Posted by Laurie Sullivan at 6/6/2010 7:00:00 PM

Second grade students learned about erosion and the role wetlands play in slowing down erosion. I shared with the students that when my sister and I attended UCSB, some of the nearby homes had problems with erosion. They also learned how wetlands can filter the water, up to a certain point. The students really enjoyed using our Wetlands Enviroscape Model, purchased with funds from our NASA Explorer School grant. Dr. Sullivan shared erosion stories that took place near the university she attended Mrs. Kerley shares her erosion story.

Building the mountain Observing and drawing how the mountain changes after being subjected to erosion by wind, rain, and river. Wind erosion Erosion caused by rain Erosion caused by river Wetlands Model – Oil pollution Soil that will be eroded from the construction site. It’s raining The green sponges represent the wetlands Observing the plant roots that have absorbed the pesticide We observed the wetlands slowing down the water and filtering out some of the pollution. We observed what happened when the wetlands were removed and replaced by a boat dock. Click here to view more photos of the students in action.