Plastic is everywhere! In our daily lives, we rely on plastic more than we think. In the Plankton to Plastic Pollution STEM Kit, students learn about pollution to be part of the solution. This kit was developed by undergraduate students Andrew Allsup & Zoe Tauxe – read about them!
Big Concepts: include: 1)
Scientific Inquiry Skills include: 1) using a microscope; 2) using models to represent large scale concepts; 3) graphing; 4) scientific illustration; and 5) use of science notebooks.
Plankton to Plastic Pollution STEM Kit Tutorials
- Plankton to Plastic Pollution STEM Kit Use Instructions (complete teacher guide)
- Plankton to Plastic Pollution STEM Kit Clean-Up & Repacking Instructions
- Plankton to Plastic Pollution STEM Kit Material List
Plankton to Plastic Pollution STEM Kit Resources
- Blank Vial Template
- Blank Graph Template
- Science Notebook Template (for use in lieu of Science Notebooks)
- Science Notebook Template (Spanish version)
- Science Notebook Evaluation Rubric
- Plankton to Plastic Pollution STEM Kit Classroom Discussion Questions
- Plankton to Plastic Pollution STEM Kit Instruction Booklet (for more information, contact Andrew Warnock)
- Plancton a la Contaminación Plástica STEM Kit Instruction Booklet(for more information, contact Andrew Warnock)
CSU Resources
- Faculty Collaborator: Ursula Quillmann – Warner College of Natural Resources, Dept. of Forestry and Rangeland Stewardship
- Oceanography at CSU
- Semester at Sea
Other Useful Resources
- 3D Printable Ocean Current Model (.STL File Format)
Borrowing Plankton to Plastic Pollution STEM Kits
Kona, Hawaiʻi Educators kits are coming soon.
Educators in Mexico near CSU’s Todos Santos Center should contact Kim Kita at kim.kita@colostate.edu or 612-145-0009 for information.
CSU Faculty wanting to use them with Semester at Sea should contact the Education Abroad Office.
Colorado Educators should contact the NSEOC through the loan applications below.
There is no charge to educators who wish to borrow any of our STEM kits. Educators who are located in the Northern Colorado area and can come to the CSU Fort Collins campus to pick up the kits should complete the Local Pick-Up Loan Application. All other educators in Colorado should complete the Delivery Loan Application Form and the NSEOC will ship the classroom set of kits to you free of charge. Complete the Loan Application Form below – please note that in order for it to be submitted to the EOC, you will need to verify the form via an email that will get sent to you once you click Submit. We appreciate applications to be sent 2 weeks in advance to the desired use date.
Please contact Courtney Gooding Butler with any questions for to find out the kit’s availability.
- Local Pick-Up Loan Application Form – for educators in the immediate area of Fort Collins (i.e.: Greeley, Loveland, Ault, Windsor, Johnstown, etc.)
- Delivery Loan Application Form – for educators in Colorado outside of the immediate Fort Collins area
- Educator Feedback Survey – must be completed after returning kits to the NSEOC and before another kit can be requested
We can change the world and make it a better place. It is your hands to make a difference. – Nelson Mandela
