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Hey, kids! This is your place to have fun with science! Try this science activity at home.


SCIENTIST AT HOME: OPERATION DECONTAMINATION

What do bogs, marshes, and swamps have in common? They’re all wetlands! No matter how large or small, these marvelous, muddy areas have an important job in keeping our water supply healthy and clean. Make your own “wetland,” and see how it filters out pollutants.

You’ll Need:
• Modeling clay
• Water
• Twigs, branches
• Pepper
• Watering can
• Pieces of carpet
• Measuring cup
• Two rectangular pans
• Damp sand or potting soil


What You Do:
Cover the bottom of one pan with a 1-inch layer of clay. Place a layer of sand/soil on top of the clay. Press the sand/soil into the clay. Add some carpet pieces here and there to represent vegetation. Put some twigs on top. This is your “wetland”. Leave the other pan empty. This is your “control.”

Now, raise both pans up approximately two inches at one end. Add one tablespoon of ground pepper into one cup of water and stir. The pepper represents pollutants in the water. Slowly pour the “polluted” water into your wetland pan at its highest point.  Repeat this action for your control pan. Observe what happens!


What’s Going On?
Your “wetland” pan should have less water and pepper at the bottom than your “control” pan. This is because the soil and “vegetation” absorbed some water and filtered out much of the “pollutants” (pepper). Real wetlands do the same thing, removing harmful substances that contaminate the water, as well as reducing flooding, preventing erosion of lake and river shorelines, and providing important habitat for wildlife.

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