Ashley Primary, Walton, Owl Class

Can we reduce the use of plastic bags in our local area?

The topic being studied this half term is oceans. The children understand that plastic bags cause great harm to our oceans and the animals and creatures that live in them. They have also looked at the waste that has been dropped along the local streets and down by the river. The children feel strongly that this has an impact on the ocean as bags blown into the river then end up in the soupy mess in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. They have been astounded by phrases such as: ‘there is more plastic than plankton!’

The children have created tally charts of the waste they have found. They have gone into the community (The Heart shopping centre) where they have interviewed people and asked about the plastic bags / bags for life they are carrying. They all enjoyed the experience and discovered that many people were using ‘bags for life’. They have e-mailed various ‘bags for life’ companies who are willing to send them samples of their bags and they even managed to swap these with plastic bags that were being carried by some members of the public. Their next step is to meet with the manager of The Heart to discuss what is being done already and what they can do next to achieve / do / sustain the change the wish to make. 

Video and Powerpoint to follow.