In the race towards exams, it can be easy to forget the other goals of science education: scientific literacy (science in life) and STE(A)M careers (science in society). CONNECT is an EC-funded project offering a new kind of resource, called a Science Action. It’s a set of activities to integrate a real-life challenge into an existing topic and it ticks lots of boxes: Engage with a real-life challenge Know and apply a science concept Practice an enquiry skill Understand how science affects their world Interact with a scientist or engineer ( CONNECT Platform) Talk about science with family-members

1. Microplastics
to CARE about

2. In the race towards exams, it can be easy to forget the other goals of science education:
scientific literacy (science in life) and STE(A)M careers (science in society).
CONNECT is an EC-funded project offering a new kind of resource, called a Science Action.
It’s a set of activities to integrate a real-life challenge into an existing topic and it ticks lots of boxes:
Introduction
See more about Microplastic Science Action
Engage with a real-life challenge
Know and apply a science concept
Practice an enquiry skill
Understand how science affects their world
Interact with a scientist or engineer ( CONNECT Platform)
Talk about science with family-members

3. MICROPLASTICS in compliance with
Introduction

4. Plastic waste is killing our oceans.
If we don’t act
now, by 2050
there could be
more plastic
than fish.

5. But it’s not just the
plastic we can see.
Plastic breaks down
into tiny bits –
microplastics – that
could be an even
bigger problem.
Click for video

6. Microplastics get eaten by fish…
…and then by us.
Why might your body contain microplastics?

7. Your engineer
friend
I want to find a way to
help with the plastic
problem.

8. Why doesn’t this method remove microplastics?
We’ve invented a way of
removing large pieces of
plastic from the oceans,
but it doesn’t work for
microplastics.

9. THE MICROPLASTIC CHALLENGE
Calling designers, engineers
and scientists.
Can you invent a way to stop
microplastics polluting our
oceans?
The winner will get funding
to develop their idea.
Enter your invention
Let’s enter this
competition.

10. Find out if you could live plastic-free
Home task
But I’m not sure
this is possible –
what do you think?
Of course, the best way to
stop microplastic pollution
is to stop throwing away
plastic.

11. Microplastics
to KNOW about

12. • The planet is swimming in plastic waste. It’s killing animals and it
may be damaging human health too.
• 40% of plastic is thrown away after one use. This ‘single-use
plastic’ ends up in landfills and oceans. It decays very slowly. So, it
stays in the environment for hundreds of years as it breaks down
into smaller and smaller bits - microplastics. These end up in our
water, our food and even the air we breathe.
• In March 2022, world leaders agreed a treaty to reduce plastic
waste. The next step might be that the UK Governments bans
single-use plastic.
• Could you remove single-use plastic from your home?
Can you live plastic free?

13. Tasks
1. Identify single-use plastics in your home
• Use the sheet Single-use plastics.
• Tick the boxes for the uses in your household.
• Write down other single-use plastics you use into the blank boxes.
• Hint: look at the plastic items in your bin.
2. Work out how to remove single-use plastics
• Use the sheet Single-use plastics.
• For each you ticked, write down a change you can make to remove the single-use plastic.
• If you need help view this page: tinyurl.com/ywcebdy8.
3. Make a pledge
• Decide together to use one, three or five of the changes now.
• Draw a star on the sheet in the boxes of the one/s you choose.
• Discuss together: Do you think you could remove all single-use plastics from your home?
13
Can you live plastic free?

14. Single-use plastics
14
How microplastics affect your health (shorter video)
youtu.be/aiEBEGKQp_I
How much plastic is in the ocean? (longer video)
youtu.be/YFZS3Vh4lfI
If you want to learn more about plastic waste
here are some useful videos:
We use
clingfilm.
We buy
drinks in
plastic
bottles.
Our bread
comes in a
plastic bag.
Our bathroom
products are in
plastic
containers.
We buy
takeaways/ready
meals in plastic
containers.
Our fruit and
veg comes in
plastic
packaging.
We use
disposable
razors.
We chew
gum (yes it
contains
plastic!)
We use
disposable
plastic pens.
Can you live plastic free?

15. Microplastics
to DO something about

16. Remember the challenge:
How can we stop microplastic
waste polluting our oceans?
Did you know?
Most of the clothes
you wear are made
of plastic.
Click to zoom
73% Polyester
27% Nylon

17. Every time you wash
clothes in your machine,
they shed hundreds of
thousands of microplastics.
microplastics
The water
ends up in the
ocean
clothes
Let’s invent a way to stop microplastics escaping
from washing machines.

18. Your ideas to stop microplastics escaping

19. The challenge: microplastics are tiny
What makes some
microplastics hard to
capture is that they’re
very small.
Let’s see how small…
1 cm
Largest microplastics
1 mm
Grain of rice
What is the length of the largest microplastics?
Click for
simulation

20. Objects 0.1 mm in size are
the smallest you can see
with just your eyes.
1 mm
Medium sized
microplastics
0.1 mm
Zoom in 10x
An amoeba

21. To see objects smaller
than 0.1 mm, you need a
microscope.
Small
microplastics
10 µm
0.01 mm
Zoom in 10x
100 µm
0.1 mm
We use a unit called a
micrometre (µm) to measure
lengths this small.
How many micrometres are in 1 mm?
Skin cell

22. Smallest
microplastics
1 µm
Zoom in 10x
10 µm
Mitochondrion
There are 1000 µm in 1
mm.
So, 1 µm = 0.001 mm
Check your understanding of size and scale (SS1)
Task

23. Task
We should design a filter
that fits into a washing
machine and removes all
the microplastics.
To enter the competition,
let’s submit a design and
explain how it works.
Finish the competition entry

24. THE MICROPLASTIC CHALLENGE
Calling designers, engineers and scientists.
Can you invent a way to stop microplastics
polluting our oceans?
The winner will get funding to develop their
idea.
Enter your invention

25. Size and scale SS1
1 nm
100 pm 10 nm 100 nm 1 µm 10 µm 100 µm 1 mm 1 cm
largest microplastics
5 mm
medium sized
microplastics
100 µm
grain of rice
8 mm
amoeba
500 µm
smallest
microplastics
1 µm
mitochondrion
4 µm
skin cell
30 µm
measles virus
220 nm
antibody
12 nm
water molecule
275 pm
nm is short for nanometre
1 nm = 0.001 µm
pm is short for for picometre
1 pm = 0.001 nm
2. Answer these questions on your own:
1. Put these objects in order of size, smallest first: bacteria, amoeba, antibody, skin cell.
2. If you lined up bacteria end-to-end, how many would fit inside a skin cell?
3. How big is an amoeba in mm?
4. True or false: The smallest microplastics are 0.001 mm.
5. Noah says ‘you can see if there are microplastics in water with your eyes.’ Do you agree? Give a reason for your answer.
Can see just using your eyes
Can see using a microscope
What to do:
1. Discuss what this diagram shows with a partner:
µm is short for micrometre
1 µm = 0.001 mm Each unit is 10 times
(10x) bigger than the
previous unit

26. Competition entry SS2
Clothes go
in the drum.
It then fills
with water.
After the clothes are washed,
the water leaves this way.
The water eventually
ends up in the ocean.
2. Describe your invention in detail.
1. Introduce your invention in a sentence: What is it and what job does it do?
4. Give reasons why your invention should win.
3. Explain how your invention works.
THE MICROPLASTIC
CHALLENGE

27. Access resources and contact scientists:
https://connect-eu.exus.co.uk/platform