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(Sequel to the Gapminder post)

Triggered by the gapminder question tile ‘Plastics in Oceans’, I created a lesson around the topic of plastics based on the text below.

History and Future of Plastics | Science History Institute

In a first step we looked at some of the vocabulary found in the text. Besides the exercise below, the words can be practiced at (6) Vocabulary quiz – topic ‘plastics’ – By Pat-B (sporcle.com) We looked at the questions below the vocabulary preparation part and tried answering some before reading the text. I also ‘textivated’ the second part of the text: textivate (This link will lead to the last text I used so is useless for readers of this post looking for the plastics text.)

It starts with The unblemished…

Vocabulary: match the definitions to the words and expressions and find them in the text

pliable	polymer	cellulose	constraints
scarce	obtainable	adaptability	abundant
unblemished	ambiguous	persistence	superficial
disposable	disrupt	endocrine system	convert

1. not avaliable in high numbers or large quantities
2. to do something different, because someone else is already doing it differently;
3. a lot of something; more than enough
4. a substance (made of sugars) that is common in the cell walls of many organisms
5. when something can be understood in more than one way; undecided
6. easily bent; flexible also metaphorical: easily influenced
7. being annoying; lose context or coherence because somebody is disturbing; destructive interruption
8. coordinates hormones; organs and glands that produce and release hormones: hypothalamus, pancreas, liver, thyroid gland
9. when you want to order something and you can get it right away, achievable, reachable
10. flawless, perfect, nothing wrong with how something looks or works
11. designed to only be used once and then thrown aways; sth you don’t need anymore is ?
12. when you don’t go deep into a topic; you stay on the surface
13. to change something into something different; or change from one affiliation to another
14. keep on going, keep on doing
15. a long molecule consisting of many similar or identical monomers linked together.

Find the answers in the text:

1. What is the main difference between natural polymers and synthetic polymers?
2. What are synthesic polymers mainly made from?
3. When was the first synthetic polymer invented and why?
4. In the beginning, plastics were thought of as being able to protect the natural world from human destruction. True or false?
5. What is meant by ‘fully synthetic plastic’?
6. What materials did plastics substitute after WWII?
7. When did concerns start towards plastics?
8. What other concerns came up later?
9. Why are plastics still seen as critical to modern life? How can or do they actually help save fossil fuels?
10. What kind of solutions have been attempted to make plastics safer?

Additional questions:

Research Rachel Carson’s 1962 book ‘Silent Spring’ and its significance.

Have you ever seen the film or read the book ‘The Graduate’?

Comment on lesson:

It turned out that the history of plastics, especially the initial hopeful reception when synthetic polymers were invented was surprising to many, especially younger course participants. Plastics were seen as the saviour of natural resources like ivory for which many wild animals were being killed.

Also watch: Why don’t we cover the desert with solar panels? – Dan | TED-Ed

https://www.sporcle.com/create/edit/dG1afdf97C