This assembly looks at the issue of single use plastic. Children are asked initially to use words to describe an idyllic scene, which they later find out is cropped, and the image reveals a litter-strewn beach. The slides talk through the origins of plastic and explore some of the benefits of plastic, so children can understand how we have arrived at this situation. The assembly goes on to look at the drawbacks -in simple terms, not too hard-hitting or upsetting. The final part of this assembly encourages children to think about what they can do to address the situation. There are slides encouraging recycling, not using in the first place, and participation in litter picks. The assembly ends with a prayer, but a good alternative would also be a silent promise - one thing the children will do in the next week to help the situation. There are also external links to two clips that could be used in the assembly - one a classroom clip about different types of plastic and another You Tube clip that’s quite a nice opportunity to ask children what unsustainable choices the man is making, and what the drawbacks for him of each of his choices are. I hope you enjoy using this resource. It is such an important issue and I’m very pleased it is becoming increasingly topical. I would be grateful if you would leave a review, once you have used the assembly.

I made this poster as my school are trying to end single use plastic. It might be useful, or just an idea and you can adapt.

A single lesson on plastic pollution and where we go from here. Suitable for KS3. Includes a worksheet and resources to print (within the powerpoint) that can be used for independent work.

The Plastic Challenge is the Marine Conservation Society’s annual month-long challenge to avoid and reduce consumption of single-use plastics. In this lesson, students will consider how they, your school and the local community can reduce their environmental impact by helping to reduce the amount of litter being produced, used and disposed of. Includes fact file to support teaching, activities, Waste Funnel diagram, Plastic Challenge planning sheet, and links to follow-up learning. Linked to national curriculum in England, Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland, Curriculum for Wales, and Eco-Schools topics. Lesson 5 in Marine Litter series: https://www.mcsuk.org/what-you-can-do/fun-learning/primary-learning/teaching-resources/ks2-p7/marine-litter/#5-the-plastic-challenge

This is an activity designed to get children discussing the impact of plastics, single use plastics and the positive and negative impacts of plastics. Children read a selection of statements and then decide if they are a positive or negative impact of plastics. Once the strips have been sorted the children can then be split into teams to use the strips to debate the impact of plastic on our society.

Powerpoint presentation that shows how long every day plastic items take to decompose. There is a strong focus on educating people about single use plastic, especially straws and plastic bags. Originally created for an Indonesian and tourist market, the last slide can be used to learn how to say NO to plastic.

Plastic Galore - Rethink, Refuse, Repurpose. This is a lesson with a resource activity to teach KS2 about the importance of reducing the production of plastic, why it matters, and how to do so in everyday situations. This resource includes: Powerpoint file with 19 slides Double sided “Dicey business” activity sheet Learning Objectives: To understand the word ‘biodegradable’ and how this relates to materials we use every day. To identify the pros and cons of the material ‘plastic’. To know about single-use plastic and why this has become a serious problem for the environment. To begin to understand how we can all make better choices linked to single-use plastic. You will need: [Optional] Plastic bottles, string, scissors, sticks. Visit bumblegreen books to learn more about our projects and resources.

These resources have been put together to support a series of lessons that will help your school to raise awareness of the issues surrounding single use plastics. The resources will allow you to deliver a range of content and allow the students to explore the concerns that they might have, share their views and investigate their own plastic usage, the impact on plastics on our world and to find out ways in which they could make a change. They will look at how their school could change and how they can see a future that uses resources in a different way. We see it as a vital part of education that children are able to make decisions that will have an impact on the future of the planet that they will inherit. The changes that individuals can make don’t have to cost a lot of money, they can be simple swaps, tiny tweaks in how we shop, how we eat and how we dispose of our waste. These resources have been designed by a fully qualified teacher.

Plastics: what are they? Part two is a Key Stage 2 (KS2) lesson. In this lesson students discover some of the incredible uses for plastic i.e. medical science and space exploration and reflect on why single-use plastics have become unpopular. Students examine data from a sample of litter collected on Henderson Island. They go on to consider where the plastic litter could have come from and create a bar graph representing this data. Ocean Plastics 7-11 is a Key Stage 2 (KS2) cross-curricular unit of work encompassing science and geography which also develops skills in mathematics, citizenship and spoken language. The unit addresses four key questions; what are plastics, where are plastics, what impact can plastics have and what can I do? These questions are answered by developing students understanding of properties of materials, living things, habitats and human and physical geography. The unit explores the pros and cons of a variety of plastic products, investigates how plastic finds its way to the ocean and looks at what changes can be made on a local and global scale. Students understand the complex issues surrounding oceans plastics through this units optimistic and innovative approach to challenging attitudes and behaviour. Get the whole unit resources here: https://encounteredu.com/teachers/units/ocean-plastics-x-curric-7-11

Plastics: what are they? Part one is a Key Stage 2 (KS2) lesson. Students follow the life cycle of a single-use bottle. Using Google Maps, students track the journey a plastic bottle goes on during its lifetime and map the possible outcomes of where it could end up. Students go on to consider some alternatives to recycling plastic, such as re-using it. It may be possible to organise a speaker to join this lesson, some local authorities offer schools programmes or outreach workshops. Ocean Plastics 7-11 is a Key Stage 2 (KS2) cross-curricular unit of work encompassing science and geography which also develops skills in mathematics, citizenship and spoken language. The unit addresses four key questions; what are plastics, where are plastics, what impact can plastics have and what can I do? These questions are answered by developing students understanding of properties of materials, living things, habitats and human and physical geography. The unit explores the pros and cons of a variety of plastic products, investigates how plastic finds its way to the ocean and looks at what changes can be made on a local and global scale. Students understand the complex issues surrounding oceans plastics through this units optimistic and innovative approach to challenging attitudes and behaviour. Get the whole unit resources here: https://encounteredu.com/teachers/units/ocean-plastics-x-curric-7-11

The Plastic Solution is a Key Stage 2 (KS2) lesson. Students discover a range of products which have been redesigned with sustainability in mind. They then consider some of the other single-use plastics they know of and choose one to redesign using a sustainable alternative. Students then develop their designs considering the materials they will use and how it will be manufactured, pitching their idea to the class and reflecting on feedback. At the end of these two lessons the students can produce a prototype. Ocean Plastics 7-11 is a Key Stage 2 (KS2) cross-curricular unit of work encompassing science and geography which also develops skills in mathematics, citizenship and spoken language. The unit addresses four key questions; what are plastics, where are plastics, what impact can plastics have and what can I do? These questions are answered by developing students understanding of properties of materials, living things, habitats and human and physical geography. The unit explores the pros and cons of a variety of plastic products, investigates how plastic finds its way to the ocean and looks at what changes can be made on a local and global scale. Students understand the complex issues surrounding oceans plastics through this units optimistic and innovative approach to challenging attitudes and behaviour. Get the whole unit resources here: https://encounteredu.com/teachers/units/ocean-plastics-x-curric-7-11

This assembly is aimed at 5-9 age range but could be used throughout the primary School Age range. It briefly considers world plastic pollution and then goes on to look at the impact of every day single use plastics on the world. It encourages pupils, adults and schools to take small steps to “make a difference”. IMPORTANT The license for using this assembly in your own class is £3, but if you wish to use this resource for a whole school assembly you will need to purchase the school license. If you like this assembly and are looking for others for throughout the school year, you will find it more economical to purchase themes from Mirrorassemblies.co.uk where your school can subscribe to any number of themes for periods from one term to 5 years. This will allow you access to all new assembly materials added to that theme or those themes instantly. Mirror Assemblies also provide ready-made assemblies including scripts presentations and linked music in the form of a presentation which encourages thought and reflection as a warm-up for the main part of the assembly. For more information go to mirrorassemblies.co.uk

The two sisters were inspired by a school lesson about people who changed the world- Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King. They had already experienced swimming in a bay in Bali and seeing plastic bottles, bags and bits of plastic floating on the water. They went home and did some research. Their research revealed that many countries had banned plastic bags. Why not Bali? They would try to solve the plastic pollution problem on the island by persuading people to stop littering… With 6 friends they started a campaign to ban paper bags… They named it** Bye Bye Plastic Bags** The first thing they did was to set up an online petition asking the governor of the island to support the ban. On day one they had 6, 000 signatures. Over the next few months this rose to 77,000. They asked the airport manager to help and they gained another 10,000. By this time their village of Deso Perenon had reduced plastic bag usage by 60%. The governor had still not responded. They learned, after a visit to the National Gandhi Museum, he had called a strike to force change. They also decided to so something similar-publicly fast from sunrise to sunset - he finally responded. After meeting them he signed an agreement to work towards a plastic-bag free Bali. They now involved businesses -shops, hotels and restaurants. In June 2015 the government announced that by 2018 plastic bags would be band… In 2015 the sisters w ere invited yo give a TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) talk in London. By January 2018 Bali failed to reach target so the government declared a Garbage Emergency -officials 700 cleaners, with 35 trucks, to clear 100 tonnes of debris each day. In December the government announced single-use plastics would be banned from the island from July 2019. The sisters won many awards. Today Bye Bye Plastic Bags is a global youth movement in 45 countries. Sources Wikipedia Earth Heroes by Lily Dyu and Amy Blackwell

Get children to really consider the impact of plastics on the environment. This resource includes information sheets on how people can reduce the use of single-use plastics and the effect of plastics on the environment. This resource complements our book ‘Let’s Investigate Plastic Pollution’ from our FUNdamental Science series. For more information, downloads and to purchase our books, please visit: www.rubytuesdaybooks.com Since the airing of Blue Planet 2, awareness of plastics and the importance of our impact on the planet has been on everyones lips - keep the discussion going with these free resources. This download helps meet the following National Curriculum targets: Science - Year 1 Materials Statutory requirements Identify and name a variety of everyday materials, including wood, plastic, glass, metal, water, and rock. Science - Year 2 Uses of everyday materials Statutory requirements Identify and compare the suitability of a variety of everyday materials, including wood, metal, plastic, glass, brick, rock, paper and cardboard for particular uses. Find out how the shapes of solid objects made from some materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching (could include biodegrading) Extracurricular Children to learn about their wider responsibilities in their communities.

Plastic pollution: how can we reduce ocean plastics? is a Key Stage 3 (KS3) resource. This first lesson in this design and technology Key Stage 3 (KS3) unit introduces students to ocean plastic pollution. Students learn how the waste hierarchy is used to encourage a reduction in plastic use. Using the various teacher resources students will link the waste hierarchy to the life cycle of plastic, thinking about how the methods used in recycling link to those used in the redesign processes and how those affect the lifetime of plastic products. This is a single lesson from the Oceans Plastics unit. Ocean Plastics D&T 11-14 is a Key Stage 3 (KS3) resource. Students are taken on the journey of how the 6 Rs can be applied to reduce ocean plastic pollution. Students will learn the science behind what makes plastics both brilliant for everyday purposes and devastating to our oceans and marine life. Exploring the 6 Rs students innovate product designs which creatively solve the problem of ocean plastics.Included in this topic are teacher resources that promote students to problem solve through creative design. Students will design a user-centred recycling bin to promote recycling, create a sustainable fashion brand, build a modular phone, and pitch their own unique design solution to the ocean plastic problem. Get the whole unit resources here: https://encounteredu.com/teachers/units/ocean-plastics-design-11-14

PLASTIC AND RECYCLING - KNOW THE SYMBOLS This resource includes: PPT guiding you through a lesson exploring symbols on UK packaging Reflective questions throughout to get children thinking and talking about plastic A video link A matching activity - recycling symbols and what these mean Objectives: To recognise and know the recycling symbols. To understand the importance of recycling and how we can all make choices to reduce our waste. To know about single-use plastic and how to reduce the amount we use. You will need: A wide selection of plastic containers for children to investigate and sort. A second resource is also available: Plastic Galore Visit bumblegreen books to learn more about our projects and resources.

The Useful Microbes section of e-Bug, highlights to students that not all microbes are harmful by examining the various ways and means we use certain microbes for our benefit. In the main activity, Yeast Races, students observe first hand how microbes can be put to good use in the food industry by carrying out a fun experiment to observe how yeast makes dough rise through the process of fermentation. To reduce the amount of photocopying required, the Student Handouts for this section are also available in an MS PowerPoint presentation for whiteboard use.

100 words per list for the common topics in KS3 Science - atoms,elements, acids, electricity, energy, astronomy, cells, digestion, ecology, electricity, fit, forces, heating, inheritance, magnetism, metals, particles, reactivity, reproduction, respiration, rock cycle, weathering, variation and investigations.

This guide contains color and light activities using lenses, prisms and mirrors to create telescopes, periscopes, microscopes and kaleidoscopes. Other activities include finding focal length and understanding reflection, refraction and diffraction. Activities are marked by age level.

Do trade books have a place in today’s mathematics classroom? Yes! Incorporating literature into the mathematics classroom at any level can increase student engagement, can make the mathematics being studied come alive for the student as well as have meaning, and can help to differentiate instruction as well as support ELL/ESL students. See several samples of the mathematics that can be experienced by students from kindergarten through high school through well-known pieces of children’s literature. Experience how mathematics and the way it is presented can help make mathematics more accessible and understandable for students at all levels. Contains over 80 assorted activities with over 35 to engage students AS YOU READ, over 29 for students to experience BEING A MATHEMATICIAN, and over 21 activities to provide students authentic OPPORTUNITIES FOR WRITING. Activities can be adapted for large group, small group, centers, learning stations and for intervention. A MUST HAVE book for all intermediate teachers. Several activity sheets and blackline masters are included as well as tables identifying key words, topics, and suggested manipulatives. Books not included.

Do trade books have a place in today’s mathematics classroom? Yes! Incorporating literature into the mathematics classroom at any level can increase student engagement, can make the mathematics being studied come alive for the student as well as have meaning, and can help to differentiate instruction as well as support ELL/ESL students. See several samples of the mathematics that can be experienced by students from kindergarten through high school through well-known pieces of children’s literature. Experience how mathematics and the way it is presented can help make mathematics more accessible and understandable for students at all levels. Contains over 80 assorted activities with over 25 to engage students as you read, over 30 for students to experience Being a mathematician, and over 20 activities to provide students authentic Opportunities for writing. Activities can be adapted for large group, small group, centers, learning stations and for intervention. A MUST HAVE book for all primary teachers. Several activity sheets and blackline masters are included as well as tables identifying key words, topics, and suggested manipulatives. Books not included.