Use this lab to learn about certain characteristics of marine debris and how these characteristics affect where marine debris is found in the environment.
Materials:
- Fan
- Large bucket
- Large, shallow dishpan
- Trash (several pieces of glass, plastic, metal, paper, rubber, wood and food)
- Watering can
Procedure:
- Put the pieces of “trash” in separate piles.
- Fill the bucket with water. Place each piece of trash in the water. Answer the following questions: Which items float? Which do not? (Make a list on the chalkboard.) What will happen to buoyant items when they get into the ocean? What are some potential problems for buoyant items? What will happen to some of the buoyant items when they get into an ocean or lake? Is there a tendency for all of the articles of the same type to float or sink?
- Set up the fan at one end of a table. Place each piece of trash in front of the fan, one at a time, and see if it is blown around. Which items are blown around? What causes trash to blow around in the environment?
- Fill the dishpan with water and place it in front of the fan. One at a time, put each article of trash in the container and turn on the fan. Which items are easily blown around in the water? (Make a list on the chalkboard.) Is there a tendency for all articles of the same type to be blown around?
- Fill the watering can with water. Take a board and elevate one end so the board slopes into a sink. Place the pieces of trash on the elevated board, and sprinkle water down the board. Which items are easily moved by the sprinkled water? (Make a list on the chalkboard.) What element in nature acts like the sprinkled water? Is there a tendency for all of the articles of the same type to be affected by the sprinkled water in the same way?
- Discuss how the characteristics examined (whether an item floats, is blown around, or is carried by sprinkled water) affect whether an item is likely to become marine debris. Also discuss how the natural environmental forces of wind, rain and running water can cause trash to become marine debris.
Source: United States Environmental Protection Agency, “Turning the Tide on Trash” booklet
Originally posted on sciencekit.com.
Related Products
Share This
Give your students a hands-on glacier lesson with this chilly activity that originally appeared on sciencekit.com.
Materials Needed:
- 2 Paper Cups
- Water
- Aluminum Foil
- 2 Tbsp. Coarse Sand
- Paper Towels
Instructions:
- Label one cup A and the other B. Place two spoonfuls of coarse sand in Cup B. Fill both cups with water and freeze until they are solid.
- Remove the ice from Cup A. Using a paper towel to hold the ice, rub the “bottom end” of the ice along the aluminum foil (the foil represents the surface of the Earth). Record your observations and repeat for Cup B.
- Have students compare their observations. How did they differ? Have students write in their journals how they think the rocks and other debris in a glacier change the surface of the earth.
- Extension Activity: Have students place their ice from Cup B in the center of the aluminum foil. After the ice has melted, ask students to explain what they think this process represents.
Related Products
Share This
Build your own cloud with this fun activity, which originally appeared as part of the Henry Ward’s Adventures in Science series developed for Ward’s Homeschool. The activity is also available in PDF format on wardsci.com.
At Home Science Adventure
Witness a meteorological phenomenon and create your own cloud.
You will need:
- One clear plastic soda bottle with label removed
- Black construction paper
- Water
- Matches
Safety Tips:
Use caution when lighting matches and make sure there is adult supervision.
Experiment Steps:
- Pour 2 inches of very hot water into the bottle.
- Blow air into the bottle to ensure it is fully expanded, and then seal the bottle tightly. Vigorously shake the bottle for one minute.
- Light a match, let it burn for 2 seconds and drop it into the bottle. Quickly recap the bottle again.
- Lay the bottle on its side placing the paper behind it. Press hard on the bottle for ten seconds. Release and repeat until you see a cloud forming.
- Uncap the bottle and watch the cloud emerge from the bottle.
Explanation:
You just witnessed a cloud forming. This happens when the warm water heats the layer of air, and some of the water evaporates into the air forming water vapor that rises. The particles of smoke act as nuclei for water molecules to collect on in a process called condensation. Thus a cloud is born.
Related Products
Share This
Expand your own geological collections by growing crystals at home or in the classroom. This fun activity originally appeared as part of the Henry Ward’s Adventures in Science series developed for Ward’s Homeschool and is also available in PDF format.
At Home Science Adventure
Expand your own geological collections by growing crystals at home.
You will need:
- Three dry sponges
- Aluminum cake or pie pan
- Glass measuring cup
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup table salt
- 1/4 cup laundry bluing
- 2 Tbsp. household ammonia
- Mixing bowl
- Metal spoon
- Blue and green food coloring
Safety Tips:
Avoid prolonged contact with the ammonia to avoid breathing in excess vapors.
Experiment Steps:
- Place the sponges inside the aluminum pan.
- Mix together salt, water, bluing, and ammonia in a bowl; then pour mixture over sponges, spreading evenly.
- Add food coloring randomly on sponges and let sit until you see results.
Explanation:
Growing your own crystal garden can take from hours to days, but you will eventually see these crystals appear and grow, teaching your child about the nature of this substance. Crystals are atoms or molecules joined together in a repeated pattern. They grow by adding molecules or atoms to all its sides in the same pattern as those added before. Examine your crystal garden for evidence of this scientific fact.
Related Products
Share This
