Straws - Educational License

For Libraries, Students, Educators, Administrators, K-12, Colleges, Universities

Sparked by research that plastic straws are now among the top-ten beach litter items collected globally, STRAWS has been lauded as one of “the 5 documentaries to make you rethink single-use plastic.”

Sequences narrated by Tim Robbins chart the history of straws from gold in Mesopotamia to our current disposable convenience consumption of billions of non-recyclable plastic straws every day. STRAWS are one of the single-use items contributing to landfills and the estimated 8.5 million metric tons of plastic waste entering seas annually, taking decades to hundreds of years to break down to microscopic levels now pervasive in bottled and tap water, soils, and even the air we’re breathing.

Environmental researchers, marine biologists, and activists lay out how plastic pollution ends up doing irreversible harm to the ocean, marine life, and eventually human health if the problem continues to build. Sea turtles are frequent victims as they often mistake plastic for food. The researchers who discovered the straw lodged inside the nose of an endangered Costa Rican sea turtle, recount their tale over footage of their viral video.

STRAWS provides alternate, sustainable solutions such as paper, bamboo, glass, or metal straws -- and encourages the simple act of refusing a straw when at a restaurant. Empowering tales, from businesses saving money by using less single-use plastic to an 11-year old boy who enacted change in his school and community, highlight how anyone can take action to help save the world's oceans.

STRAWS is ultimately a tale about how small actions can lead to big change.

NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARD LESSON PLAN

We are proud to offer educators these new NGSS-congruent, peer-reviewed, STEM approved lesson plans developed by Margaret Holzer, PhD, an award-winning veteran science educator and curriculum developer.

Grades 3-5 (SAMPLE)

Grades 6-8 (SAMPLE)

Grades 9-12 (SAMPLE)

The links to the full lesson plans will be sent in an email following your purchase of an educational license

Are your students inspired by the STRAWS film? Challenge each student to be a film director too! Invite them to create their own 60-second video on single-use plastics. What are single-use plastics? What problems do they cause? What can people do to make a difference? Use this Video Contest Guide to help your students get started in researching, planning and filming their change-making documentaries. Lights camera, action!

Join the movement TODAY! Host a screening and start the dialogue in your community! Together we can encourage people and businesses across America and the globe to quit using unnecessary, damaging plastic straws.

HOST A SCREENING INFO >

SPEAKER AVAILABLE

Linda Booker, the award-winning filmmaker who produced and directed STRAWS, may be available to attend your event and inspire your community, school, or conference. Depending on event location, other experts in STRAWS may also be available.

Jackie Nuñez created the No Plastic Straws movement when she founded The Last Plastic Straw, a project of the Plastic Pollution Coalition, in 2011. She is a professional kayak guide and lives in Santa Cruz, CA where she teaches people of all ages how to speak truth to plastic and be an agent for change in their communities.

Contact us for Speaker Info>

STRAWS Facebook Page • StrawsFilm website

FILMMAKER'S STATEMENT: "My goal for this documentary is to make people think about how small habits can add up to huge impact. Removing plastic straws is a tangible, simple change people and businesses can do that can truly help make a difference."
—Linda Booker

Preview link available upon request. Contact support@videoproject for more information

A Film by Linda Booker

33 minutes

Scene Selection • Closed Captioned • Spanish Subtitles • French Subtitles

Grades 5 - Adult || Link to the digital curriculum will be emailed following your order

Item #: STR-1125

A tale of how small actions can lead to big change in regards to the use of plastic drinking straws

Starting at $49

Licensing Options

K-12 Schools , Libraries - $49 K-12 w/o alcohol references (no French subtitles) - $49 K-12 DVD + Digital File - $99 Colleges and Institutions - $145 Colleges (DVD with Digital Site License) - $295 Community Screenings: Please Complete 'Host a Screening' Form found on top menu bar K-12 School District pricing available. Please inquire at [email protected]

Reviews and Festivals

"Celebrates groups that are reducing their use of single-use plastics...Overall, Straws inspires people to make a difference, one small choice at a time."

— Green Teacher

"A fantastic dive into the absurdity of plastic straws. With an opening sequence narrated by PPC supporter and actor Tim Robbins and interviews with PPC allies Wallace J Nichols and Jackie Nunez the film is both an educational resource and a call to action."

— Dianna Cohen, co-founder and CEO, Plastic Pollution Coalition

"I highly recommend STRAWS as an educational and entertaining film about plastic pollution. It's brisk and engaging storytelling uses humor, fairness, and heart to inspire plastic use changes we all can do...especially no plastic straws!"
— Ed Begley Jr, actor and environmentalist

"Emphasizes how plastic detritus pollutes not only the land but also the ocean as it makes its way into the food cycle of avian and sea creatures...The message of plastic straw damage is stressed...Emphasizes the need to curtail the habit of using this non-essential plastic utensil by educating the public and purveyors of its danger."
— NSTA Recommends

"Thought-provoking...This inspiring program raises important environmental issues and reinforces the positive effects of grassroots advocacy."
— Booklist

"Director Booker keeps the tone light, avoiding too much trash talk. Most teen and adult viewers should be able to relate to this constructive video."
— Library Journal

"Engaged me straight from the beginning...easy and fun for my high school students to follow too. Just the right amount of factual information and tug on the heart strings to really help me think about this global issue of plastic in our world today."
— Sarah Francis, Science Instructor, Ursuline Academy of Dallas

"RECOMMENDED. An effective approach to an ecological horror."
— Video Librarian

"The film's message is clear: Avoid plastic packaging, especially straws, whenever possible."
— Treehugger.com

"Gave [students] real life examples of the harm many of these 'disposables' are causing our environment. It also showed the students what each individual CAN do to help!"
— Pati Davis, Eastbluff Elementary

"Evidence was clearly and fairly presented, and spoke for itself...Many [students] went home and told their parents and siblings to stop using plastic disposable straws immediately!"
— Hillary Kasbarian, Ursuline Academy of Dallas

"This film is enlightening, inspiring, and entertaining. I now feel compelled to talk to some locally owned restaurants about their plastic straw use."
— Heather Stapleton, CIP, Education Director, Environmental Learning Center

WINNER
Santa Cruz Film Festival, Spirit of Action Award

Cayman International Film Festival, Outstanding Achievement Award in Environmental Film

Rincon International Film Festival, Best Documentary Short

OFFICIAL SELECTION

Rincon International Film Festival

International Ocean Film Festival

Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival

Barcelona International Environmental Film Festival
Sonoma International Film Festival
Newport Beach Film Festival
Philadelphia Environmental Film Festival
Vero Beach Wine + Film Festival
South Bay Film + Music Festival
Cayman International Film Festival
Illuminate Film Festival
EarthxFilm
Borneo Eco Film Festival
Cinemambiente Environmental Film Festival
Carmel International Festival
Cucalorus Film Festival
Borneo Eco Film Festival
Chagrin Documentary Film Festival
Santa Cruz Film Festival
Devour Food & Film Festival
Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival
Awareness Film Festival
Bahamas International Film Festival

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