Teaching Strategies
The essential question for students to answer throughout the unit will be: Where does our trash go? Students will be challenged to think about the environmental and sociological impacts of the plastic pollution generated in wealthy nations and how they impact lower income and poorer nations. In this unit, students will learn the cycle of plastic production and lack of proper disposal in the United States and globally. Students will understand that humans take materials from the Earth to create plastic. Then they dump these materials back into the environment, but in the form of plastic.
Close Reading
Students will read news articles on plastic pollution nationally and globally. News articles adapted for kids can be found on resources like Newsela, ReadWorks, and Scholastic News. Students will read closely to make inferences and draw conclusions. Students can take notes using a graphic organizer.
Data Analysis
Using Our World in Data, students will view graphs, charts, and data showing trends in the United States, UK, and Australia of recycling, plastic production, and plastic usage. Then students will compare the data with middle income and low-income nations. Students will use the data to compare how different countries contribute more or less to the plastic pollution crisis. Students will also view data on the countries that are impacted the most and the least by plastic pollution. Through a guided discussion students will share their findings on the inequities of plastic pollution.
Gallery Walk
A gallery walk is a strategy to preview a new topic or to spark a class discussion. I will have photos showing the impacts of plastic pollution across the globe. Photos can depict landfills, marine life, and garbage patches. A question will be posed for them to answer under each photo. Students can work with a partner or individually as they walk around the room filling in their notetaker sheet. The notetaker sheet should have the images and questions making it simple for students to follow. Teachers can set a timer and have students go to the first station for a set time period. Then when the timer alerts them, they switch and go to the next station and fill out their notetaker. Once all of the students have completed the gallery walk, the class will discuss their questions and answers.
Comments: