Extra credit beach cleanup: Service Learning in action

Al Trujillo, Palomar College

Summary

For this extra credit beach cleanup, students help clean local beaches for 3 hours as part of an organized beach cleanup event. This is also a Service Learning activity.

Environmental Geology, Oceanography, Sustainability, Environmental ...(more) | College Introductory | Local Issues

Expand for more detail and links to related resources

Topics

Environmental Geology, Oceanography, Sustainability, Environmental Science

Grade Level

College Introductory

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice

Local Issues: Providing students with experiences that draw on local needs and conditions demonstrates relevance and highlights opportunities close to home.

Follow the links above to find more resources from Teach the Earth on a specific topic.

Used this activity? Share your experiences and modifications

Learning Goals

Content/concepts goals
The goal of this extra credit beach cleanup is to get students to pick up trash at a beach as part of an organized beach cleanup event.

Higher order thinking skills goals
As student pick up trash at the beach, they think about how the trash got there and write about their reflections afterwards. As an optional activity, the students can also sort their trash and make a list of the number and items of what was collected.

Other skills goals
Students often work in groups.

Context for Use

Type and level of course
Undergraduate general oceanography course (Oceanography 100), but this activity also could be used for other courses with an environmental theme.

Skills and concepts students should have mastered
It's best if the beach cleanup comes after discussing how various types of pollution get into the ocean.

How the activity is situated in the course
This is an optional extra credit activity. Since it is part of an organized beach cleanup event (such as a local cleanup effort or the California Coastal Cleanup Day in September), its date and where it falls in the course is pre-determined.

Description and Teaching Materials

Normally, I announce the extra credit beach cleanup activity about a month before the cleanup event. The instructor doesn't have to be present, but you could also sponsor a cleanup site during the event. Students must sign up for the cleanup event online to ensure that enough bags and gloves are present at various locations through the region. On the day of the event (usually a Saturday morning), students must show up on time ready to work. Students can also bring friends and family, but no additional extra credit is given for this. At the end of the event, students must get their form signed by the beach captain (see attachment). Student then turn in this form for extra credit, and for additional extra credit, students can post a picture of themselves cleaning the beach and write about their experience during the cleanup event on an online class discussion board.

Student Info Sheet for Beach Cleanup (Acrobat (PDF) 169kB Mar7 16)

Teaching Notes and Tips

This beach cleanup activity is a Service Learning activity.

Assessment

Students must submit to me their form signed by the beach captain. For additional extra credit, students can post a picture of themselves cleaning the beach and write about their experience during the cleanup event on an online class discussion board.