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:

Bibliography

Babu, Ramesh P, 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.

“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.

“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/.

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

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

Cho, Renee. “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/.

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

Driedger, Alexander G.j., Hans H. Dürr, Kristen Mitchell, and Philippe Van Cappellen. “Plastic Debris in the Laurentian Great Lakes: A Review.” Journal of Great Lakes Research 41, no. 1 (2015): 9–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2014.12.020.

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

Freinkel, Susan. “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/.

Gawlowicz, Susan. "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.

Geyer, Roland, 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.

Gilbert, Marianne. “Plastics Materials: Introduction and Historical Development.” Essay. In Brydson's Plastics Materials, 8th ed., 4–8. Oxford, UK: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2017.

Hoffman, Matthew J., and Eric Hittinger. “Inventory and Transport of Plastic Debris in the Laurentian Great Lakes.” Marine Pollution Bulletin 115, no. 1-2 (2017): 273–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.11.061.

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

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

Loria, Kevin. “How to Eat Less Plastic.” Consumer Reports, April 30, 2020. https://www.consumerreports.org/health-wellness/how-to-eat-less-plastic-microplastics-in-food-water/.

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

McGowan, Veronica, 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.

“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/.

“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.

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

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

Tabone, Michaelangelo D., James J. Cregg, Eric J. Beckman, and Amy E. Landis. “Sustainability Metrics: Life Cycle Assessment and Green Design in Polymers.” Environmental Science & Technology 44, no. 21 (2010): 8264–69. https://doi.org/10.1021/es101640n.

“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/.

“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.

Wagner, Martin, Christian Scherer, Diana Alvarez-Muñoz, Nicole Brennholt, Xavier Bourrain, Sebastian Buchinger, Elke Fries, et al. “Microplastics in Freshwater Ecosystems: What We Know and What We Need to Know.” Environmental Sciences Europe 26, no. 1 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-014-0012-7.

Zhao, Xiaoying, 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.

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