A Microplastic Mess

Close Read Passage, 215 words, Informational (nonfiction), Cause and Effect, Level T (Grade 3), Lexile 700L

Only about nine out of every one hundred pieces of plastic are recycled. The rest end up in the environment, where they break down into tiny pieces called microplastics. Scientists estimate that Americans eat and drink about seventy thousand of these tiny bits of plastic every year. What can be done? We can use less plastic and recycle more.

Passage Resources

Lesson Resources

Teach the Passage

  • Resources for All Passages