Martin Luther King Jr. was an exceptional American figure that strived for equality for every American. He also emphasized the importance of education.

Today, schools are closed in honor of this American hero, and many children are home looking for a fun and educational activity. Edible Earth Parfaits are not only delightfully good, but teach children about aquifers.

Aquifers are important geological features because they store groundwater, wells and crop irrigation tap into aquifers for their water.

Here's how to make your own Edible Earth Parfait:

Materials Needed:

Blue/red food coloring (or substitute with red, grape, or orange soda)

Vanilla ice cream

Clear soda pop

Small gummy bears, chocolate chips, crushed cookies, cereal, crushed ice or other materials to represent sand and gravel

Variety of colored cake decorations, sprinkles and sugars

Drinking straws

Clear plastic cups

Ice cream scoops

Spoons

Activity Steps:

1) Begin to construct your edible aquifer by filling a clear plastic cup 1/3 full with gummy bears, chocolate chips, or crushed ice (represents gravel and soils)

2) Add enough clear soda to just cover the candy/ice

3) Add a layer of ice cream to serve as a “confining layer” over the water-filled aquifer. A confining layer is a solid layer of rock or clay. Groundwater is found below this layer.

4) Then add more “sand/gravel” on top of the “confining layer.”

5) Colored sprinkles and sugars represent soils and should be sprinkled over the top to create the porous top layer (top soil).

6) Now add the food coloring to the soda. The food coloring represents contamination. Watch what happens when it is poured on top of the “aquifer.” This is what also happens when pollutants are dumped onto the ground. They go through the confining layer and mix in with the aquifer.

7) Using a drinking straw, drill a “well” into the center of your aquifer.

8) Slowly begin to pump the well by sucking on the straw. Watch the decline in the water table.

9) Notice how the contaminants can get sucked into the well area and end up in the groundwater by leaking through the confining layer.

10) Now recharge your aquifer by adding more soda which represents a rain shower.

Contaminants that reach our aquifers can have devastating effects. Any kind of pollutant, like sewage and animal waste, pesticides and herbicides, automotive chemicals and fertilizers, has the ability to enter our groundwater. When aquifers become too contaminated, people are not able to use them as a water supply. It is important to protect our drinking water, as well as our neighbor's. Aquifers, as well as open bodies of water like lakes and streams, need to be kept clean of pollutants and protected from possible contaminants.

Edible Earth Parfait was created by The Groundwater Foundation's Kids Corner. More activities and information can be found at www.groundwater.org/kc/kc.html.

Jessica Miles is the watershed inspector for Owasco Lake.