Hannah's Learning Zone: The problem with plastic

The Problem with Plastic

WALT use reference books/tools. WALT use appropriate skills and technologies to find and use a range of texts for specific purposes (assessment task
I learnt how to do a Bibliography correctly.

Possible resources:

Plastic Fantastic SJ 2007:3:3

Accidental Plastics Connected SJ Level 4 2013

The Problem with Plastic www

Plastic Planet

Tiny Plastic, Big Problem

You may be able to find others to help you complete your research.

You can present your learning on a google doc (this one) or a presentation. PLEASE link your presentation onto this document.

What do you need to research?

The big question: WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH PLASTIC?

What is plastic?

Plastic is a material that is synthetic and made from a wide range of organic polymers. It is made from petrochemicals which are fossil fuels eg coal, oil.

Why is it a problem for the environment?

Plastic is a problem for the environment because it is ruining our seas, oceans and wildlife and if wildlife from the sea die we won’t have as much food.The reason plastic is a problem is because it does not break down.

3.What facts can you find about the amount of plastic we use, how it is made, how it breaks down?

The average amount of time for plastic to break down is 450 years.

The amount of petroleum used to make one plastic bag can drive a car 115 metres. World wide it is estimated that four billion plastic bags end up as litter each year if tied together could circle the world sixty-three times.

4.What can you do to help?

I can Reduce by buying one big pack of chips not lot’s of small bags. I can Reuse plastic bags and I can recycle thing that could get reused.

5. Glossary

microbead A small particle of plastic, usually between 0.05 millimeters and 5 millimeters in size (or one hundredth of an inch to about two tenths of an inch). These particles can be found in exfoliating face wash, but can also take the form of fibers shed from clothing.
plastiglomerate A name some scientists have proposed for a category of rock created when plastic melts and fuses with chunks of stone, shell or other materials to create a long-lasting record of human pollution.
polyethylene A plastic made from chemicals that have been refined (produced from) crude oil and/or natural gas. The most common plastic in the world, it is flexible and tough. It also can resist radiation.
zooplankton Small organisms that drift in the sea. Zooplankton are tiny animals that eat other plankton. They also serve as an important food source for other marine creatures.
pollutant A substance that taints something — such as the air, water, our bodies or products. Some pollutants are chemicals, such as pesticides. Others may be radiation, including excess heat or light. Even weeds and other invasive species can be considered a type of biological pollution.
oceanography The branch of science that deals with the physical and biological properties and phenomena of the oceans. People who work in this field are known as oceanographer