Have you ever wanted to clearly see through moving water and explore the bottoms of shallow streams and ponds and get a real fish eye view?

Here's a quick, inexpensive and easy way to make a useful tool to help you clearly see all the amazing things under water.

First rinse out a half gallon plastic juice or milk jug. Make sure it has a handle.You won't be needing the plastic screw top. Next get a parent or big kid to help with cutting off the bottom about one inch from the bottom. Next cut off the top below the top of the jug where it begins to narrow. Make sure you keep the handle.

Now simply cut a piece of see through plastic food wrap about twice the size of the bottom. Stretch it tightly over the bottom and secure it to the sides by using duct tape. Try not to get any wrinkles and make sure you don't get any tape on the bottom to obstruct your view. That's it. You've just made a waterscope!

Now comes the fun part. Put on an old pair of sneakers or other shoes you can get wet, roll up your pants and go walking in the water. Put your new waterscope in the water vertically while you look through the top. Use the handle to hold the scope and make sure no water comes through the top or leaks around the sides. Now that's a fish-eyed view of the deep!

This activity was adapted from the Missouri Conservationist magazine.