Teaching About Microplastics & Cradle-to-Cradle by Using the SDG-Circle as an Innovative Tool

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Braune, Justus ; Bogner, Franz X. ; Paul, Jürgen:
Teaching About Microplastics & Cradle-to-Cradle by Using the SDG-Circle as an Innovative Tool.
In: The American Biology Teacher. Bd. 88 (2026) Heft 4-5 . - S. 266-272.
ISSN 1938-4211
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2026.88.4-5.266

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Abstract

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) needs to convey cognitive learning and attitudinal involvement in order to encourage sustainable action. Nevertheless, less than a quarter of young people judge formal education as effectively contributing to solving sustainability problems, which clearly shows conventional classroom instruction as insufficient. Consequently, our innovative teaching sequence focuses both on developing systems knowledge about microplastics and exploring options to support individual sustainable behavior. Our five-hour teaching module highlights the microplastics waste problem and offers possible solutions by highlighting the “Cradle-to-Cradle” concept. Consequently, students learn about a promising but largely unknown circular economy concept supported by a new classroom-tested methodological tool called “SDG-Circle,” which addresses the overarching educational goal of generating sustainability awareness in science classrooms (SDGs = Sustainable Development Goals). This student-centered tool contains all required material to cope with the lesson issue as well as allows teachers, without great effort, various classroom adaptations around microplastics scenarios without neglecting other relevant contents but promoting cross-curricular work. Pre-/post-/retention assessments are in progress.