1. Map a route and its branches

Plastic may move from streets through drains and rivers. It can also be collected or stay on land or along a waterway. Sketch a possible route from a school snack area toward water. Include collection and one place plastic might remain.

2. What do these counts tell us?

Fictional data: students count wrappers in the same marked area after lunch. Covered bins are introduced after day 2.

Mean before: ______   Mean after: ______

Write a claim the counts support. Do they show how much plastic reached the ocean? Explain one limit.

Choose another factor to record, such as weather, attendance or cleaning. How could you make a follow-up comparison fairer?

3. Compare two actions

Consider reducing unnecessary wrapping and improving bins and collection. Identify who acts and a limitation of each. Discuss why each could help before filling in the table.

4. Recommend an action

Choose an action or combination. Explain how it could help and what you still need to find out. The fictional counts did not test every possible action.

5. Plan your artwork

Sketch an image with a short claim. Show how your action relates to the litter journey. Distinguish observations from predictions. If you use these counts, label them “Fictional school investigation”; do not present them as measurements from your school.

Caption:

6. Explain and revise

Ask a partner to identify your claim and question its evidence or limits. What did you change, and why?

A new situation: the bins stay covered, but collection is missed for three days. Would your recommendation still work? Explain what should change.