The Mississippi River travels 2,340 miles from a small lake in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. As it passes the city of New Orleans the river begins to lose power. As it does, all the silt (mud and sand) it has picked up along the way begins to pile up. This formation is called the Mississippi River Delta. The picture above is of the delta taken from space. The delta is ever changing. The main river will break up into little rivers called distributaries. These smaller rivers have to constantly change course because of the amount of silt being deposited. Your project for Louisiana is to make a clay model of the Mississippi River Delta. Begin by getting a piece of cardboard. The size is up to you, but remember, it needs to be big enough to fit the whole delta. Using a pencil, map out the delta on the cardboard. Use the picture above and the two links provided to help make it accurate. Next you will need three different colors of clay. The best colors would be blue, green and red, but really any three will do. If you do not have any at home ask your teacher to give you some. Begin by applying clay where the water is. The clay does not have to be thick, but it should cover all the areas. Next, using a second color, fill in where the land is. Lastly, place a dot where New Orleans is located so that people will know where you are showing. To finish the project add a title and a key. When it is dry hand it in to your teacher.