Primary School Plastic Challenge #1
Background
It’s been an exciting few weeks for people of all ages from all walks of life, from countries around the world because for the first time, some really important things have been happening that could actually make the world a better place. Some of those things are:
- Governments in the Wales, Scotland and the UK have declared Climate Emergencies, which shows that they are starting to take the impact of climate change on your future seriously.
- The BBC broadcaster David Attenborough, who helped so many people think differently about the effect of plastics on wildlife, has also been explaining how plastic damages our ecosystems, soils and oceans.
- Young people, like never before, are following the lead of 16 year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and making sure that adults listen to them about how much change is needed in the way that we use the earth’s precious resources and pollute the air with carbon dioxide.
Young people have a big advantage over most adults in that the amazing creativity of their minds has not been dimmed down by other people saying ‘that will never work’ or ‘that’s not possible’ too many times.
That’s very good news, because you’re going to need all of your creativity for this next challenge, if you accept it.
The Plastics Challenge: Think Like a Turtle
https://www.wwf.org.uk/wildlife/marine-turtles
Step 1: Take everything out of your school bag and put it on your desk
Step 2: If there are things in bags, take them out. They might look a bit like this.
Step 3. Divide everything, including your bag, into two piles that are marked: a) Made by Nature — 100% cotton, wool, wood or other natural materials, b) Made by Machines — plastics, metals, nylon, polyester and anything else similar
Step 4. It’s time to think turtle. Imagine that you’re a scientist turtle, investigating the impact of different things that end up in the sea. Write down your best turtle thinking about what happens when things from the two piles that you made in Step 3 end up in the sea and get dropped into your turtle homes by the currents. What happens to cotton or wool, and what happens to plastics. How do each of those things make you feel?
Step 5. Draw a quick sketch of the impact that those two types of materials might have on you and your turtle friends.
Step 6. Creative turtle thinking time! Pick three things your pile of things made by machines, and come up with turtle-friendly alternatives that could be i) made out of a different material, ii) replaced with something that already exists, iii) reinvented completely.
Step 7. Draw a picture of your favourite idea, with a description of why turtles the world over would thank you for inventing it. Compare your ideas with friends and see if, by working together, you can make each idea even better!
Resources: there’s an amazing creative website called Little Inventors, that was started by a crazily good designer called Dominic Wilcox. Have a look at it for ideas if you need them. Send your best ideas to play@tyf.com and if we get more than 20, we’ll give a coasteering adventure for you and a friend, for the one we think could have the biggest impact on the future.
From the ocean and turtle-loving team at TYF Adventure.
