Trash and Microplastics Dashboard
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Provided by: Urban Rivers|Published on: February 21, 2026
Data, Graphs, and MapsScientist Reviewed
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Scientist Reviewed This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- This interactive data dashboard from Urban Rivers allows users to explore collected trash and microplastics data from the Chicago River.
- Users can filter and analyze visualized datasets showing debris categories, plastic types, quantities, and trends over time to better understand water pollution and human impacts on freshwater ecosystems.
Subjects: Biology, Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: Loyola University Chicago, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Region: Illinois
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- These graphs are easy to read and color-coded to help students keep track of the data.
- The resource is updated often, ensuring that students are getting the most current and relevant data.
Prerequisites
- Students should understand how to read graphs and charts.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Students can use data from this resource as evidence for a persuasive essay or poster about the need for less single-use plastic.
- Teachers can use these graphs to have students practice interpreting data.
- After looking at this data, students can conduct their own research and pick up trash in a local natural area or around the school. Students can then create their own graphs to demonstrate the types of trash collected.
- Students can discuss the impacts this pollution can have on the health of the river and the organisms that live in it.
- This resource would pair well with this lesson on plastic pollution.
This dashboard displays data on trash collected by volunteers from the Chicago River, including raw data for download and examples of how the data can be analyzed and visualized. This allows the dashboard to be used in various ways. Users can focus on pollution and trash itself, or on making observations, collecting data, and analyzing and visualizing data, which are important science skills. The information presented is accurate and this resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
