This lesson explores the critical issue of microplastics in the ocean. Working in teams, students apply the engineering design process to create a prototype clean-up device that removes microplastics from the water. Students record their results in an inventory cart and create graphs to visualize their results.
Students will:
- Understand that physical properties cause different types of microplastics (such as fibers, film, and pellets) to float, sink, or stay suspended in water
- Use inventory counts and bar graphs to collect quantitative data and analyze how well a cleanup device performs
- Recognize that solving global pollution challenges requires collaboration between engineers and scientists
Lesson Plan Presentation
Materials & Preparation
Required:
- Paper and pencil for brainstorming/inventory
- Graph paper
- Your “Ocean”
- Clear bucket or container
- Water
- Plate (1 per team for inventory)
- Microplastics
- Snipped yarn and/or coffee filter (fibers)
- Shredded plastic wrap or sandwich bags (film)
- Cut up foam cups and/or cotton balls (foam)
- Small chopped straws (fragments)
- Pony beads (microbeads)
- Sequins (nanoplastics)
- Mini beads (pellets)
- Required Micro-Cleaning Device Materials
- Popsicle sticks, rulers, plastic utensils, or cardboard (handle)
- Tape
- Scissors
Table of Possibilities (to create the micro-cleaning device):
- Mesh/netting
- Nylon
- Gauze
- Cheesecloth/muslin
- Coffee filters
- Spoons
- Sponges
Teacher Preparation Tips:
- Fill the bucket, container, or pool with water
- Prepare/cut the microplastic materials
Engineering Design Challenge
You work at an ocean engineering facility that received a directive from NOAA to tackle a pressing environmental challenge. Microplastics are present throughout the ocean, threatening marine life. NOAA has asked your team to design a prototype of a micro-cleaning device to remove these pollutants. Your facility will conduct trials to ensure the device is effective before NOAA deploys it in the ocean.
Criteria:
- Must collect at least 1 of every microplastic type
Constraints:
- Use only the materials provided
- The micro-cleaning devices must have a handle
- You get 10 seconds to collect as many microplastics as possible.
Activity Instructions & Procedures
Microplastic Clean-Up ChallengeStep 1Break the class into teams of 2.
Step 2Discuss the image on slide 2.
Step 3Review the Background concepts (slides 3-5)
Step 4Present the design challenge, and discuss criteria and constraints.
Step 5Call on student volunteers to dump the various microplastics into the “ocean.” Have students observe how microplastics interact with water and with each other.
- Do the microplastics float, sink, or hang out in the middle?
- How do the microplastics interact with each other?
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- Microplastic in Water (Top View)
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- Microplastic in Water (Side View)
Step 6Show students their material options, “the table of possibilities.” Provide each team with a sheet of paper to brainstorm and design. Students will draw what their device will look like and label it with the materials they plan to use.
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- Sketch of Clean Up Device – Idea 1
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- Sketch of Clean Up Device – Idea 2
Step 7Students will collect the materials they want to use for their device and begin building.
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- Clean Up Device #1
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- Clean Up Device #2
Step 8Once the allotted time is up, students will test their devices as a whole class.
- Have student teams come to the “ocean” one team at a time.
- Students will have 10 seconds to hold onto their device handles and drag them through the water. Their goal is to collect at least 1 of every type of microplastic.
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- Testing Clean Up Device #1
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- Testing Clean Up Device #2
Step 9After each group tests their device, students will inventory their microplastics, counting how many of each microplastic they collected.
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- Microplastic Collected
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- Inventory of Microplastic Collected
Microplastic Quantity Collected Fibers (yarn/coffee filters) Film (plastic bags) Foam (cotton balls/foam cups) Fragments (straws) Microbeads (pony beads) Nanoplastics (sequins) Pellets (mini beads) Step 10Students will turn their microplastic inventory into a bar graph. They will graph the types and amounts of microplastics their team found.
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- Chart of Inventory
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- Inventory of Microplastic Collected
Step 11Students will redesign and optimize their devices.
Step 12Students will retest their devices to determine if they pick up more microplastics than their original device.
Step 13Students will answer the reflection questions.
- As a class, discuss student responses.
Student Reflection Questions:
- Was your device successful? Why or why not?
- How did your team decide which materials to use?
- What challenges did you run into creating and/or testing your device?
- Would you change anything about your device if you were to conduct a second test?
- Why is it important that engineers and scientists work together to address pollution in our oceans?
- What role do YOU play in keeping our oceans clean?
Step 14Clean Up Recommendations
The cleanup for this lesson can be tricky. See our suggestions below:
Use a pitcher, bowl, or jug to scoop water out of the larger container. Make sure to avoid getting leftover microplastics in the container. Dump the water in a sink or outside. Repeat this process until the larger container is light enough for you to carry.
- Option #1: Cover the sink drain with nylon. Slowly pour the remaining water/microplastics out of the container. The nylon should catch all the remaining microplastics, which can then be disposed of.
- Option #2: Lay a towel on the grass and slowly dump the water out of the bucket onto a towel. The towel should catch all of the leftover microplastics.
For more content on the topic, see the “Digging Deeper” section.
Engineering Design Process
Background Concepts
What are microplastics?
According to NOAA, microplastics are tiny plastic particles, typically measuring less than 5 millimeters (MM) in size. These tiny plastic particles are not biodegradable and can take various forms, including fibers, film, foam, fragments, beads, nanoplastics, and pellets.
Where do microplastics come from?
Microplastics are everywhere. In our daily lives, microplastics can come from washing clothes made of synthetic fibers, using makeup or face wash with microbeads, and plastic packaging from food and other items breaking down over time. They can also come from factories and construction sites where items like paint and insulation are not being disposed of properly.
How do microplastics affect the ocean?
When microplastics enter the ocean, they cause a lot of harm. Because they are so small, wildlife often mistake microplastics for food. Fish, mussels, and even whales consume microplastics.
Microplastics attract and carry pollutants in the water, as well as release chemicals into the water. According to lab studies by NOAA, microplastics and chemicals in plastics may delay an animal’s development.
Vocabulary
- Biodegradable – able to break down naturally in the environment without causing harm
- Fibers – threads from synthetic fabrics like polyester or nylon
- Filter / Filtration – a method of separating solids from liquids using a barrier
- Film – thin plastic sheets from bags or wrappers
- Foam – bits of polystyrene (styrofoam) from containers or packaging
- Fragments – broken pieces of larger plastic items
- Marine Life – animals and plants living in the ocean
- Microbeads – tiny plastic spheres from cosmetics or cleaners
- Microplastics – plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters
- Nanoplastics – extremely small plastic particles, often invisible to the eye
- Pellets (Nurdles) – raw plastic feedstock used in manufacturing
- Pollutants – harmful substances introduced into the environment
Dig Deeper
Resources:
- “What are microplastics?” by NOAA
- “What are the impacts of microplastics?” by NOAA
- “All types of microplastics you should know” by EuroPlas
- “A Guide to Plastic in the Ocean” by NOAA
Extension Activities:
- “A Century of Plastics” Lesson Plan by TryEngineering
- Read the eBook “Ocean Engineering Heroes: Making the Oceans and the World a Better Place” by TryEngineering
More Resources:
- Explore “Ocean Plastic Pollution Explained” by The Ocean Cleanup
- Watch the video “Ocean Plastics” by National Geographic
- Watch “Exploring with GIS: Following Plastic from Land to Sea” by National Geographic
- Watch “Tracking Plastics from Sea to Source” by National Geographic
Curriculum Alignment
US – Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
- PS4.A: Wave Properties – Students observe how microplastics float, sink, or suspend, connecting to properties of waves and matter.
- PS4.C: Information Technologies and Instrumentation – Students record inventories and create graphs, linking to data representation and communication.
- ETS1.A: Defining and Delimiting Engineering Problems – Framing the challenge of designing a clean-up device under constraints.
- ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions – Building prototypes with available materials.
- ETS1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution – Redesigning and retesting devices for improved performance.
UK – National Curriculum (KS2–KS3)
- Science programmes of study – Investigating materials, their properties, and environmental impacts.
- Design & Technology programmes of study – Iterative prototyping, testing, and optimization under constraints.
- Computing programmes of study – Recording inventories, creating bar graphs, and analyzing data.
AU – Australian Curriculum
- Science Understanding – Physical Sciences – Exploring how materials interact with water and environmental systems.
- Science Inquiry Skills – Asking questions, collecting data, analyzing results, and drawing conclusions.
- Design & Technologies – Creating solutions to environmental challenges with prototypes and redesigns.
Related Engineering Fields and Degrees
