
Lesson

Photo Credit: Algalita
Brainstorm and then discuss the consequences and benefits of plastic for human societies.
Grades 4 and up
Time Needed 30 minutes
Format Suitable for group or individual learning
Editable Handouts
– none
Materials
– Post-its or whiteboards and markers
Purpose and Context
Plastics have become an important part of our daily lives. Early on, when synthetic polymers were first being invented in the first half of the 1900s, people considered them to be miracle materials. This is because they could be molded into and dyed any shape and color but they also had properties that natural materials like wood, metal, and glass didn’t have. But over the years, the flaws of plastic were gradually uncovered. Now, we wonder how people thought it could ever be a good idea to make a polymer that nature can’t “digest.”
As we come up with solutions to the plastic problem, we will need to develop alternative materials, processes and systems that keep human and planetary health in mind. We’ll also need to make sure that the solutions are accessible and affordable for everyone. And on top of that, we’ll need to think ahead about the problems our solutions might create in the future.
Instructions
Prepare
Gather materials you’ll need: Post-its OR whiteboards and markers.
In Class
- Screen this introductory video about plastic pollution. Read the content shown below the video together as a class.
- Group students into groups of 3-4 students.
- Using questions like the ones below, ask students to talk about and then write down their thoughts about the benefits and consequences of plastics for human communities.
- Find a plastic object in the classroom. How does it serve a purpose for human use?
- What have you learned from sources like the news media, and social media, or friends and family about plastics? Is the source trust-worthy?
- What did you learn in the video about the uses and benefits of plastics? What did you learn about the negative impacts?
- What things do we make out of plastic? How are they useful?
- Have you experienced plastics pollution in the environment? How might it be a problem for humans?
- Discuss as a class, allowing each group to contribute. If you’re using post-its, have students work together to group their responses and compare and contrast them.
- Repeat this activity, or keep adding to it after doing additional activities or lessons on plastic pollution.
Discussion Ideas
- Do the negative aspects of plastic outweigh the positives?
Tips and Suggestions
- Guide students to think about not only the personal benefits and consequences they experience in their own lives but to think about society at large as they brainstorm.
Associated Standards
NGSS:
- MS-PS 1-3 Gather and make sense of info to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society.
Did you use this lesson?
Help us track our reach
Related Resources
Toolkit: A Plastic Ocean Teaching Kit
Investigate the impacts of microplastics on our oceans with 3 rotating activities.
Grades 5 and up
50 minutes
Lesson: Sources and Sinks
How does plastic get into and impact ecosystems?
Grades 4 and up
30 to 60 minutes
Lesson: Synthetic or Natural?
Contemplate the difference between synthetic and natural materials that make up common items in the classroom.
Grades 5 and up
30 to 60 minutes
Explore more
Plastic Pollution Basics
A quick crash course on plastic pollution and what we can do about it!
Learn more
The Story of Plastic (Animated Short)
A brief introduction to the issue of plastic pollution, produced by Story of Stuff.