Tiny Plastic, Big Problem Comp

What happens to most plastic waste over time?

• It gets recycled and reused.

• It gets torn into little pieces that spread.

• It eventually breaks down into soil.

The plastic in the ocean ...

• is broken down completely by the saltwater

• can easily be picked up and moved

• is hard to track because it moves, and some of it sinks

What did scientists find out about plastic in the ocean?

• The smaller pieces of plastic were missing.

• Most plastic has washed ashore and can be collected.

• The ocean has ways to naturally recycle plastic.

When animals eat plastic ...

• they do not eat the foods they need to reproduce and survive

• they can easily get rid of the plastic, so it has no effect

• they begin to rely on plastic as a food source

True or False: In 2012, 288 million metric tons (317.5 million short tons) of plastic were produced worldwide.

• True

• False

True or False: Animals like whales eat plastic bags mistaking them to for squid.

• True

• False

True or False: Plankton are very high on the food chain and are not important to the ocean's ecosystem.

• True

• False

What are some suggestions the author has for stopping the spread of plastic in the ocean?

• Restaurants should stop using styrofoam containers.

• Find alternative to plastic

• Have litter traps and trash nets to keep trash from waterways.

• All of the above.

What is the definition of an ecosystem?

• to vomit or throw up

• is the young, undeveloped form of an animal or insect. Larvae go through a drastic physical transformation when they become adults.

• a community of plants and animals and the natural environment in which they live and interact

• something that makes a substance (such as food, air, or water) unsafe to use or poisonous

What is the definition of an contaminant?

• to vomit or throw up

• is the young, undeveloped form of an animal or insect. Larvae go through a drastic physical transformation when they become adults.

• a community of plants and animals and the natural environment in which they live and interact

• something that makes a substance (such as food, air, or water) unsafe to use or poisonous