Introduction
Welcome to the "World Environment Day" WebQuest! Celebrated annually on June 5th, World Environment Day is a global event that encourages awareness and action for the protection of our environment. The annual theme for World Environment Day 2025 is “Beat Plastic Pollution”, also phrased as ending plastic pollution. The Mediterranean Diet emphasizes plant-based foods, local produce, and minimal processing. This approach naturally aligns with efforts to reduce plastic use.
Task
By completing this WebQuest, students will:
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Investigate the purpose of World Environment Day and evaluate the environmental, health and food-system impacts of plastic pollution.
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Identify practical strategies for reducing single-use plastics, especially through food choices.
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Create a visually engaging infographic using digital tools to communicate the benefits of choosing unpackaged foods.
Process
Step 1: Learn About the 2025 Theme
Explore why World Environment Day is celebrated every year and research the 2025 theme “Beat Plastic Pollution” so as to understand how plastic waste affects the environment, food systems and human health.
Useful links:
https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/about/theme-host
https://www.fao.org/one-health/highlights/plastic-pollution-and-agrifood-systems/en
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/plastic-pollution
Step 2: Gather Ideas for Reducing Plastic Waste
Research practical ways individuals and communities can cut down on single-use plastics, especially in food choices like choosing loose fruits and vegetables, buying from local markets and avoiding heavily packaged processed foods. Select the most useful tips and keep notes.
Step 3: Create Your Infographic
Using a Web 2.0 tool of your choice design an infographic that encourages your community to choose fresh, unpackaged foods and avoid single-use plastic packaging. Show how these choices support both a healthy diet and a healthier planet.
Step 4: Share Your Work
Upload your infographic to Padlet https://padlet.com/meddiet4health/5-6-2025-celebrating-the-world-environment-day-iq1m948i3lar3094
Add also photos or videos of your organization’s World Environment Day celebrations and don't forget to look at your peers' posts and leave positive comments or suggestions.
Evaluation
Your work will be evaluated with this rubric:
| Criteria | 5 - Excellent | 4 - Good | 3 - Satisfactory | 2 - Needs Improvement | 1 - Inadequate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research & Understanding of Theme | Thoroughly explores World Environment Day and deeply understands the 2025 theme and its impacts on environment, food systems, and human health. | Explores and understands the theme with minor gaps in explanation of impacts. | Basic understanding of the theme and some impacts mentioned, but lacks depth or clarity. | Limited research; superficial understanding of the theme and its impacts. | Very little or no evidence of research or understanding of the theme or its impacts. |
| Idea Gathering & Practical Tips | Researches and selects multiple highly relevant, practical ways to reduce plastic waste, especially in food choices; notes are comprehensive and clear. | Selects several relevant practical tips with mostly clear notes. | Provides some practical tips with basic notes but lacks detail or relevance in parts. | Few practical tips; notes are incomplete or unclear. | Minimal or no practical tips provided; notes missing or irrelevant. |
| Infographic Design & Creativity | Infographic is visually engaging, well-organized, uses Web 2.0 tool effectively; clearly encourages fresh, unpackaged food choices and links to health and environment benefits. | Infographic is clear and organized with good use of digital tools; message mostly clear. | Infographic communicates the message but lacks strong visual engagement or organization. | Infographic is poorly organized or unclear; limited use of digital tools; message is weak. | Infographic is confusing or incomplete; ineffective use of tools; message not communicated. |
| Content Accuracy & Relevance | Information is accurate, relevant, and strongly supports both healthy diet and environmental points. | Mostly accurate and relevant information supporting the main points. | Some accurate information but with occasional inaccuracies or off-topic content. | Information contains significant inaccuracies or irrelevant content. | Content is mostly inaccurate or irrelevant to the topic. |
| Sharing & Peer Interaction | Infographic uploaded on Padlet with additional photos/videos; actively engages with peers by leaving positive, constructive comments. | Infographic uploaded with some peer interaction and comments. | Infographic uploaded but limited or no peer interaction. | Infographic not uploaded or minimal peer interaction. | No infographic uploaded and no peer interaction. |
Conclusion
Through this WebQuest, students explored how plastic pollution impacts the planet and discovered how everyday food choices can support sustainability. By researching solutions and designing their own infographics, they turned knowledge into action and helped promote healthier habits for both people and the environment.
Credits
Teacher Page
This WebQuest was edited by two members of USGGED,Türkiye as part of the activities of the "Mediterranean Diet for Overall Health" (MedDiet4Health) Erasmus+ project (Project number: 2023-2-EL01-KA210-VET-000183592).
Through this WebQuest, students strengthened their environmental literacy by understanding how plastic pollution affects ecosystems, food systems and health. They developed research and critical-thinking skills as they identified and evaluated practical ways to reduce single-use plastics. By designing an infographic, they improved their digital creativity and visual communication skills. Finally, they practiced collaboration, digital citizenship and community engagement.
This WebQuest reflects only the author’s views. The European Commission’s support for the production of this WebQuest does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.