Microplastic Clean-Up Challenge

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

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.

• 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

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

Primary Anchor: Australian Curriculum: Science (v9.0) — Year 7

AC9S7U06

Standard: Use a particle model to describe differences between pure substances and mixtures and apply understanding of properties of substances to separate mixtures.

• Active Fulfillment: Students analyze the physical properties of different microplastics (buoyancy, shape, and density of fibers vs. films vs. pellets) to determine how they behave in water, and design a physical separation device utilizing these specific properties to remove them from a water system.

• Auditable Evidence: A student-drawn, annotated technical diagram of their cleanup device showing how it utilizes physical properties (e.g., filtration, density differences, decantation) to isolate pollutants.

AC9S7I04

Standard: Select and construct appropriate representations, including tables, graphs, models and mathematical relationships, to organise and process data and information.

• Active Fulfillment: Students record microplastic counts in an inventory table during prototype testing, then construct a scaled physical bar graph comparing the extraction efficiency of different device iterations.

• Auditable Evidence: A physical laboratory data log containing the raw inventory collection counts and a hand-drawn or digitally printed scaled bar graph showcasing the device’s cleanup efficiency.

AC9S7H03

Standard: Examine how proposed scientific responses to contemporary issues may impact on society and explore how First Nations Australians’ knowledge and practices can inform sustainable solutions.

• Active Fulfillment: Students evaluate their environmental cleanup prototype against the massive global crisis of ocean plastics, identifying the limitations of localized engineering devices and discussing how human waste habits must change to achieve systemic change.

• Auditable Evidence: A written evaluation response reflecting on the trial results, design constraints, and the wider ecological/societal impact of the engineering solution.

International Crosswalk (Secondary Frameworks)