Eco Schools Lesson Plan
Lesson title: STOPPING MARINE LITTER
Key Stage: 2 (with activities for Key Stage 3)
Resources & Preparation:
1. Bookmark Websites – For a general overview of the problem of marine/beach
litter, we suggest:

United Nations Environment Programme
http://marine-litter.gpa.unep.org/facts/facts.htm

UK Marine Conservation Society (has photos of wildlife entangled in litter)
http://www.mcsuk.org/what_we_do/Clean+seas+and+beaches/Pollution+and
+litter+problems/Pollution+and+litter+problems
2. You will need materials to make a poster or a collage. These could include
real examples of litter.
Subjects:
Geography / English / Science / Art & Design
Extension activities: Maths / Geography
Lesson Objectives:
Students will …
 learn about the problem of marine litter and its long-term and wider effects on
wildlife and people.
 consider how to tackle the problem of marine letter at individual and
community levels.
 educate others about the problem of marine litter, for example, through
making posters or a class collage for display to the whole school.
Grey Seal entangled in a fishing net. SWF/R. Baird
Activities (suggested lesson plan):
1. Introduce marine plants and animals. Before moving on to the topic of
marine litter and, then, how it affects people and wildlife, it might be useful to
introduce the students to some common plants and animals seen on the UK
coast.
 To find out what marine plants and animals the students already
know, carry out a timed group activity in which each group has five
minutes to write down as many marine plants and animals as
possible. Students can feed answers back orally or by writing on the
board.
 To consolidate and extend their knowledge, younger students can do
a matching activity (worksheet 1). Students match the descriptions
with the correct picture. Then they cut the pictures out, colour them
and stick them in the correct places. For older students, the activity
could be adapted in a variety of ways. For example, it could be done
as a listening activity in which the teacher writes the answers on the
board, then she/he reads out the clues, and the students in groups
decide on the correct match and circle it.
 Alternatively, begin with the matching activity (worksheet 1) and then
ask the students if they know of any other marine plants and animals.
2. Introduce the idea of litter. Ask students what litter is and elicit some
examples.
3. Introduce the specific problem of marine litter. Ask students if they have
been to a beach. For those that have, ask them about any litter they saw on
the beach. For those that have not been to a beach, ask them to imagine
what kinds of litter they might find there, for example, food wrappers, plastic
bottles, fishing hooks and lines. Students can discuss in groups and perhaps
write a list of what they think would be the “marine litter Top 10”. The lists can
then be compared with the Top 10 results of the Marine Conservation
Society’s Beachwatch 2010 (see Appendix 1)¹.
4. Consider the effects of marine litter. Ask students about the possible
effects of marine litter. How could it affect people living near a beach, visiting
the beach or swimming or surfing? How could litter affect wildlife? [Wildlife is
harmed through entanglement in and ingestion of marine litter.]
5. Reading Activity - At this point, you may want to set a reading task for the
students to learn more or consolidate their knowledge about the topic, based
on the content of the Marine Conservation Society (UK) website². Students
read about beach litter and complete Worksheet 2. The worksheet could be
completed individually or in pairs. If computer access is not available or if the
task is for homework, Reading 1 text supplied with this pack can be used. For
younger students, see the extension activity on reading a story about marine
litter.
6. How to prevent marine litter. Ask students to think about and discuss how
to tackle the problem of marine litter in small groups. Questions to discuss
could include: What can they do to prevent marine litter? What can the
community do? What can the country or government do? Students can give
feedback orally (form new groups of students with at least one student from
the previous groups) or by use of a list or diagram format. Diagrams and lists
could then be posted around the room so the whole class can walk around
and read all the ideas. Finally, the students could vote for the best ideas to
act on [For schools close to a beach see Extension Activities on doing a
beach clean]
7. Educating others about the problem. One way to prevent marine litter
would be to raise awareness about its causes and effects. The students can
raise awareness by making a poster on the topic.
8. Making a poster. Ask students to think about what an effective campaign
poster should include. Who is the poster aimed at? What will be the slogan?
How much text should be on the poster? What design, colours and materials
would get most attention? Perhaps the poster can make use of superheroes
to fight beach litter, e.g. Miss Marine Clean, or include the ‘thought bubbles’ of
wildlife. In groups the students can discuss their ideas and plan a draft copy
of the poster. Once a draft is agreed upon, the students can make the poster
using a variety of materials where possible.
9. Displaying the posters. The finished posters can be placed around the
assembly hall, dining hall or along corridors. Students can do poster
presentations (stand in groups by their poster and answer questions about it).
10. Bringing it all together. Ask students what they have learnt about the issue
of marine litter. Will they act differently after learning about the problem?
What action(s) can they take to tackle this problem from now on? [Join a
beach clean; use fewer plastic bags; re-cycle and re-use; talk to others about
the problem].
Extension activities:

Giving a presentation or performing a play. Instead of, or in addition to,
making a poster, the students can put together a presentation on the issue of
marine litter. The format of the presentation could use computer technology,
for example, a simple photographic slideshow, or in the form of a short play.
[ICT / English]

Write a poem or story. As a follow-up activity, students could write a poem
or story imagining themselves as marine creatures entangled by (and
perhaps cut free from) beach litter. [English]

Read or listen to a story. Younger students may enjoy reading a story, such
as Joel Harper’s “All the Way to the Ocean” (U.S. English) about how rubbish
in storm drains affects water and wildlife4. [English]
For schools situated close to a beach.

Do a beach clean. One way to tackle marine litter is to do regular beach
cleans. The school or class could organise its own beach clean or sign up for
the Marine Conservation Society’s Adopt A Beach scheme5.

Present and analyse beach clean results. The results of the beach clean
could be added to the posters/collage/presentations and/or used for Maths
activities, for example, representing the information in graphs and diagrams
or Geography activities, for example, mapping the beach and identifying
areas where litter was found and reflecting on the results (does one area of
the beach have more rubbish? If so, what reasons could explain this?).
[Geography / Maths]
Key Stage 3 Activities

Create interest by watching a student-made film. Watch the 20-minute film
about plastic and pollution made by Greenhill Secondary School, Tenby, in
co-operation with the Sea Watch Foundation, as an introduction to the topic of
marine pollution6.

Researching the cause and journey of polluted water. Students could
consider the topic of water pollution (pollution of lakes and rivers leading to
seas) by, first of all, tracing the passage of waste water from their school or
home. Where does it go? How is it treated? The results could be expressed in
a picture or diagram. Secondly, the students can carry out a survey of what
household chemicals (cleaning fluids or even toiletries) are used at school
and/or at home. Which household chemicals are harmful to the environment?
Are there any eco-friendly alternatives that could be used? Again, the results
could be made into a poster or presentation and shown to the whole school.
[Geography / Science]
Curriculum Links:
Geography
Pupils should be taught to:
5(a) recognise how people can improve the environment or damage it, and how
decisions about places and environments affect the future quality of people’s lives;
(b) recognise how and why people may seek to manage environments sustainably,
and to identify opportunities for their own involvement [for example, taking part in a
local conservation project].
Breadth of study(themes)
Pupils should be taught about:
6(e) an environmental issue, caused by change in an environment and attempts to
manage the environment sustainably.
English
En1 – Speaking and Listening
To talk effectively as members of a group, pupils should be taught to:
3(a) make contributions relevant to the topic and take turns in discussion;
(b) vary contributions to suit the activity and purpose, including exploratory and
tentative comments where ideas are being collected together, and reasoned,
evaluative comments as discussion moves to conclusions or actions;
(c) qualify or justify what they think after listening to others’ questions or accounts;
(d) deal politely with opposing points of view and enable discussion to move on;
(e) take up and sustain different roles, adapting them to suit the situation, including
chair, scribe and spokesperson;
(f) use different ways to help the group move forward …
En2 – Reading
Pupils should be taught to:
3(a) scan texts to find information;
(c) obtain specific information through detailed reading.
To develop understanding and appreciation of non-fiction and non-literary texts,
pupils should be taught to:
5(a) identify the use and effect of specialist vocabulary;
(g) engage with challenging and demanding subject matter.
Breadth of study – non-fiction and non-literary texts
The range should include:
9(b) print and ICT-based reference and information materials.
Science
Sc2
Pupils should be taught:
5(a) about ways in which living things and the environment need protection.
Art & Design
Pupils should be taught to:
1(b) question and make thoughtful observations about starting points and select
ideas to use in their work;
(c) collect visual and other information … to help them develop their ideas;
2(a) investigate and combine visual and tactile qualities of materials and processes
and to match these qualities to the purpose of the work;
3(a) compare ideas, methods and approaches in their own and others’ work and say
what they think and feel about them;
(b) adapt their work according to their views and describe how they might develop it
further.
Pupils should be taught about:
4(a) visual and tactile elements, including colour, pattern and texture, line and tone,
shape, form and space, and how these elements can be combined and organised for
different purposes.
Breadth of study
During the key stage, pupils should be taught the knowledge, skills and
understanding through:
5(b) working on their own, and collaborating with others, on projects in two and three
dimensions and on different scales.
Sources
¹:http://www.mcsuk.org/what_we_do/Clean+seas+and+beaches/Beachwatch/Beach
watch+-+latest+results
²:http://www.mcsuk.org/what_we_do/Clean+seas+and+beaches/Pollution+and+litter+
problems/Pollution+and+litter+problems
3
: http://www.amazon.co.uk/All-Way-Ocean-JoelHarper/dp/0971425418/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308042030&sr=8-1
4
: http://www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch/beachsearch/index.php
5
: http://www.seawatchfoundation.org.uk/education.php?uid=84
Appendix
Marine Conservation Society Beachwatch 2010 – Marine Litter Top 10
1. plastic pieces (less than 2.5cm in length)
2. plastic pieces (more than 2.5cm in length)
3. plastic rope, cord or string
4. plastic caps and lids
5. crisp, sweet and lolly wrappers
6. polystyrene wrappers
7. cotton bud sticks
8. fishing net / net pieces
9. plastic drinking bottles
10. glass pieces
Source: Marine Conservation Society
http://www.mcsuk.org/what_we_do/Clean+seas+and+beaches/Beachwatch/Beachwatch++latest+results
Worksheet 1 – Clues
Marine plants and animals of the British coast – Who am I?
Can you match the pictures to the clues and find out who is who? Cut out the
animals and glue them in the right place.
Now you know what the different marine animals look like and have some important
facts about what colour they are, how they move, what they eat and who eats them.
Clues
I am smooth to touch and streamlined so
that I can glide through the water.
I am quite large and have a tall, curved
dorsal (back) fin.
I am grey with a white belly.
I have a stubby beak and like to leap out
of the water.
I eat mainly fish.
When I am young I have white fur to
keep me warm.
I am a large carnivorous mammal and
eat mainly fish.
You can see me in the sea or on the
shore.
I come in many different shapes, sizes
and colours.
I float around in the sea looking for food.
I eat small fish and sea turtles eat me.
I can sting you with my tentacles.
Who am I?
I am much smaller than other animals in
my family.
I am very shy and do not like to leap.
You will only see my small triangular
dorsal fin when I come to the surface to
breathe.
I have a rounded head with no beak.
My short, round body helps keep me
warm.
I feed on small fish.
You can see me diving in the sea or
sitting on rocks.
I have a large white body with a yellow
head.
I have a large, powerful beak so that I
can eat quite large fish.
I circle above the sea until I see a fish,
then I fold my wings back and dive down
like a rocket.
I am a wader – I follow the tide to feed.
I am black and white with a long red bill
and red legs.
I eat limpets, mussels, oysters and
worms and am named after one of my
favourite foods.
I nest on the seashore and on farm
fields.
I often get washed ashore and get
stranded by the high tide.
I cannot survive on the beach as I will dry
up and die.
I am usually green but can also be brown
or red.
I sometimes have bladders that help me
float in the sea.
I have two halves that join together and
attach myself to rocks using fine threads.
I am deep purple in colour.
When I am covered with water, I open up
a little to let out my feathery arms to
catch food.
Birds, starfish and people like to eat me
Worksheet 1: Marine Plants and Animals of the British Coast – Who am I?
Can you match me with the right clues?
Oystercatcher
Bottlenose dolphin
Seaweed
Grey seal
Jellyfish
Gannet
Harbour Porpoise
Mussel
Marine Litter – Worksheet 2
1. Clearing up rubbish from beaches is ex _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .
2. For every kilometre on a beach there are nearly _________ items of
rubbish.
3. Turtles may think that plastic bags are _________________ .
4. If a turtle swallows a plastic bag, it can die from ________________ .
5. A fulmar is a kind of ________.
6. True or false? Since 1994 the amount of plastic litter on beaches has
decreased.
7. Plastic litter is a major problem because it does not
______________________ .
8. True or false? Microplastic particles are large.
9. True or false? Beach litter comes only from fishing activities.
10. We can ______________ marine litter.
Marine Litter – Worksheet 2 (Answers)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Clearing up rubbish from beaches is expensive.
For every kilometre on a beach there are nearly 2000 items of rubbish.
Turtles may think that plastic bags are jellyfish / food .
If a turtle swallows a plastic bag, it can die from starvation / hunger.
A fulmar is a kind of bird.
True or false? Since 1994 the amount of plastic litter on beaches has
decreased. False
7. Plastic litter is a major problem because it does not biodegrade /
disappear.
8. True or false? Microplastic particles are large. False
9. True or false? Beach litter comes only from fishing activities. False
10. We can prevent marine litter.
Marine Litter – Reading 1
Beach litter... at the highest level since records began
Litter is swamping our oceans and is washing up on beaches. It kills wildlife,
looks disgusting, is a hazard to our health and costs millions to clear up.
There are nearly 2,000 items of rubbish for every kilometre on a beach.
Marine wildlife gets entangled in litter and accidentally ingests it. Turtles
mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and the bags block their stomachs, often
leading to death from starvation. Seabirds mistake floating plastic litter for
food, and over 90% of fulmars found dead around the North Sea have plastic
in their stomachs. Plastic litter on beaches has increased 135% since 1994.
Plastic never biodegrades. It breaks down into small pieces but does not
disappear. Microplastic particles are now found inside filter feeding animals
and amongst sand grains on our beaches.
Litter comes from many sources - the public, fishing activities, sewage pipes
and shipping, but it is all preventable.
Source:
Marine Conservation Society
http://www.mcsuk.org/what_we_do/Clean+seas+and+beaches/Pollution+and+litter+p
roblems/Pollution+and+litter+problems