Introduction
Imagine setting sail across the vast, beautiful Pacific Ocean. You expect to see leaping dolphins, sea turtles, and endless clear blue water. Instead, you find yourself sailing through a swirling soup of plastic bottles, fishing nets, and tiny, colorful plastic fragments as far as the eye can see.
Welcome to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch—the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world.
The Problem:
Millions of tons of plastic enter our oceans every year. It harms marine life, pollutes our beaches, and even enters our food chain. The ocean needs heroes, and it needs them now.
Your Mission:
You have been recruited by the Global Ocean Rescue Coalition (GORC). As a team of environmental experts, your job is to investigate this massive environmental crisis and design an innovative solution to clean it up or stop plastic from getting there in the first place. Are you ready to save our seas?
Task
The Task
By the end of this WebQuest, your team will create a "Save Our Seas" Action Proposal to be presented to a panel of (mock) United Nations environmental judges.
Your Final Product Must Include:
- An Investigative Report: A clear explanation of what the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is, how it formed, and how it affects marine ecosystems and human health.
- An Innovative Solution: A detailed blueprint, prototype sketch, or digital model of a device, policy, or campaign designed to either clean up the existing plastic OR prevent new plastic from entering the ocean.
- A Persuasive Pitch: A 5-minute multimedia presentation (Slides, Video, or interactive poster) to convince the judges to fund your project.
Process
The Process
Follow these exact steps to complete your mission. You will work in groups of three.
1.Assign Roles
Decide who will take on the following responsibilities (though you will all help each other):
- Marine Biologist: Focuses on how plastic affects wildlife and the food chain.
- Oceanographer: Focuses on currents, how the patch formed, and its size/location.
- Environmental Engineer: Focuses on current technologies used to clean the ocean and brainstorms new design solutions.
2. Gather Intel (Research)
Use the links provided in the Resources section. Take guided notes on the provided worksheet. You must answer: What is microplastic? Where does the plastic come from? Why is it so hard to clean up?
3. Brainstorm & Design
As a team, analyze your research. Decide if you want to tackle prevention (stopping plastic on land) or remediation (cleaning the ocean). Sketch out your invention or outline your major awareness campaign. What materials will you need? How much will it cost?
4.Create Your Pitch
Build your presentation. Make sure you clearly define the problem (using your research) and passionately present your solution. Include visuals, sketches, and facts.
Evaluation
| Criteria | Needs Work (1-10) | Good (11-18) | Excellent (19-25) |
| Research & Accuracy | Missing key facts; misunderstandings about how the patch works. | Solid understanding; covers basic facts from the resources accurately. | Deep understanding; explains complex concepts (like microplastics) perfectly. |
| Solution Quality | Solution is unrealistic or lacks detail/planning | Solution makes sense but may have minor practical flaws. |
Highly innovative, realistic, and highly detailed blueprint/plan. |
| Presentation | Disorganized, hard to hear, or visually messy. | Clear, organized, and uses visuals effectively. | Engaging, persuasive, professional, and visually stunning. |
| Teamwork | Team worked well together most of the time. | Team worked well together most of the time. | Roles were perfectly balanced; excellent collaboration. |
Evaluation
Your team will be graded using the following rubric out of 100 points.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Congratulations, Ocean Advocates!
You have successfully navigated the complex issue of ocean plastic pollution. By investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, you didn't just learn about a problem—you actively worked as engineers and scientists to design a solution.
Remember, the ideas you generated today are the exact kinds of ideas the world needs tomorrow. Even small changes in how we use plastic at home can have a massive impact on our oceans.
Reflection Question:
"What is one habit involving plastic that you will change in your daily life starting today?"
Credits
Resources:
Use these vetted, scientific resources to conduct your research. Do not rely on random internet searches until you have exhausted these links.
- National Geographic
Encyclopedia entry on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Great for basic facts and geography.
(https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/great-pacific-garbage…)
- NOAA Ocean Service
The official government scientific stance on what the patch is and why it's difficult to clean.
(https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/garbagepatch.html)
- The Ocean Cleanup Project
A real-world engineering project currently trying to clean the patch. Great inspiration for your designs.
(https://theoceancleanup.com/great-pacific-garbage-patch/)
- Pew Research: Plastic Wave
Data and statistics on where ocean plastic comes from and strategies for prevention.
(https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/articles/2020/07/23/…)
Teacher Page
Teacher Page: The Plastic Ocean Project
Pedagogical framework for middle and high school environmental science.
Unit Details
Grade Level: 7th - 10th Grade
Subject: Environmental Science / Engineering
Duration:3 - 5 Class Periods
Keywords: Sustainability, Microplastics, GPGP, Marine Biology
Educational Standards:
- NGSS MS-ESS3-3 -Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
- NGSS HS-ETS1-2 -Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
- Common Core ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.7 - Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually.
Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of this WebQuest, students will be able to:
-Identify the physical forces (gyres/currents) that form the GPGP.
-Analyze the ecological impact of microplastics on the food chain.
-Evaluate existing ocean-cleanup technologies for efficiency.
-Design and present a prototype solution to a global panel.
Implementation Guide:
1.Hook the Students
Start with a "Garbage Audit." Have students collect all the plastic they use in one day and bring it to class. This makes the global problem personal before they start the online research.
2. Scaffold the Roles
If students are younger, provide a graphic organizer for each role (Biologist, Oceanographer, Engineer) to ensure they look for specific data points during the research phase.
3. The "Pitch" Day
Transform the classroom into a UN Conference. Invite other teachers or older students to act as the "Judging Panel." Use play-money for the judges to "invest" in the best designs.
Credits & Permissions
This WebQuest was developed as a workshop project for training educators in inquiry-based learning. Images used are via Unsplash (open source) and information is curated from NOAA, National Geographic, and The Ocean Cleanup.
Educational use of this material is encouraged under the Creative Commons License.