material or substance that can break down naturally over time by the action of bacteria, fungi or other living organisms

tiny pieces of plastic, usually smaller than five millimetres, that either come from the breakdown of larger plastic items or are made that size

a large area of the ocean where plastic and other waste collects, trapped by circular ocean currents

Plastic pollution

Geography

An introduction to the Anthropocene

Evidence of the Anthropocene

The human impact on ecosystems

The impact of consumption

Threats to oceans

Fieldwork: Planning an air pollution enquiry and collecting data

Fieldwork: Presenting air pollution data

Fieldwork: Analysing, concluding and evaluating air pollution data

Phasing out fossil fuels

Alternative energy supplies

Global governance

Our future climate

Sustainability: A new way of living

This unit teaches pupils about how humans have affected our world by looking at environmental issues such as plastic pollution and the impact of fossil fuel use. The unit leads pupils to question whether we are in a new geological epoch.

Anthropocene: What is the impact of humans on the world?

Which of these materials is **not** biodegradable?

Why are ocean garbage patches difficult to clean up?

What happens to most plastic that is not recycled?

Which of these activities increases atmospheric CO₂?

Why is biodiversity important in ecosystems?

What is one visible sign of the Anthropocene from space?

Which human action directly affects the geosphere?

Which part of Earth is most affected by plastic pollution?

Plastic pollution

Lesson outcome