Instructions
Read the text about the huge collections of trash in our oceans. Then, complete the activities to test your knowledge and think about how we can help protect our marine friends.
The Ocean's Swirling Soup of Trash
Imagine a giant, swirling soup in the middle of the ocean. But instead of noodles and vegetables, this soup is made of floating trash, mostly plastic. This is called a marine garbage patch. It's not a solid island you can walk on. Instead, it's a huge area where ocean currents, called gyres, have gathered floating debris.
Gyres are like giant, slow-moving whirlpools. As they spin, they pull trash from coastlines all over the world into their center. The largest and most famous is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, located between Hawaii and California. It's estimated to be twice the size of Texas!
The biggest problem is plastic. Large plastic items like bottles and bags float in these patches. Over time, the sun and waves break them down into tiny, confetti-sized pieces called microplastics. These microplastics are very dangerous for marine life. Sea turtles might mistake a plastic bag for a tasty jellyfish, and seabirds can feed tiny bits of plastic to their chicks, thinking it's food. When animals get tangled in larger pieces of debris, it is called entanglement, which can be very harmful.
This plastic soup affects the entire food chain. Small fish eat the microplastics, then bigger fish eat the small fish, and it continues all the way up. The good news is that we can all be part of the solution to stop these patches from growing!
Activity 1: Vocabulary Match
Match the word on the left with its correct definition on the right. Write the correct letter in the blank.
| 1. ___ Gyre | A. Tiny plastic pieces smaller than a grain of rice. |
| 2. ___ Microplastics | B. Relating to the ocean. |
| 3. ___ Marine | C. A large system of rotating ocean currents. |
| 4. ___ Entanglement | D. Scattered pieces of rubbish or remains. |
| 5. ___ Debris | E. The process of an animal getting tangled in trash like nets or plastic rings. |
Activity 2: True or False?
Read the sentences below. Circle True if the statement is correct and False if it is incorrect.
- A marine garbage patch is a solid island of trash you can stand on. True / False
- Ocean currents called gyres push trash away from the center of the ocean. True / False
- Microplastics are very large pieces of plastic. True / False
- Sea turtles sometimes mistake plastic bags for food. True / False
- The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a very small area. True / False
Activity 3: Problem Solvers!
The marine garbage patches are a big problem, but we can help! What are three things you can do in your daily life to reduce plastic waste and help protect the oceans? Think about the "3 Rs" (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) and other ideas.
- ____________________________________________________________________________________
- ____________________________________________________________________________________
- ____________________________________________________________________________________
Answer Key
Activity 1: Vocabulary Match
- C. A large system of rotating ocean currents.
- A. Tiny plastic pieces smaller than a grain of rice.
- B. Relating to the ocean.
- E. The process of an animal getting tangled in trash like nets or plastic rings.
- D. Scattered pieces of rubbish or remains.
Activity 2: True or False?
- False (It is a soupy mix of debris, not a solid island.)
- False (Gyres pull trash into the center.)
- False (Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic.)
- True
- False (It is huge, estimated to be twice the size of Texas.)
Activity 3: Problem Solvers!
Answers will vary. Example answers could include:
- Use a reusable water bottle instead of buying plastic ones.
- Say "no thank you" to plastic straws at restaurants.
- Use reusable bags for shopping.
- Help my family sort our recycling correctly.
- Pick up trash I see at the park or beach (with a grown-up!).
- Choose products with less plastic packaging.