Name: _________________________________________________________________________ Date:_________ period:_____
Investigating The Issues
Problem #1: Plastic Waste: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Design Challenge Teams:
Congratulations! Meet your new colleagues. Together you are all a part of a very prestigious
design company that will be seeking to win a contract to build a design solution to a very
important global issue related to plastic, or possibly electronic, waste. Before you know what
you are designing, it is critical that you what is known about issues relating to plastic and
electronic waste. While we will explore the specifics of electronic waste as a class if time allows,
you will be researching issues related to plastic waste independently with your colleagues. In
the interest of time you will be jig-sawing, or sharing, the research responsibilities. You will
then reconvene as a group to report back on your findings. Continue to the next page to learn
about the research roles for this assignment.
Design Company #1
Research Role Problem #1
Part 1: Researching Problem #1- Plastic Waste
Directions: With your group, review the roles recorded below. Decide who will be completing which
research tasks and record the role/research topic in the appropriate data table. You will want to take
notes on either a separate sheet of paper, word document, or index card, so you can either refer to
it during your presentation or include it on your poster.
Role
A
Research Topic
Usefulness of
Plastics
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B
Environmental
Impact of Plastics

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C
Chemical Makeup of
Plastics and Impact
on the Health of
Organisms

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
D
Recycling Plastics:
How Effective is it?
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
(Groups with only 3
people can skip this
research topic!)


Examples of Guiding Questions
How many ways do humans use plastic in their daily lives? (Tip:
Highlight some of the biggest plastic products humans consume
the most contributing to plastic waste.)
Why is plastic so beneficial? (Tip: Consider the cost of plastic, its
physical properties and its chemical properties)
What are some statistics related to the production of plastic
products and their disposal in the USA and/or worldwide?
What natural resources does it take to produce plastics?
Where does plastic go when we are done using it? (Tip: Provide
some statistics related to where this plastic waste is ending up.)
Does plastic ever completely go away? Explain.
How is plastic waste directly affecting organisms and why should
it matter to humans?
What chemicals are in plastics? (Tip: There are many different
types of chemicals so try to find several of the chemicals with the
most impact!)
How do the chemicals in plastics impact how living organisms
biologically function? (Try to be as specific as possible! You may
need to look up the definition of various terms during your
research.)
Does plastic ever completely breakdown? Why or why not? How
do most plastics break down over time?
What are resin codes? How are they useful?
What are the complications and limitations to recycling plastics?
o What is the relationship between resin codes, recycling
arrows, and the ability for plastic to be recycled?
What happens to plastic products that are recycled? Why?
o (Hint: Look up the difference between upcycling, recycling,
and downcycling. Are plastics really recycled?)
What resin codes are recycled in Evanston, Skokie, and Chicago?
Tips to Effectively Researching on Google
Tip #1:
 Step 1: Go to Google
 Step 2: Click “Settings”
 Step 3: Click “Advance Search”
 Step 4: In the section titled, “Find pages with,” type in what you are trying to search in the box that
says, “All These Words:” Before clicking enter….
 Step 5: Scroll down to the section that says, “Then narrow your results by…” and in the box titled
“Site or Domain” you can either type in either “.edu”, “.gov” or “.org”.
 Step 6: Click “Advance Search” and only sites ending in the domain listed will come up. This is one
way to ensure you are using credible sites.
Tips Continued
Tip #2:
 Step 1: Go to Google
 Step 2: In the search box, type in the topic you are looking to gain information on. Before you click
the search icon, hit the space bar and then type in…
 Step 3: “filetype:pdf” or filetype:video”
 Step 4: Once you click the search icon, you will receive multiple hits of credible media.
Tip #3:
 If you are struggling to find online resources, do not be afraid to reword what you are searching
for. You could try to use synonyms, short phrases, or use questions to help you locate the proper
information.
Tip #4:
 I have uploaded some relevant articles on my class website that may be of some help.
Part 2: Creating Your Mini-Visual Presentation
Directions:
A sheet of poster paper, markers, index cards, and desktops, will be available to aid you preparing for your presentation.
Your visual should include main ideas, pictures, & relevant charts/data tables/graphs, if possible.
Your Visual

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





SHOULD…
Include main ideas & key facts related to your research
Include relevant charts/data tables/ graphs if applicable
Include pictures
Spaced appropriately
Organized and neat
Easy to read
Related to your topic
Include ideas that are written/summarized in your own
words




SHOULD NOT…
Include too many words
Be copied verbatim from a website
Be hard to read
Include information related to someone else’s role
You should take notes on index cards to help you remember relevant information you want to talk about that is not included on your
visual. Your visual should support your presentation, not be your presentation.
Part 3: Group Presentation Notes
Directions:
While listening to your colleagues present, jot down some important notes that you will be able to incorporate in your
final group presentation. (You DO NOT need to take notes on your own presentation!)
Presentation #1
“Usefulness of Plastics” Notes
Presentation #2
“Environmental Impact of Plastics” Notes
Presentation #3
“Chemical Makeup of Plastics and the Impact of
those Chemicals on the Health of Organisms” Notes
Presentation #4
Recycling Plastics: How Effective is it?