Green Chemistry & Bioplastics Scientific Debate Set | Middle / High School

Studying green chemistry and bioplastics in middle and high school science is essential for helping students understand sustainable chemistry, plastic pollution, renewable materials, and real world environmental decision making that will shape their future. Using a structured debate resource on green chemistry and bioplastics allows students to explore complex issues such as the benefits and limitations of bioplastics, the chemistry behind them, and their impact on ecosystems in a clear, engaging, and evidence based way.

With general debate guidelines and a suggested schedule, subject specific debate questions, one page primers to support students, a key vocabulary sheet, key evidence cards with short facts and sources, debate roles explained, sentence starters and topic specific sentence starters, graphic organizer templates, and a reflection sheet for after the debate, this resource turns abstract sustainability concepts into organized and active learning. It supports critical thinking, scientific literacy, and communication skills in a way that fits smoothly into any green chemistry or environmental science unit for middle school and high school classes and helps make chemistry feel directly relevant to students lives.

This green chemistry & bioplastics debate set provides the perfect supportive and fully comprehensive resource set that can help your students learn all about green chemistry & bioplastics through the method of debate. If you have never run a debate for your students before, there is MORE than enough material to help you learn how to do so. You will be able to guide your students through debate on green chemistry & bioplastics and provide as much or as little material as they might need, this resource delivers everything you could possibly need for a clear and effective debate to enhance student learning.

THIS GREEN CHEMISTRY & BIOPLASTICS DEBATE SET CAN BE USED IN SO MANY WAYS:

• To extend students
• To increase scientific literacy and scientific argumentation (science related speechcraft + logical reasoning) in your class
• A entry point to a unit on this topic
• Great as a lesson filler when class goes too fast
• An exit point to a unit on this topic - for effective review
• Use a sub-topic to focus on a specific part of the unit you are covering

WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS GREEN CHEMISTRY & BIOPLASTICS DEBATE SET:

• 1 Set of 15 page Google Slides, Powerpoint & PDF format of materials which contains:
  • General debate guidelines + suggested schedule
  • 15 proposed subject specific debate questions (on Bioplastics vs. Conventional Plastics, Recycling, Composting & Waste, Feedstocks and Land Use, Green Chemistry in Industry, Responsibility and Fairness)
  • 3 one page primers (neutral in tone) on Green chemistry in Industry, Plastic Waste, Recycling and Circular Economy, What are Bioplastics and Are They Really Better?.
  • 1 page general neutral tone primer on this broader topic
  • Key vocabulary with student friendly definitions
  • A set of 12 short evidence cards for potential student use (1 fact + source)
  • Explanation of debate roles
  • Sentence starters for effective debate language + Sentence starters specifically on this subject.
  • 3 graphic organizers (T-chart (for vs. against), Stakeholders (benefits / risks) & Claim-Evidence-Reasoning template
  • 1 page reflection sheet for after the debate

• The 3 graphic organizers in Google Doc & Microsoft Word format with fillable text books for digital use (T-chart (for vs. against), Stakeholders (benefits / risks) & Claim-Evidence-Reasoning template. These Doc versions are images with editable text boxes overlayed on top and this is the most effective way to keep things sleek and well-designed.
• 12 slide evidence cards for printing in Google Slides, Powerpoint, PDF format
• A 24 point rubric for assessment and to support marking and feedback on this activity