Replicate Mississippi River Flood Markers from Kesler Park

​This week’s STEAM Star is Wade Scheuermann! He visited Kesler Park and decided to replicate the Mississippi River Flood Markers in this project. Wade is nine-years-old and will be entering 4th grade at Thomas S. Baldwin Elementary School. Thank you Wade for sharing your idea!
This STEAM project is an original project idea from nine-year-old Wade Scheuermann of Quincy. He visited Kessler Park on the riverfront with his family and decided to recreate the flood markers using recyclable materials. He drew pictures, took notes, and snapped photos for reference before he got started.

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Material List
8 empty paper towel tube
1 empty toilet paper tube
1 box lid for the base
Clear packaging tape
Scissors
Ruler
Permanent or washable markers

Instructions:
1. If you are able to, visit Kessler Park on Quincy’s riverfront to see the new markers that were recently re-installed with plaques by Eagle Scout Brant Seeland.
2. Draw an outline of each flood marker and make note of the year and flood level on each. You can also take pictures for reference.
3. Gather your supplies at a work station.
4. Take the empty toiler paper tube and ruler, then measure your lowest flood level. (You will scale down the replica by using one-inch for every foot on the flood marker.) Mark it and cut off the excess cardboard.
5. Write the flood level and the year in the middle of one side of the tube with a black marker.
6. Continue the process for the rest of the markers going from the next lowest to the highest flood levels using the remaining empty paper towel tubes.
7. Secure the empty tubes to the lid (your base) using clear packaging tape (or whatever adhesive you have). Arrange the replicated markers in the same pattern of the flood markers that are displayed at Kessler Park.
8. On the outside of your box lid, write “Flood Markers” if you’d like. You can also decorate it any way you want!

Thank you Wade for showing us this awesome STEAM project!