Plastic Pollution
Provided by: Earth Cubs|Published on: April 25, 2025|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 3, 4, 5
Type: Activity - Classroom
Subjects: Science, English Language Arts
Authors: Earth Cubs
Location: Earth
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- These slides from Earth Cubs explain what plastic pollution is, how plastic ends up in the ocean, and its impact on wildlife and the environment.
- The slides prompt students to take on a role of a community member to debate the pros and cons of using plastic, conduct research on plastic pollution, and encourage less plastic use at their school.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The slides end with encouraging students to take action around plastic use at their school.
- The slides are colorful, with images and student-friendly language.
Prerequisites
- Slide 15 mentions the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs). This video can be used to introduce the goals if needed.
- These slides use vocabulary and spellings from U.K. English, which some students may need help understanding.
Differentiation & Implementation
- The debate can be structured as a collaborative discussion for younger students.
- For the research challenge, students can get started by watching this video for older students or this video for younger students.
- This persuasive writing activity can be used to provide scaffolding for students to share what they have learned.
- This reusable bag project can be used as a follow-up action to these slides.
- To learn more about plastic pollution and climate change, Ocean Wise has related units for grades 3-5 and 6-8.
- For older students, this high school biology lesson can be used for teaching about plastic pollution and climate change.
This resource introduces students to plastic pollution and its environmental harms. The text is clear and accompanied by engaging illustrations and photographs. Though the slideshow fails to mention the climate change implications of plastics, slide 14’s research challenge gives students the opportunity to conduct their own research. This resource is clear, concise and is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
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