Fridays For Future and School? - Part 3 Sustainable Teaching Suggestions on the (Micro) Plastic Problem

Abstract

Recently plastic waste and microplastics were detected even in the most outlying places on earth. Although the concrete dangers and consequences for humans and animals are still unknown, it is considered certain that humans have a major influence on the ecological balance of the earth with the release of newly modified substances in accordance with the planetary Boundaries. In this article, the topic of (micro)-plastics is discussed in the context of education for sustainable development in order to give impulses for a successful thematization in school lessons. Using selected experiments for chemistry lessons, important aspects such as the behavior of plastics in the environment and the development of highly topical solutions for cleaning our environment from plastic particles are discussed. The aim is to get young citizens excited about scientific research and enable them to actively participate in social discourses for sustainable development.