OCEANS' 13 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 

An ENL (English as a New language) Lesson 

by Ottavio Lo Piccolo, 11-28-17

 

Suggestions to teach this lesson. Begin with the
a. Essential Questions;
1. What do you know about the oceans Day? I know that...

2. What do you want to know about them? I want to know why...
3. How will you learn about the oceans?  I will learn by...
4.  What did you learn from this lesson, about the oceans? I learned that...  (Note, this question will be answered at the end of this lesson/unit)

b. Procedure
1. Ss (students) answer and write their responses on their individual K-W-H-L chart (for those Ss who do not know how to write- the T can write the Ss responses on the board on large chart paper- Ss could copy them on their chart). When necessary- and/or support those students who need help in writing. 

2. Ss then read their answer back to the T, after they finish writing their responses on the chart.  

3.  Post the 8 EQs (listed below in item H) in your classroom/hallway- so that students can review/learn and/or get familiar with the answers/topics.
3a. Optional: copy/post/display the above 4 questions, and all the student's answers (under each individual question) on a poster, or on the board.

Note: The 4 K-W-H-L questions can be used also as a quiz/review at the end of the unit, and/or to play games.  

Remember to;
a. Reward students on their good performance/behavior/attitude. b. Support/Help as needed (more/often) those who struggle with the English language (reading/writing/speaking/listening).  
c. Be positive/kind, and paraphrase when students make mistakes (repeat correctly what the student says- as not to embarrass/put him/her down).

d. After the K-W-H-L chart begin developing the student's background knowledge  (what they know of the subject)- so that they can become familiar with it, hence they will be able to discuss/talk, think, write, and/or create something they like (a book, poster, artwork, survey, etc). 

Background knowledge can be developed in many ways; by watching a documentary movie, reading/discussing a book/magazine article, going on a field trip, inviting a speaker who is an expert in this topic, etc. 

b. Begin reviewing each question. The teacher & students can take turns reading each question and reading the answer.
1.    Why does the ocean look so big? The ocean looks so big because it IS BIG. It’s huge (very large/big) because it covers almost ¾ of the earth. The rest of the earth is made up of land where people live. All the water in the oceans is connected (joined together) and flows (moves) in and around the land that are like islands (lands surrounded by water).

 

 2.    Why the Earth is called the Ocean Planet? It is called the Ocean Planet because one big ocean wraps (covers) itself all the way around the Earth. And since (because) it is so big, scientists (experts, biologists) have divided it into different parts. They named the three biggest oceans: the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Indian Ocean. And the three smaller ones are called: the Arctic Ocean, and the Antarctic Ocean, which is also called the Southern Ocean. So, there are five oceans. Smaller water parts are called seas, some of them are the Mediterranean Sea, The Arabian Sea, and the Red Sea. 

3.    Why is the ocean important? The ocean is important because it affects (influences, changes) the weather. It cools the land and air in the summer and heats the land and the air in the winter. The ocean gives us rain so that plants and animals can grow. It gives us food, and a highway for ships to travel. It is the source of most oxygen (about 70%) of air so that we and all plants and animals can breathe. The oceans are also a place where people work and have lots of fun in too!

 4.    Why does the ocean look so blue? When astronauts look down on the earth from space, they tell us that the earth looks blue. Ocean water has no color, but some scientists think the ocean looks blue because it reflects the blue color of the sky. The ocean looks gray on a cloudy day. 


 5.    WHY is the ocean salty? The ocean is salty because, as water flows (moves) from creeks and rivers on its way to the seas, it picks up salt from rocks and soil (dirt)- along the way to the ocean. When the sun shines on the ocean, the water evaporates (turns into vapor and goes up) into clouds, but the salt stays in the ocean. Over millions of years, the salt has built up, which is why the ocean gets saltier and saltier (saltier).  


    6.    WHY doesn’t the ocean freeze? The ocean freezes only at the North and South Poles because it gets very cold at the pole or polar ice caps. In other parts of the world, the ocean doesn’t freeze because of the salt in the water. The salt acts as an antifreeze.  The water has to be really, really cold for it to freeze! That is why it freezes only at the surface and at the poles!

7.    Why are there waves in the ocean? There are waves because of the wind. The wind makes most waves in the ocean; as it blows, it pushes and pulls the water and makes the water on the top move. The energy of the wave, makes the water go up and down. If you watch a bird floating in the ocean, you will see it bob up and down as the waves pass.

8.    Do plants and animals live in the ocean? Yes! Millions of living things live and make their home in the ocean. From tiny, tiny plants to huge animals, that look different than those that live on land. Sea animals come in many special shapes, sizes, and colors. Some of them are whales, dolphins, seals, sharks, tropical fish, starfish, corrals, octopuses, oysters, clams, crabs, and lobsters. 


9. WHY is the ocean polluted with so much plastic? Because people throw away too much plastic in the trash, instead of recycling it! And 80% floats to the ocean from dumps that are located near rivers. Other things that cause damage to the oceans are; 
a. discarded fishing nets (thrown away by fishermen because they are broken and/or too old)  
b. CO2 emissions (air pollution, smog) from gasoline auto vehicles (like cars/trucks, buses, etc.) and from factories.

You also need to know that about 80% of the debris (trash and garbage) comes from land-based activities in North America and Asia. The remaining 20% of the debris in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch comes from boaters, offshore oil rigs, and large cargo ships that dump or lose debris directly into the water. The majority of this debris—about 705,000 tons—is fishing nets. 
Other items are:
c. Plastic bottles/containers, straws, cups, plates, etc., computer monitors, and LEGOs come from dropped shipping containers. Plastic goods do not biodegrade (do not get absorbed by nature), but instead break down into smaller pieces called micro-plastics, which are very harmful (unhealthy, dangerous) to marine life, and to us humans because we eat seafood.
(Source: https://takeaction.oceanconservancy.org/ea-action/action)

• 8 Million tons of plastic is dumped in the oceans every year! 
• By 2025 there will be 10 times more plastic- estimated to be dumped in the ocean. 
• An estimated 90% of all sea birds have swallowed plastic at some time in their life.  
• In 58 minutes 5,793,620 lbs. of plastic is thrown away in the USA alone. 
• 80 million tons of waste per year in the USA comes from plastic food packaging.

Source: A PLASTIC OCEAN, a documentary. You can watch the trailer log on to YouTube/full-length movie on Amazon)

• 94% of all drinking water in the USA is polluted with plastic, and 70% of the world’s water contains plastic too! (Source: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/06/plastic-fibres-found-tap-water-around-world-study-reveals )

• In fact, according to National Geographic and Green Peace, only 9% percent has been recycled. And the vast majority, 79%, is accumulating in landfills, hence sitting in the natural environment and it is contaminating our land and water. And at some point, much of it ends up in the oceans. 

• If present trends continue, by 2050, there will be 12 billion metric tons of plastic. Scientists estimate that 12 million tons of plastic are entering our oceans every year – that's a rubbish truck full of every minute! 
•  (Sources: www.greenpeace.org  and https://news.nationalgeographic.com/.../plastic-produced-recycling-waste-ocean-trash-...)

If you’re wondering how this trash gets to the ocean.  
 The answer is simple; many garbage dumps are near rivers, hence the chemicals that are released from plastic trash (e.g., bottles, bags, straws, stirrers (also known as q-tips), dishes, silverware, cups, foam, and many others)- seep into the ground and water, and a large amount of it floats to the ocean. In addition, there are other threats that endanger the health of the ocean; discarded fishing nets, pesticides, herbicides (used by farmers), toothpaste, cosmetics (face scrubs), liquid soaps, automobile tires, and high levels of CO2 emissions. 
(Sources: https://takeaction.oceanconservancy.org/ea-action/action 
 http://nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/

Our plastic trash is mainly made of single-use plastic and foam packaging. These are items that are used once and then tossed in the trash; bags, bottles, silverware, cups, lids, straws, dishes, swabs (q-tips), etc. Other harmful products are devastating the world’s oceans; discarded fishing, pesticides, herbicides, toothpaste, cosmetics (that contain microbeads- tiny pieces of plastic), and high levels of CO2 emissions/pollution from fossil fuels are causing ocean acidification- the bleaching (or death)- of corrals. Sewer waste, loaded with microplastics; tiny pieces/particles of plastic that are found in; face scrubs, women's cosmetics, toothpaste, and some liquid soaps is also damaging.  Microplastics are also released from motor vehicle tires, and get washed into the oceans! And from electric clothes washers/driers when they wash/dry synthetic clothes (made with polyester/plastic fibers)! Microplastic now is also in the air we breathe and the water we drink! Overfishing has depleted marine life and so do sonic blasts (loud noise for oil exploration) are killing marine life.

10.    What does all this plastic trash do to the oceans? It causes a lot of damage! Harm! Destruction & Death!
You can find more info about ocean acidification by visiting http://www.saveourseasmagazine.com/the-co2-conundrum/

“Seals get caught in discarded fishing gear and die trying to free themselves. Dolphins and turtles mistake plastic bags for their next meal and die eating them. Fish ingest deflated balloons and choke to death. Millions of sea birds have died because they too ingest pieces of floating plastic (cigarette lighters, straws, markers, etc.). Ocean Conservancy believes that if we take action now, we can reduce plastic in the ocean by 45%, saving ocean life, and making our ocean cleaner and our earth healthier. Overfishing, pollution, and habitat fragmentation are wearing down the health of our oceans… degrade coral reefs and corrode the shells of sea creatures— it's not surprising that ocean ecosystems are rapidly collapsing.”  
(Source: https://takeaction.oceanconservancy.org/ea-action/action)


11.     Can we save the oceans? Yes Or no? Why? I think we can! With education/action/cooperation we can do it! So, we have to be informed and then pass the information to others. We need to find out about the poor condition of the oceans- then we’ll be interested in working together to save it- by applying the 4Rs, the 4 ecological/environmental responsibilities of recycling, reducing, reusing, and refusing all single-use plastic, packaging, and Styrofoam.   We can pledge (promise) to go plastic-free (without using plastic) for a day, week, year—or forever. You can go plastic-free today by refusing (not using) the top five sources of single-use plastic: plastic bags, plastic bottles, plastic to-go containers, plastic takeaway cups, and plastic straws. Together, we can make a difference—one piece at a time.” 
 (Source: https://www.5gyres.org/faq)

12.    What are some things we can do to save our oceans now?  Sign my petition, and/or any other petitions that aim at protecting the oceans and our environment, by clicking on the link below; http://www.thepetitionsite.com/180/844/892/save-the-oceans-from-pollution./     
or log in to www.care2.org and type the following words:
“SAVE THE OCEANS FROM POLLUTION & OTHER THREATS” in the search box, top right.

Then take action now to help the ocean- apply the 4Rs in our life-  4 Concrete actions that protect mother nature- they are;
1. Refusing all plastic and/or any products that harm the environment and all life.
 2. reducing all kinds of waste
3. reusing everything we can
4. recycling whatever we can

1) REFUSE- say no to plastic that gets used once and then is thrown out and Avoid "use-only-once plastic"- or disposable items, like throwaway plastic, like silverware, bottles, bags, straws, cups, lids, razors, lighters, etc) because they often can't be recycled and they wind up in the ocean, and animals eat- they think they're jellyfish-  many they get sick and die. Rest assured that we eat some of this contaminated fish, that can make us sick with cancer- contaminated seafood- poisoned from our plastic! 


2) REDUCE- means to cut down on waste and energy; avoid plastic packages & containers, and choose products with the least amount of packaging. We must also try reducing our CO2 footprint. This is our level/use of energy and other harmful and polluting products, like fossil fuels (coal, methane gas, and gasoline)- therefore we try reducing our driving and reducing electricity; by turning off lights and appliances when we do not need them, using the sun to dry clothes or an empty heated room; hence we shut off electric dryers. This will reduce the amount of micro-plastic that gets spewed out into the air when we dry polyester clothes in our electric driers. By avoiding polyester clothes we will produce less microbead pollution. 

3) REUSE- use & reuse cloth bags and metal or glass containers- you'll make less waste this way. 

4) RECYCLE- what you can't refuse, reduce or reuse. 

  

AND LASTLY, EVALUATE the EVIDENCE, NOT THE OPINIONS. WE MUST LOOK AT THE FACTS! Facts speak louder than words!

We must ask ourselves these questions;
a. Why did 190 countries (out of a total of 195 countries in the world) sign the Paris Accord several years ago? The Paris Accord is an internationally binding agreement to reduce CO2 emissions. Could 190 countries be wrong and 5 be right?

b. Why are sea levels rising? Why are the poles and glaciers melting? Why is there so much plastic pollution in the ocean? Why have so many sea creatures died? 

To find some answers on ocean plastic pollution, visit these links:  plastic trash is killing millions of sea birds http://plasticfreetuesday.com/2016/05/24/midway/
 
Plastic kills marine mammals
 http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/marine-animals-are-dying-because-of-our-plastic-trash/
 
To find out more about solutions, watch 
“How We Can Keep Plastics Out of Our Ocean, by National Geographic: https://youtu.be/HQTUWK7CM-Y
 
And finally, to learn more about our oceans, in this online blog, DOLCE-AMARO, and search/click on the presentation:
Ocean- Why do we like it? or visit: http://ottaviolopiccolo.blogspot.com/2016/06/ocean-why-do-like-it-lets-take-look.html

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE ON OCEAN POLLUTION AND ITS SOLUTIONS TO SAVE IT. After you read/discuss this lesson, and you see the presentation above, test your knowledge of the oceans and how you can protect them. Quiz yourself with my ENL (English as a 2nd Language). Ask me for a copy.


WHAT ABOUT ME? Why I'm I doing all of this? Simply because I have always been concerned about our planet. In fact, as a teenager, I created artwork that reflected this thinking. My objective is to get our students, schools, and our communities to apply the 4Rs at home and at work. 

This is very important because with awareness comes caring, as the closing statement says in A PLASTIC OCEAN documentary.  Informing, and making others aware of a problem is a good way to motivate them in doing something positive (good) and concrete (real) that will help in protecting the ocean and our environment, our planet. 
I’m an itinerant ENL teacher. I grew up near the sea, in Italy.

Please join me and millions of people all over our country and the world, in this enormous effort. Only if we work together we can save our oceans and our planet! 

THANK YOU!