THE OCEANS – GLOBAL GARBAGE
NEW BRUNSWICK – MIDDLE SCHOOL
The Oceans – Global Garbage
Lesson Overview:
The world’s oceans are intentionally used as a disposal ground. Students will
learn how the oceans are polluted through a review of examples of pollution and
dumping. The creation of “a draft ocean protection policy” will serve as a
cooperative learning activity to promote critical thinking and practical application
of knowledge.
Grade Level:
Middle School – 6-8
Time Required: Two 50-minute classes
Curriculum Connection:
Atlantic Provinces Education Foundation Curriculum for Social Studies:
Outcomes as identified for New Brunswick Social Studies Curriculum Outcomes
with Delineations, June 2003.
People, Place and Environment General Curriculum Outcome:
Students will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of the interactions
among people, places and the environment
Interdependence General Curriculum Outcome:
Students will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of the interdependent
relationships among individuals, societies and the environment – locally,
nationally and globally – and the implications for a sustainable future.
Link to Canadian National Geography Standards:
Essential Element #5: Environment and Society
 Environmental Issues
Oceans Scope & Sequence Standard #5: Environment and Society
 Human influences on the ocean
 Ocean policy and regulations (ocean dumping)
 Ocean resources
 Interconnections between atmospheric, land and ocean issues
Essential Element #6: The Uses of Geography
 Role of multiple points of view in contemporary geographic policies and
issues.
Oceans Scope & Sequence Standard #6: The Uses of Geography
 Environmental Issues
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Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society
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THE OCEANS – GLOBAL GARBAGE
NEW BRUNSWICK – MIDDLE SCHOOL
Geographic Skill #4: Analyzing Geographic Information
 Use statistics and other quantitative techniques to evaluate geographic
information.
Additional Resources:
 “The Oceans-Global Garbage” Fact Sheet
 Flip Chart Paper
 “The Oceans-Global Garbage” Table Handout.
Main Objective:
To understand the role of humans in how oceans have become polluted and
think about ways to regulate or change that behaviour.
Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
 Identify five sources of ocean pollution
 Understand how humans impact the ocean environment
 Understand the background behind policy that governs ocean pollution
 Know the impacts of disparity in the policies of different regions and how
this disparity affects the Oceans System.
Additional Reading:
 Gaia - An Atlas of Planet Management - Myers, Norman, Anchor; Updated
edition, 1993
 www.oceannet.ca
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Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society
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THE OCEANS – GLOBAL GARBAGE
NEW BRUNSWICK – MIDDLE SCHOOL
The Lesson:
Lesson Development
Introduction
Teacher Activity
Student Activity
Guided discussion on the pollution in the oceans. How
does it get there? What impacts does pollution have on
humans? What impact does it have on animals and sea
creatures? What relationship exists between land and
ocean?
Respond to teacher’s discussion.
Discuss interconnectedness of the oceans.
Students use the discussion and
“Oceans” Fact Worksheet to record
ideas based on three categories.
An example of a closed system with Inputs (garbage),
Processes (mixing, currents, etc) and Outputs (movement,
deposition of garbage, sensitive areas etc.)
Where does the pollution go?
Discuss the idea that pollution takes long periods of time to
break down but moves.
Give appropriate examples from their
own experiences or current events
knowledge that give background to
teacher questioning.
Student groups must identify at least
three pollutants. Examples are given
on the worksheet. Groups complete
the “Oceans” Pollutant Table
worksheet.
What is polluting our oceans?
Discuss NIBMY – Not In My Backyard.
What are the effects of the Pollution?
How can pollution be tolerable in one place and deadly in
another?
What alternative is there to
dumping/creating this pollutant?
Refer to “Oceans” Fact Worksheet handout.
Conclusion
Students may reproduce this on flip
chart paper or complete the
worksheet handout.
Discuss how oceans are protected, and that countries
govern their oceans with ever-changing policies and laws.
In groups of two, students create a
draft policy that dictates how oceans
should be protected.
Lesson Extension:
Students brainstorm alternatives to dumping in the oceans. Students present
their ideas in two areas:
 Reducing the amount of garbage and pollution.
 Creating acceptable disposal practices.
Assessment of Student Learning:
Students are evaluated on three areas
 Presentation ideas
 Development and submission of draft policy.
 Matrix worksheet
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THE OCEANS – GLOBAL GARBAGE
NEW BRUNSWICK – MIDDLE SCHOOL
The Oceans- Global Garbage: Fact Sheet
362,000,000 km2 or 71% of the surface of the globe is water. The oceans
influence all life on earth. We actually know relatively little about the oceans.
In our times, political and commercial decisions are made, which can destroy
developments of billions of years, in just days, hours and minutes.
Some may think that changes in one drop of water won't change the
1,300,000,000 km3 of water on earth. A human being also consists of billions of
cells; the change in just one cell may be the beginning of a terminal illness.
Coastline
The total length of the world's coastlines is about 504,000 km, enough to circle
the equator 12 times.
Canada has the longest coastline of any country.
The 1996 Canadian Encyclopedia gives the length as 243,797 km, including the
major island coastlines.
Population
More than half the world’s population lives within a 100 km or 60 miles distance
from the coast - this accounts for more than 2.7 billion people. Rapid urbanization
will lead to more coastal mega cities containing 10 million or more people.
By the end of the millennium, 13 out of 15 of the world’s largest cities will be
located on or near the coast.
Growing population in coastal areas leads to more marine pollution and
distribution of coastal habitats. Some 6.5 million tons (6,500,000,000 kilo) of litter
finds its way into the sea each year.
Tourism
In 1999, international tourism made $290,000,000. Most of these proceeds came
from coastal areas.
Food Production
The sea provides the biggest source of wild or domestic protein in the world.
Each year some 70 to 75 million tonnes of fish are caught in the ocean. Of this
amount, around 29 million tonnes is for human consumption. The global fish
production exceeds that of cattle, sheep, poultry or eggs.
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THE OCEANS – GLOBAL GARBAGE
NEW BRUNSWICK – MIDDLE SCHOOL
The largest numbers of fish are located in the Southern Hemisphere due to the
fact that man does not largely impact these waters.
Habitat
The oceans contain 95% of the habitat space on the planet.
Pollutants
Sewage, pulp mill wastes, fertilizers, soaps, detergents, radioactive wastes,
synthetic fibers, plastics, oils, tars, greases and insecticides are all pollutants
man has placed in our Earth's oceans.
Hot and cold water from factories and silt from dredging can also be considered
pollutants because they are abnormal to the surrounding water conditions.
Air Pollution
Air pollution is responsible for 33% of the toxic contaminants that end up in
oceans and coastal waters. About 44% of the toxic contaminants come from
rivers and streams.
Animal Deaths
In one year, over 100 million sharks are killed, most of them solely for their fins.
In one year, one million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles
suffer cruel deaths from entanglement or suffocation in plastics.
Annually, about 600 miles of commercial fishing nets break loose, float freely and
become a curtain of death.
Carbon Dioxide Absorption
Oceans absorb between 30% and 50% of the carbon dioxide produced by
burning fossil fuel. Carbon dioxide is transported downwards by plankton. Any
change in the temperature of the ocean water influences the ability of plankton to
take up carbon dioxide. This has consequences for the ecosystem because
plankton forms the base of the food web.
Reefs
Over 60% of the world's coral reefs are threatened as a result of pollution,
sedimentation and bleaching due to rising water temperatures caused by global
warming. Global Coral Monitoring Network (GCRMN) states that currently 27%
of all coral reefs worldwide have disappeared and around 2050 only 30% will be
left.
Garbage/Contamination
In one year, three times as much rubbish is dumped into the world's oceans as
the weight of fish caught.
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THE OCEANS – GLOBAL GARBAGE
NEW BRUNSWICK – MIDDLE SCHOOL
A single quart of motor oil can contaminate up to 2 million gallons of drinking
water.
Marine Salvage
In the five-year period from 1994-98, marine salvagers recovered 6,956,922
tonnes of oil, 428,728 tonnes of hazardous chemicals and 206,130 of other
pollutants.
Oil spills
In 1989, the Exxon Valdez ran aground off the coast of Alaska and 38,800
metric tonnes of oil was spilled. It was the worst tanker spill in U.S. history, but in
terms of all time oil spills, it doesn't even rank amongst the top 20.
About one tenth of one percent of oil shipped each year is spilled at sea. That
amounts to 2,200,000 tonnes annually.
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THE OCEANS – GLOBAL GARBAGE
NEW BRUNSWICK – MIDDLE SCHOOL
The Oceans-Global Garbage: Table
Pollutants of our
oceans
Effects of the pollutants Alternatives to
dumping/creating this
pollutant.
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