Just watch this fantastic video about the life of a plastic bag. I know it doesn't sound good but it really is one of the best short films I've seen.
It would be a fanastic resource to use to explore issues of sustainability and waste in many areas. I think it provides a great way in to English, very obviously media studies as the filming, imagery and story are very striking. It could also fit into religious education or philosophy as well as Society and Environment.
Here's the synopsis:
This short film by American director Ramin Bahrani (Goodbye Solo) traces the epic, existential journey of a plastic bag (voiced by Werner Herzog) searching for its lost maker, the woman who took it home from the store and eventually discarded it. Along the way, it encounters strange creatures, experiences love in the sky, grieves the loss of its beloved maker, and tries to grasp its purpose in the world.
In the end, the wayward plastic bag wafts its way to the ocean, into the tides, and out into the Pacific Ocean trash vortex — a promised nirvana where it will settle among its own kind and gradually let the memories of its maker slip away.
This video could be combined with a clean up. I've just found out about the organisation Tangaroa Blue at www.oceancare.org.au. They are focussed on cleaning up coasts, getting rid of all the plastic waste that endangers wildlife and generally makes the coast look rubbish. They help organise clean ups across australia. Students can take part, record what they collect and send their data Tangaroa to be included in their research projects. Tongara Blue have also produced some teaching resoruces to go with this for schools in WA. Contact them for the CD. Its called Ocean Full of Plastic: marine debris education resource for WA schools. There's a beach clean up for the SW organised for the 8th & 9th October if you want to get involved.
I've also found a podcast from Costing the Earth about this too. Dr. Alice Roberts investigates the discovery of the World's largest plastic waste patch in the South Atlantic and asks what we can do to solve the problem of aqatic plastic.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00v1qtn
Lots of links to other great resources about this issue on this page too.
The CD contains 3 lesson plans to go with a clean up aimed at yrs 7-9. The 1st lesson is an introduction to marine waste, where it comes from and why its there. I think it could be introduced really well with the video I mention above.
ReplyDeleteThe next lesson involves an exursion to the beach and collection of waste. The 3rd analyses the waste, sends the records to Tangaroa Blue and ideas to publicise the issues.
Ther's also lots of fact sheets and images on it too and great presentations about the impacts. 6 million tonnes of debris finds its way into the oceans every year!
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