Curious about ocean plastic, yet the ocean is far away? This one’s for you and other curious minds. Perfect for teaching or satisfying curiosity in general, Ocean Debris STEM Kits contain examples of plastic debris that plagues our oceans and waterways. Debris is collected from Oregon, California, Florida and Hawaii beaches and shorelines. Beyond plastic, examples may include rope from crab traps, styrofoam and more. The kit is part of Ocean Blue’s K-12 curriculum that teaches kids about the environment in four different segments: classroom learning, STEM lessons at home, outdoor field experiences and stewardship action projects and the fourth, community clean up programs. There’s age-appropriate curriculum for preschoolers too.
Every dollar that is donated to Ocean Blue Project collects one pound of plastic that could potentially enter a storm drain and be on its way to the ocean. Since the organization’s founding in 2012 in Newport, Oregon, the organization has collected over 192,000 pounds of plastic, and they’re able to up-cycle most of it. If ocean plastic isn’t collected, it would break down into micro-plastics, something that’s already been found in humans, according to a paper published in Environment International. Ocean Blue Project is an Indigenous-owned environmental non-profit organization.
Learn more about Ocean Blue Project’s mission and curriculum here.
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