Plastics: what harm can they cause?

Plastics: what harm can they cause? is a Key Stage 1 (KS1) lesson. Students discover what happens when plastic ends up in the ocean by exploring how it affects marine life. They look at simple ocean food chains and discuss the impact of plastic pollution on these species and their habitats. Students choose a food chain to recreate and write warnings about how plastic litter can affect the species in their food chain. They conclude by considering how they could reduce the amount of plastic they use such as reusable bags and avoiding straws.

This is a single lesson of the Ocean Plastics 5-7 unit. Ocean Plastics 5-7 is a Key Stage 1 (KS1) cross-curricular introduction to materials and their properties, which focusses on plastic and its abundance. Students discover how many everyday products are made from or contain plastic, understanding its versatility and resilience. They go on to discover what happens to rubbish after it’s thrown away and explore recycling, landfill and litter.

Students find out how detrimental plastic is to marine life and create posters and models encouraging friends and family to recycle and reduce the amount of plastic they use. This unit encourages proactive and positive behaviours, for all our futures.

Get the whole unit resources here: https://encounteredu.com/teachers/units/ocean-plastics-x-curric-5-7