In the past, people often sent messages in bottles by tying a written note to the bottle and casting it out to sea. They would then hope that someone would find the message and send it back to the writer. It is a classic concept that is still being used today! Use this article and the included activities to teach your students about the history of the message in a bottle and the incredible stories that have come from it. You can even have them make their own unique message in a bottle!
A bottle episode is a great way to put pressure on your characters and calcify running themes. It forces them into an unusual situation with external pressures revealing something that wouldn’t have been revealed otherwise. It also provides an opportunity to delve into your character’s relationships and show them in a different light.
Generally speaking, most of these episodes are not just about the conflict. The resulting tension between the characters must lead to some kind of resolution – even if it is only temporary. The key is to find the right balance of conflict and resolution.
There is a lot of variation in terminology used to describe bottle morphology, which has led to much confusion. For example, the term lip is often used – and is used on this website – to refer to both the upper part of a multiple-part finish (such as a collar) and the extreme upper surface of the neck. The terms rim and collar are more commonly used in this context.
Most of the plastic bottles produced each year end up in landfill or in the ocean where they are ingested by marine life and may eventually make it into our food chain. It is important to recycle these bottles to help reduce our reliance on them and their associated environmental costs.
Glass bottles are much more environmentally friendly, as they can be recycled many times over. However, glass is not as strong as plastic, which makes it less suitable for certain products. Bottles made from recycled materials are not only better for the environment, but they can be cheaper than new glass.
The newest bottle to hit the market is made from PET plastic. PET is a type of plastic that is made from raw materials derived from petroleum and has the advantage over glass in that it can be made more quickly. The only downside is that it can be brittle and prone to cracking.
Another issue with plastic is that it creates air pollution, as it is made from petroleum and is disposed of by burning. Burning plastics releases volatile compounds into the air, which can be detrimental to health. This is why banning plastic bottles is the correct choice for our planet. It is also the only way to save money, as bottled water is becoming increasingly expensive in countries such as the US. In addition, a ban would reduce the waste that ends up in our landfills and oceans.