Young people are increasingly aware of the impacts of plastic pollution. Many feel the call to take action to help solve this urgent environmental issue. This curriculum focuses on youth building leadership skills to effectively serve as agents of change around plastic-related issues. Throughout the leadership learning sections, youth will work together to ask critical questions about our use of plastics and determine how they can become a change agent for the planet and address issues of plastics/plastic pollution.

Youth can choose from two leadership paths: Teens as Teachers or Teens Engaged in
Community Action. Each path offers meaningful leadership opportunities for youth to
serve as teachers and community leaders. Through discussion and reflective activities,
youth will gain knowledge, skills, and confidence to transform their concern for the
environment into action. Youth will learn with and about other change agents, including
young people who are leading projects to reduce the environmental impacts of plastic
waste.

As a companion to this Teen Science Change Agents curriculum, Sustainable polymers:
Confronting the Plastic Crisis. A 4-H STEM curriculum for Grades 9-12 focuses on
the history, prevalence, impacts, and future of plastics.

This curriculum is part of a series with titles for every grade level:

• 4-H Polymers: Be a Scientist! Materials in a Green, Clean World , Grades K-2
• Sustainable Polymers: Plastics of the Future for a Green, Clean World, Grades 3-5
• Sustainable Polymers: Taking Action to Solve the Challenge of Plastics, Grades 6-8
• Sustainable Polymers: Confronting the Plastic Crisis, Grades 9-12

Look Inside

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