Great Lakes Research 41, no. 1 (2015): pp. 9-19, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2014.12.020.

43 Martin Wagner et al., “Microplastics in Freshwater Ecosystems: What We Know and What We Need to Know,” Environmental Sciences Europe 26, no. 1 (September 2014), https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-014-0012-7.

44 Alexander G.j. Driedger et al., “Plastic Debris in the Laurentian Great Lakes: A Review,” Journal of Great Lakes Research 41, no. 1 (2015): pp. 9-19, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2014.12.020.

45 “Plastics: Material-Specific Data,” EPA (Environmental Protection Agency, October 30, 2019), https://www.epa.gov/facts-and-figures-about-materials-waste-and-recycling/plastics-material-specific-data#PlasticsTableandGraph

46 Ramesh P Babu, Kevin O'connor, and Ramakrishna Seeram, “Current Progress on Bio-Based Polymers and Their Future Trends,” Progress in Biomaterials 2, no. 1 (March 18, 2013), https://doi.org/10.1186/2194-0517-2-8.

47 “Biodegradable Plastic: Its Promises and Consequences,” Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science, March 2, 2013, https://sites.dartmouth.edu/dujs/2013/03/02/biodegradable-plastic-its-promises-and-consequences/.

48 “Biodegradable Plastic: Its Promises and Consequences,” Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science, March 2, 2013, https://sites.dartmouth.edu/dujs/2013/03/02/biodegradable-plastic-its-promises-and-consequences/.

49 Xiaoying Zhao, Katrina Cornish, and Yael Vodovotz, “Synergistic Mechanisms Underlie the Peroxide and Coagent Improvement of Natural-Rubber-Toughened Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate-Co-3-Hydroxyvalerate) Mechanical Performance,” MDPI (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, March 26, 2019), https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/11/3/565/htm.

50 Michaelangelo D. Tabone et al., “Sustainability Metrics: Life Cycle Assessment and Green Design in Polymers,” Environmental Science & Technology 44, no. 21 (2010): pp. 8264-8269, https://doi.org/10.1021/es101640n.

51 Renee Cho, “The Truth About Bioplastics,” State of the Planet (Columbia University, November 20, 2018), https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2017/12/13/the-truth-about-bioplastics/

52 “Engineering Design Process,” Teach Engineering (University of Colorado, Boulder), accessed June 14, 2020, https://www.teachengineering.org/k12engineering/designprocess

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