Degradation rates are assigned to various photos chosen as examples of real finds on the beach; they are then a pair of pictures and played like Memory. The pictures have the appropriate degradation rate on the reverse so that first the following pairs can be laid: a photo card and a reverse with the degradation rate as a time factor. This way the couple can be presented pictorally and discussed.
Then the children can have just the degradation rates showing up, the other picture cards are turned over and shuffled; when the child picks a card it should put it next to a degradation rate card (as a check it can be compared with the picture under the card). This way the individual pairs of cards can be found.
It can also be played like a normal game of Memory, whereby the degradation rates on half the cards can be a small help.
The aim is to realise the time different materials need to degrade and to learn this playfully.
Material | Degradation rate-time |
Apple core | 2 month |
Untreated wood | 1 – 3 years |
Cigarette dog-end | 1 – 5 years |
Plastic bag | 20 – 30 years |
Polystyrene-dan buoys | 80 years |
Tin can | 50 years |
Aluminium beverage can | 80 -200 years |
Nylon fishing line | 600 years |
Glass bottle | 1 000 000 years |
Cardboard | 2 months |
Sixpack-Rings | 400 years |
Plastic drinks bottle | 450 years |