Lessons and Standards

11th Grade Summary 

Using the Science Discovery Process, students investigate the question: Is plastic trash present in our community and our beaches? They explore how plastic travels through the watershed and impacts both local and coastal ecosystems. Through hands-on science programming, data collection, and reflection, students build understanding of how human actions contribute to plastic pollution—and how they can make a difference.

On Explore Day at Imperial Beach, students learn how watersheds connect their neighborhoods to the ocean and why science leaders are concerned about the growing amount of plastic trash. Using scientific tools, students collect and sort debris along the shoreline and within a one-meter quadrat of sand, recording data on the types and amounts of trash found. They calculate the percentage of plastic versus non-plastic items and discuss the environmental consequences of plastic pollution on beaches and marine life. Before leaving, students collect sand samples to bring back to the Living Lab for later investigation.

On Make a Difference Day, students take a closer look at microplastics—where they come from, how they form, and why they matter. At the Living Lab, they analyze their sand samples under microscopes, identifying tiny pieces of plastic hidden within the grains of sand. Students then make a local connection by collecting and processing soil samples from a nearby canyon, comparing the amount of microplastic found in each environment. Through discussion, they consider how plastics affect marine life, ecosystems, and even human health.

Students reflect on how everyday choices—such as the products they use or the materials they dispose of—can influence the amount of plastic that enters the environment. They also meet with a Science Leader to hear about their journey in science and to explore how leadership and equity are key to solving environmental challenges. Finally, students put their learning into action by decorating paving stones with cleaned plastic pieces collected from the beach. These stones will form part of a pathway leading to a community mural designed to educate others about the hazards of plastic pollution and inspire collective action.

NGSS Alignment:

Performance Expectations

  • HS-LS2-7: Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity. 
  • HS-ESS3-4: Evaluate or refine a technological solution that reduces impacts of human activities on natural systems.

DCI

  • LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience
  • LS4.C: Adaptation
  • LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans

Crosscutting Concepts

  • Stability and Change – Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things change and how they remain stable.
  • Cause and Effect – Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects
  • Systems and System Models – students understand that a system is a group of related parts that make up a whole and can carry out functions its individual parts cannot. They can also describe a system in terms of its components and their interactions.

Schedules

Additional Resources