Find ideas for using our resources, plus guidance for incorporating our resources into your US teaching standards, including NGSS and APES.
Standards Alignment Guides
Suggested outlines for incorporating our free materials into your standards-aligned curriculum.
AP Environmental Science Unit 8: Plastic Pollution and Solid Waste
This guide outlines our suggestions for how to incorporate our resources into your Advanced Placement Environmental Science Unit 8 curriculum on aquatic and terrestrial pollution.
Grades 10 to 12
2 to 6 hours
NGSS MS-PS1-3 Synthetic Materials
This guide will outline our suggestions for how to use a few of our resources to teach about the following Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Performance Expectation: MS-PS 1-3 Gather and make sense of info to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society.
Grades 6 to 8
Variable Timing
NGSS MS-ESS 3-3 Human Impact - "Plastic Ocean"
This guide will outline our suggestions for how to use a few of our resources to teach about the following Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Performance Expectation: MS-ESS 3-3 Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
Grades 6 to 8
Variable Timing
How-to Guides
Here you’ll find how-to guides to help you maximize the resources and support found on Wayfinder Society for Environmental Education.
What to expect from Wayfinder Society toolkits
What are Wayfinder Society’s Toolkits? Our toolkits provide educators with out-of-the-box activities that help students explore environmental issues.
Get the most out of Wayfinder Society lessons
What are Wayfinder Society’s Lessons? Free, Digital, but also printable, Ready to use, Editable, and more!
Ideas for using the Student Hub to empower your students to take action
All you need to know about how to use our Student Hub in your classroom, with sign instructions and inspiration.
Overview of Our Plastic Pollution Teaching Resources
Want to incorporate plastic pollution into your curriculum but don’t know where to start? We have many free resources for Grades 4-12 including lessons, science toolkits, and more. In this overview of our resources we share ideas for incorporating this important topic into your curriculum. Our resources will help you bring current, real-world environmental science education into your classroom, whether it’s through the NGSS standards, climate change literacy, marine bio, AP Environmental Science or your school’s Green Team.
Free Upcoming Events
Connect with our network of environmental educators!
Check out our upcoming events to meet other educators on this journey - virtually or in-person.
In-Person Event
FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2024 11 AM - 1 PM PT
Educator Workshop - Synthetic Sand Lunch and Learn
Come learn about environmental monitoring techniques and collect your very own synthetic sand samples to take back to your classroom at our upcoming Educator Lunch and Learn on Friday, June 28th from 11am-1pm PT. We'll meet at Algalita's headquarters in Alamitos Bay Landing and then make our way over to the beach before assembling the teaching kits and having some lunch at our Education Center. Used by educators across the United States, this toolkit is a great resource for students to learn about microplastics and their impact on our environment.
REGISTER
Next Event
Date and Time TBD
Next Event Announced Soon!
“Because of Algalita, I don’t feel alone in trying to solve one of the most difficult issues facing our environment today.”
-Christine Davis, Student