For over a century, pollution of the ocean has been recognized as a threat to all living organisms. Two main pollutants of the Earth’s oceans are plastic and oil. This is a problem of great proportion and therefore it cannot be solved by one industry, one state, or one nation. Because oceans are global, any effective solution must also be global.
Directions
Watch the edited video clip below. Then answer the following questions:
“The Plastic Problem,” Nov. 27, 2019. Via PBS NewsHour
Questions
Annotate this Image
Directions: Use the annotation tool scroll to the second column from the left and take notes on the excerpts from the article below. Then respond to the questions below:
- Based on this article, what kind of damage does oil pollution cause? How does oil pollution affect the environment and the people who are exposed to it?
- Given the current pollution problem from oil spills in the Earth’s oceans and their long lasting damaging and deadly effects (check out “Oil Spills” lesson on PBS Classroom), are the three recommendations in the article enough? Why or why not
- Consider these facts about this article, published in The Evening Star, a daily newspaper: this article was published in 1926, on page 21, of a 128 page paper.
- What questions do you have about the date of publication?
- Why do you think the editor chose to place this article on page 21? What does the placement of the article tell us about its significance?
Source: Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.), 02 May 1926. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Library of Congress
Use the toggle button above to switch to Magnify Mode. Magnify mode will help you see finer detail in the image.
Switch back to Annotate Mode to create your annotations with click and drag.
Your Annotations
Puzzler
Directions: Take a look at the different sections of the cartoon one by one and answer the question that accompanies each section. At the end you will see the completed image.
Source: Library of Congress
Cropped Image 1
How do you think the two people shown here feel about what they are seeing? Who do you think the artist intends them to represent? (top right)
Cropped Image 2
In this part of the illustration, you can see southern California, Mexico, and the Pacific Ocean. What has the artist illustrated in these places, and why? (bottom left)
Cropped Image 3
This image shows most of the continent of South America. How is this part of the image depicted differently than other regions? (bottom right)
Cropped Image 4
In this image, you can see many forms of pollution represented. What are 3 specific types (examples) of pollution that you can identify from the image? (top left)
