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2.G.2 Understand the effects of humans interacting with their environment.

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2.G.2.1 Give examples of ways in
which people depend on the physical environment and natural resources to meet basic needs.

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Location, Physical Environment, Spatial Organization, Natural Resources, Settlement

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2.G.2.2 Explain how people positively and negatively affect the environment.

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Population Education Book

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Elsa Beskow Book

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Wrightsville Beach/Carolina Beach/ Cape Fear 

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Wrightsville Beach/Carolina Beach/ Cape Fear 

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Walk the area and do a clean up. What did you find? Where did this come from? How can this impact the environment?

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Observe oil spills, trash near marinas. How can we change this?

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Today is Earth Day, and we ditched our regular lessons to spend the day learning about pollution and how it affects our earth.

We began with this oil spill activity that was really eye-opening, even for me! We started with a pristine-looking ocean scene which turned yucky very fast. The boys tried several times to wash the slimy oil off their sea creatures and it was harder than they thought it would be.

We got the idea from here, if you want to see the original post.

Oil Spill Science Experiment

First, we started with a large, clear plastic tub to hold our ocean animals and water (plus some blue marbles to add a sensory element).

I added two drops of blue food coloring so that the water would be more visible. The boys played in the ocean with their animals for a bit, and then we added the boat.

To make the oil look like crude oil, we mixed some cocoa powder into the vegetable oil before pouring it into the boat's compartment. It looked like oil, but smelled like brownies. 😉

Now it's time for the oil spill. Once the boat gets bumped around enough, the oil will begin spilling into the pristine blue water. The boys thought it was fascinating to see the oil droplets swirl around in the water. And actually, so did I.

Now, it's time for cleanup.

First, they tried cleaning up the oil spill by scooping it out. They soon found, though, they were scooping way more water than oil, and the water was looking dirtier.

Next, they used items to try and suck up the oil - cotton balls and a sponge. Both materials were able to remove a bit of the oil, but not enough to make a real difference.

I think they were beginning to understand how irreversible some types of pollution are.

Now it was time for animal rescue. Using tongs, they took turns removing the ocean creatures from the water and washing them with soapy water. It took many tries to wash all of the slimy oil off. Another good lesson.

We also dunked a real bird feather into the oily water so the boys could see the effects of an oil spill on real animals.

Pollution Walk

After our science experiment, we put on disposable gloves and headed to our neighborhood's nature trail for a pollution cleanup walk. We found SO. MUCH. TRASH. Either I never noticed it before or today was just a messy day in our neighborhood, but I'm sad to say we filled half a trash bag full of litter on our short walk.

The boys were pros at spotting the trash - it was like a treasure hunt, but less glamorous.

Honestly, I was pretty disgusted at the amount of litter we picked up. On our walk we talked about what happens to trash when it sits on the ground (and what biodegradable means) and why it's important not to litter.

Earth Day Picture Books
**You can probably find most of these at your local library, but we try to add our favorites to the shelf, because ALWAYS more books!** Oil Spill! The Lorax The Curious Garden Compost Stew Miss Rumphius Once There Was a Tree Pond

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A Fun Science Experiment to Teach Kids About Pollution

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Today is Earth Day, and we ditched our regular lessons to spend the day learning about pollution and how it affects our earth. We began with this oil spill activity that was really eye-opening, even for me! We started with a pristine-looking ocean scene which turned yucky very fast.

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Create an environmental superhero cut out. Write out ways you can help the environment. Make a promise to be the best superhero you can.

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For cut outs, anchor charts, etc

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Show how to filter water properly.

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Food Webs

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Biomes: StudyJams! Science | Scholastic.com

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Ecosystems can get really big, and when they do, they are called biomes. This activity will teach students about the different kinds of biomes.

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-National Geographic
-Scholastic

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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Get unlimited access to 40,000 of the best books, audiobooks, videos, & more for kids 12 and under. Try it free.

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-water
-filters
-pollution

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This film captures the wonder of childhood as 3 to 5-year-olds explore and test the boundaries of reality through play and imagination at an outdoor nursery in Fife, Scotland.

Sign up or log in to save your favorite stories and lessons, create custom collections, and share with others.

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This film captures the wonder of childhood as 3 to 5-year-olds explore and test the boundaries of reality through play and imagination at an outdoor nursery in Fife, Scotland. Sign up or log in to save your favorite stories and lessons, create custom collections, and share with others.

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Invasive species and nutrient pollution are two major issues threatening the health of the oceans. Having a better understanding of how local actions can have global impacts can help us design solutions to these problems.

About This Video

Grade level: 6-10
Length: 5.75 minutes
Next Generation Science Standards: MS-ESS3-3, MS-LS2-4 (PEs); MS-ESS3.C, MS-LS2.C (DCIs); Systems, Stability and Change (CCCs)
Ocean Literacy Principles: 1g, 1h, 6b, 6d, 6g
Video Discussion Questions:

1. What is an 'invasive species'? What impacts can invasive species have on marine ecosystems?

2. What is a 'Marine Protected Area,' or MPA? What is its purpose? How can MPAs differ?

3. What impacts can nutrient pollution have on the ocean?

4. How do 'dead zones' form?

5. What do you think is meant by the saying 'think globally, act locally'? How does it apply to the issues you learned about in this video?

Download more discussion questions
Download student vocabulary

Post-Viewing Classroom Activities (grades 6-10):

Analyzing and Interpreting Visual Datasets

What do you notice in this image? Do you see any evidence of human impacts on the marine environment, direct or indirect?

Using these prompts with photographs or satellite images gives your students the opportunity to directly observe how human activities could be contributing to issues like nutrient pollution or invasive species. Here are some free photo and satellite image sources:
​

Google Earth is a great resource to use in this exercise not only because it is free, but because in many places you can look at changes through time. Use Google Earth to identify sources of nutrient or other water pollution in your community.

The California Coastal Records Project is an extensive collection of high-resolution oblique aerial photographs of the California coastline over time. In these photos, you can see just how close some agricultural fields and other potential sources of pollution are to the ocean.

NASA's Images of Change show beautiful but sometimes haunting satellite images of changes on Earth's surface over time, including these images showing before and after the Elwha Dam was removed in Washington State, and these images showing artificial island construction in the UAE.

Arguing From Evidence

How exactly do we determine which regions of the oceans to designate as national marine sanctuaries or marine protected areas?

Engage your students in learning about the importance of oceanic resources by empowering them to protect these resources by influencing policy. For the first time in 20 years, NOAA is accepting nominations for new national marine sanctuaries from communities across the United States.

Challenge your class to participate in this marine sanctuary nomination process. Students can work in groups to do research and collect evidence to support their choice for a new marine sanctuary location, then use this evidence to make their case in front of their classmates. After listening to all groups' cases, students can decide on one location to nominate as a class. To get your students started with their research, here are questions NOAA asks when considering where to designate new national marine sanctuaries:

Does the place have natural resources or habitat with special ecological significance?

Does the place have maritime heritage resources with special historical, cultural, archaeological significance?

Does the place have important economic uses like tourism, fishing, diving, and other recreational activities?

Do all of these things depend on conservation and management of the resources?

Science Notebook Reflections With Crosscutting Concepts

The NGSS Crosscutting Concepts present different ways of thinking about science content. Here are some example prompts using CCC lenses your students can reflect on after viewing the video:

Stability and Change/Systems How can the use of fertilizers by individual farms along the Mississippi River lead to a dead zone the size of New Jersey at the Mississippi River mouth?

Cause and Effect Think about the impacts that humans have had on marine ecosystems, and reflect on one or two examples of cause and effect. In other words, what changes have we observed in marine environments and what human activities could have caused these effects? How could you measure these effects and trace them back to these activities?

Explore strategies and lessons to bring science notebooking into your classroom in our Science Notebook Corner

Connections to Standards

While this video doesn't necessarily cover the following standards in depth, it is a compelling resource you can use to supplement your curriculum that does.
NGSS Performance Expectations (Grades 6-8)
​MS-ESS3-3: Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
​MS-LS2-4: Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.

NGSS Disciplinary Core Ideas (Grades 6-8)
MS-ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth Systems
MS-LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience

NGSS Crosscutting Concepts (Grades 6-8)
Systems and System Models
Stability and Change

Ocean Literacy Principles
#1: The Earth has one big ocean with many features.
#6: The oceans and humans are inextricably interconnected.

Healthy Oceans: Browse all materials

The ocean affects everyone. It provides important resources and recreational enjoyment to people around the world and is home to some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth: coral reefs. But the ocean's resources and biodiversity are under threat from human impacts. What are some local actions we can take to protect our global ocean?

Additional Resources

How Quickly Do Ships Cross the Oceans?
This short data-rich visualization from the California Academy of Sciences shows the movement of ship traffic around the globe over an 11-day period in May of 2014. Use this clip in conjunction with one of the suggested lessons from NOAA and others on invasive species.

NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries
Learn more about marine sanctuaries and marine protected areas--what and where they are, and how you can get involved with them as a volunteer or citizen scientist.

Lesson: From Farms to Phytoplankton (grades 6-11) ​
Can we use a model to predict the impacts of nutrient pollutants on an aquatic ecosystem? In this activity, students participate in a kinesthetic simulation to illustrate how nutrient pollution from agricultural runoff can lead to a dead zone at the mouth of a drainage basin.

This youth-powered series tackles complex environmental topics and empowers viewers to make a difference.

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Ever wonder what nearly 40,000 animals are up to at night?

See what's revealed-every Thursday at NightLife. Sign up for event updates and exciting announcements.

(Because night owls know best.)

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Invasive species and nutrient pollution threaten the health of the oceans. How can we reduce their impacts?

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*Alter it to Wilmington*

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A landfill is a big, deep hole. Items placed in a landfill sit there forever, producing methane gas, which contributes to global warming. To prevent this, San Francisco aims to divert as much waste as possible to recycling and composting facilities. In just 2-3 months, a banana peel in the compost facility can become compost, rich in nitrogen and other nutrients directly benefiting plants, making a rich soil for farmers. In this lesson, students learn about decomposition and landfills, and learn how to sort their trash into the appropriate bin.

PLEASE NOTE: The content of this lesson is specific to the recycling and composting services and regulations in San Francisco County, however waste sorting is environmentally important wherever you live. Please research your municipality's waste sorting guidelines to customize this lesson to your area.

You can reduce your carbon footprint just by changing the way you get around!

Using a model, students will construct explanations for one of the reasons why fish populations are declining.

By conducting a survey of an outdoor environment, students will design solutions for preventing marine debris.

Tickets on sale now!

The Academy is now open to members and donors and will reopen to the public on October 23.

We've implemented some new health and safety measures for your protection:

Advance reservations are now required for all guests, including members.

Masks are required for all guests ages 3+.

Some exhibits, including the planetarium, remain temporarily closed.

Click the link below to view important safety information and reserve tickets. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Know Before You Go

Give science some staying power.

While the Academy is thrilled to reopen, the impact of our 7-month closure will be felt for years to come. You can help us inspire new audiences, protect threatened ecosystems, and bring science to students around the world by making a tax-deductible gift today.

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By sorting our waste into different bins, we can make a huge impact.

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What types of natural resources are used to make the objects we use in everyday life? After playing this bingo game, your students will be ready to categorize common things we throw in the trash according to the resource from which they are made.

Did you know that the choices we make when ordering seafood can impact the health of the ocean?

Most energy in the US is produced by fossil fuels like coal and natural gas. How does this impact our planet?

Plastic debris is abundant in the ocean, and it isn't good for marine life. Let's keep our oceans plastic-free.

Ever wonder what nearly 40,000 animals are up to at night?

See what's revealed-every Thursday at NightLife. Sign up for event updates and exciting announcements.

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What types of natural resources are used to make the objects we use in everyday life? Play bingo to find out!

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Citizen Science in Cyberspace | PBS LearningMedia

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Gunk is falling from the sky on sites all across Cyberspace, but nobody knows where it is coming from! Discover how the CyberSquad enlists citizen scientists to help solve the problem in these videos from Cyberchase: Space Waste Odyssey. This resource teaches students about citizen science and helps them learn the importance of proper trash disposal.