CHALLENGE

The Prevent Plastic Poster

General Information
Activity Description
Handout for Participants

Abstract

Where does the plastic come from in the sea? A large part of the plastic that ends up in the sea is disposable packaging and plastic bags. In the sea, the plastic debris is slowly decomposed into smaller parts and eventually becomes so-called micro plastics, which are not broken down in several hundred years and which are almost impossible to capture. Lost fishing gear, synthetic fabrics, such as fleece blankets and polyester and acrylic clothing, release micro plastics when washed. Although the wastewater treatment plants handle most micro plastics, millions of micro plastics particles still end up in the sea. In addition, some hygiene products contain added micro plastics. Among other things, there may be plastic in exfoliating, toothpaste and makeup.Learners shall be aware of the importance of environment protection and instead of being powerless being able to find good ways to contribute in reducing plastic. What can I do?

This activity is a group work to collect knowledge about plastic in the sea and what an individual can do to prevent it. The advices should then be illustrated on a “poster or a any other communication model” with images or materials and with text that can be distributed within the local community ex the library or any other suitable centre. In this activity, there is no ready-made solution – only the imagination sets the boundaries.

This activity is divided in 2 days. Day 1. Plan and design

Day 2, The actual production. It would be good if it could be located in an art studio or similar, where there is access to glue, paints, cardboard, computer and printers etc.

Learning Outcomes

Define the problems with plastic in the ocean
Design a communication model – Poster Display or any other
Demonstrate social skills in group work
Select material
Decide who to bring what
Show artistic innovation
Create a communication model
Motivate others
Plan where to place it
Analyze the outcome
Interview people what they think
Summarize the experience

Author

WiTECSweden

Language

English

Difficulty

Basic

Main Topics

Arts, Mathematics, Science, Technology

Duration

2 – 4 hours

Keywords

art biochemistry communication Ecology enviromental friendly REDUCE PLASTIC the public the sea

Preparation of the Activity

Consider the following steps for the development of the activity.

Construction of a “Plastic Poster or Display or other”

The activity shall be implemented in 3 days and in 4 steps:

Planning and design what to do and how to do it
Make the “Poster or other communication model”
Plan where the “Plastic Poster” can be located, preferable in a public place.
Analyze the creation and interview people if the message was clear

PREPARATION OF ACTIVITY:

Day 1 : The preparation of the activity

Explain the advantages and learning objectives of the activity.
Give theoretical input of plastic in the sea, the problems involved.
Ask them the question: what can individuals do to help?
Inform them that they have to find answers
Inform them that they are going to create a poster or any other communication model to inform the public what they can do.
Give them the handout and let them read through.
Recommended group size: 4 people
Tell them to work out a plan
Allow them to bring material to the next day
Inspire them to search for advice to the public
Answer any doubts that can be raised by the learners and motivate them to share their ideas. This can facilitate the development of the project. This activity is supposed to be playful, creative and fun.

Implementation

Day 2: The creating of the Plastic Poster or Display

The second day the actual production takes place. It would be good if it could be located in an art studio where there is access to glue, paints, cardboard, computer and printers etc.

Ask them to present their plan
Tell them to start creating their “Plastic Poster”
Highlights the importance of the empowerment to make a difference and actually DO something about the plastic problems and to raise awareness about it.
Inspire them to be creative

Assessment/Evaluation

Tell them to report their advices and “creation” to the other groups and also receives feedback.
Evaluate their creations in the group
Ask them simple questions that allow you to know their level of satisfaction with the project and the activity.
Make the learners compare and analyse their initial plan with the final result.

Follow Up

The follow up of this activity is a key part of the activity:

Connect the “Plastic Poster” activity to other STEAM People activities.
Decide if the Poster can be placed in any suitable centre in the local community to inspire and to bring awareness and empowerment.
Discuss what they have learnt
Discuss what type of change behaviour they will do
Inspire them to use the activity to go into further investigations about problems with plastic in our daily life and how it ends up in the sea.

Description and Required Material

A Prevent Plastic Poster.

If you were to communicate to your fellow human beings “What can I do to prevent plastic in the ocean” how would you do it?

This activity is supposed to be fun, creative, innovative and joyful but with a message of awareness about what people can do to help prevent plastic in the sea.

Search the internet what you can do. See examples below.

Decide if you which to do a poster anything else.

Design it. What materials or pictures do you need?

Decide who to bring what to the following day.

Required Material

Decide who to bring what to the following day and tell the teacher or check out what is available in the classroom.

Your Task

Get ready for the activity!

DAY 1

The first steps..

Read through the handout
Decide what to do
Decide what you need
Decide where to get it
Decide who to bring what

Consider..

Prepare yourself for the process.

Do it..

DAY 2

Steps for the construction

Plan and design

Be creative and innovative.

Let the message shine through

Note that:

Examples of what you can do:

REFUSE REUSE RECYCLE

Pick up after you. You know, of course. But obviously not all, because our nature is so degraded. The majority of the debris in the seas has been thrown ashore. Half of the garbage we throw is made up of cigarette butts, which contain – just that – plastic.
Second hand. Buy used clothes and wash seldom. When you wash fleece and other synthetic clothing, such as acrylic and polyester, microplastic loosens. Large quantities go through filters and treatment plants and into the seas. To wipe and remove individual stains with wet cloth instead of washing often works fine.
Be sure to fill up the washing machine and skip the rinse aid when washing, so fewer microplastics will come off. The first four washes of a new garment are the worst, so it is much better to buy used clothes than new ones.
Do you want to find the plastic in your bathroom? Play detective and review the table of contents. If you see words like polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, polymethyl methacrylate and nylon among the ingredients then the product contains plastic. Instead, choose products that are labeled Good Environmental Choice, Ecolabel or Cosmos organic, so you do not have to use microplastics.
Reduce Your Use of Single-Use Plastics
Wherever you live, the easiest and most direct way that you can get started is by reducing your own use of single-use plastics. Single-use plastics include plastic bags, water bottles, straws, cups, utensils, dry cleaning bags, take-out containers, and any other plastic items that are used once and then discarded. The best way to do this is by a) refusing any single-use plastics that you do not need (e.g. straws, plastic bags, takeout utensils, takeout containers), and b) purchasing, and carrying with you, reusable versions of those products, including reusable grocery bags, produce bags, bottles, utensils, coffee cups, and dry cleaning garment bags. And when you refuse single-use plastic items, help businesses by letting them know that you would like them to offer alternatives.
Recycle Properly
This should go without saying, but when you use single-use (and other) plastics that can be recycled, always be sure to recycle them. At present, just 9% of plastic is recycled worldwide. Recycling helps keep plastics out of the ocean and reduces the amount of “new” plastic in circulation. If you need help finding a place to recycle plastic waste near you, check Earth911’s recycling directory. It’s also important to check with your local recycling center about the types of plastic they accept.
Participate In (or Organize) a Beach or River Cleanup
Help remove plastics from the ocean and prevent them from getting there in the first place by participating in, or organizing a cleanup of your local beach or waterway. This is one of the most direct and rewarding ways to fight ocean plastic pollution. You can simply go to the beach or waterway and collect plastic waste on your own or with friends or family, or you can join a local organization’s cleanup or an international event like the International Coastal Cleanup.
Spread the Word
Stay informed on issues related to plastic pollution and help make others aware of the problem. Tell your friends and family about how they can be part of the solution, or host a viewing party for one of the many plastic pollution focused documentaries, like Bag It, Addicted to Plastic, Plasticized, or Garbage Island.
Refuse Reuse Reduce: