Teacher preparation:

Overarching learning goal: Students recognise that rubbish is a big problem for underwater biodiversity and understand that we all have a responsibility in preventing rubbish from going into our oceans.

Teacher content information: Over-fishing is not the only problem threatening the biodiversity of our oceans and rivers.

Pollution caused by litter and toxic waste is also a big problem and creates sick and unhealthy ocean and river environments. Although some of these waste materials are caused by big companies dumping their rubbish where they think it is out of sight, some of it comes from ordinary people like you and me.

When rubbish in our gutters gets caught up in a big rainstorm it can get washed into our rivers and oceans. Even these little bits of rubbish can make a big difference to the health of an ocean or a river.

About Earth Hour: Earth Hour is a WWF-Australia initiative, and is the world’s largest community-driven climate change campaign. At the centre of Earth Hour is switching off lights to show a commitment to taking action. Thousands of teachers use Earth Hour’s education program to enrich their curriculum and provide pathways for young people to create change in their world.

Download the Earth Hour starter kit for your school: Earth Hour for Schools

Student and classroom organisation:

Step 1.

Begin this activity by asking students to spend about 10 minutes looking at the Waste Toolbox on the Cool Australia website, focusing particularly on waste in our waterways and oceans.

Students should use the Student Worksheet to record the main points that they find interesting or that they would like to know more about.

Step 2.

Once complete, engage students in a brief discussion around these points. Can other students help to answer the questions of other students. Save any unanswered questions: these can be used as homework or extension if required.

Step 3.

Ask your students to design a poster or an infographic showing the difference between a healthy and unhealthy underwater scene (we've included an example below).

They can decide whether they want to draw a river or an ocean. They may be interested in drawing their local creek, river or ocean, showing how it looks when it is healthy and how it might look if it were unhealthy.

Encourage students to be as creative and as colourful as they can but to also incorporate issues identified in their research. You can decide what medium you would like students to use.

Reflection

Ask students to complete the PMI Chart.

Homework or extension

Ask students to undertake independent research to answer the unanswered questions from the class discussion.

Earth Hour - Healthy Versus Unhealthy Oceans

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