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A unique set of teaching materials, designed to weave education against single-use plastic into the national curriculum for 11-16 year olds, has been launched today, World Oceans Day, June 8th, by Plastic Oceans UK, in a bid to educate and empower children to become ambassadors for change.
Plastic Oceans UK is the team behind the ground-breaking film A Plastic Ocean, which first raised awareness of the terrible consequences single-use plastic was having on the environment when it was released in 2016. As part of the film’s legacy programme, one of the film researchers, Jessica Hickie, has spent the last two years developing the ‘Wave One’ lesson plans, with materials that can seamlessly fit into seven IGCSE syllabus subjects.
Jessica says, “As a science teacher, I know delivering the national curriculum is very pressurised so there is little or no spare time to prepare materials to teach extra-curricular subjects, regardless of how important or passionate you are about them. For this teaching material to make an impact it was imperative that it could replace existing lessons by delivering the required outcomes stated in the national curriculum.
“Each lesson is differentiated to three different learning levels and contains the terminology for each target age group so there is no additional work required by the teachers. We have been successfully trialling the material in Brannel School, St Austell, and the response from both teachers and students has been overwhelmingly positive.”
The new Teaching materials are geared towards Key Stages 3 and 4, and are available to download for free from June 8th at www.plasticoceans.uk.
The packs are currently available in English and French, and can be used in Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Geography, Maths, English Language and Design Technology. Each pack contains the following:
•Lesson plan with cross curricular opportunities
•Resource information
•PowerPoint presentation (most with film clips included)
•Activity sheets/information for the students
Jo Ruxton, founder and CEO of Plastic Oceans UK and co-producer of A Plastic Ocean says, “Since the release of A Plastic Ocean, we have taken forward our legacy work to raise awareness, and form action-focused programmes. Our film was the first tool of our global education work and it has already opened the hearts and minds of people all over the world and from all walks of life. Our plan is to perpetuate and spread that message through our work in schools and communities to turn the messages of the film into action and provide the wave of change we need.
Jo added: “What sets us apart as an organisation is that we have a global view of the issue and have worked with scientists for eight years, out on the ocean and in the laboratories. We have witnessed and documented the disturbing consequences of ingested plastic in seabirds, turtles, marine mammals and fish. And we want to pass that knowledge to as many as we can.”