5. How and why are scientists making their own marine snow? What questions do they hope to answer?
6. The article concludes:
Scientists are still exploring exactly how this plastic snow is sinking, but they do know for sure, Dr. Porter said, that “everything eventually sinks in the ocean.” Vampire squids will live and die and eventually become marine snow. But the microplastics that pass through them will remain, eventually settling on the seafloor in a stratigraphic layer that will mark our time on the planet long after humans are gone.
What is your reaction to the article? What did you find most informative, surprising or memorable? What questions do you still have about plastic and its role in our society and its impact on our planet?
Going Further
Option 1: Create a one-pager.
The article has many fascinating but complicated details. Synthesize what you have learned by creating a one-pager. You can start with a blank sheet of paper or use a template. If you need inspiration, you can see examples of other students’ work here.
Your one-pager should include:
Three key takeaways from the article.
Two important quotations or statistics from the piece.
One word to capture the feeling or emotions you had while reading the article.
A drawing that captures the main idea or theme of the article.
One question you still have about microplastics and marine snow.
You can add more images, colors, information and words to your one-pager to make it interesting for your audience. Then, share your creation with your classmates.
Option 2: Learn more about microplastics.
Where does all of our plastic go? How much plastic does the United States actually recycle? Just how bad are plastic straws? What are governments around the world doing to tackle the proliferation of plastic? How can each of us cut down on our use of plastics? These are just a few of the questions covered by The Times.
Choose one of the articles below or search for one that grabs your interest on The Times’s Plastic Bags topic page. Then, write or discuss with a partner: How does the article add to or challenge what you already knew about the subject? What was the most fascinating, surprising, provocative or memorable thing you learned? What questions do you still have about plastics and their impact on the Earth?
The ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ Is Ballooning, 87,000 Tons of Plastic and Counting
Americans May Add Five Times More Plastic to the Oceans Than Thought
Here Is Who’s Behind the Global Surge in Single-Use Plastic
The World Is Awash in Plastic. Nations Plan a Treaty to Fix That.
