Watch a Wetland Wash Up!

Make a model to see how wetlands help clean water.

You'll need: newspaper, large bread loaf pan, sponge (clean and dry, at least 0.5 inch thick), scissors, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 tsp. pepper.

1. Cover your work area with newspaper. Place a bread loaf pan on the paper.

2. With an adult's help. cut a sponge so that it's just a bit wider than the pan. Press the sponge flat into the cetner of the pan as shown. Be sure the sponge is pressed down all the way. Imagine the sponge is a wetland. It's filled with lots of plants.

3. Stir the pepper into the water. Think of the pepper as pollution.

4. Slowly pour the water into the space on one side of the sponge as shown. Stop pouring when the water reaches the top of the "wetland".