We read the book called Rainby Robert Kalan. After discussing the book, I will introduce the term precipitation  by asking questions.

"What are clouds?
What are they made of?
What is rain?
What does the sky look like when it rains?
Why does it rain?
Where does the rain go after it falls?
What happens to puddles after it rains?"

We get a discussion going about the different parts of the water cycle.  After our discussion we will staple the term precipitation (today's term) on our bulletin board near the rain to label it and we will use it for review. I tell the students that by the end of the week they will be able to answer all these questions.

TIME: 15 minutes
 
 

Each student will receive a cup. The student will put his/her name on the cup with a permanent marker and fill it with water.  Have each student draw a line around the water line and write a number 1 above it.
Daily: We will graph today's weather on a classroom graph.
Daily: The students will check the Weather Bug and graph today's temperature on a classroom graph. (internet)

MATERIALS NEEDED: Small clear plastic cups.
TIME: 10 minutes
 
 

RAIN   OR   SHINE ?

"Does any one know where this picture was taken?" (Show a picture of Disneyland)
"How many of you would like to take a trip to Disneyland?"
"Does any one know what state Disneyland is located in?"
"Can any one show me where Wittmann is on the map?"
I have the students point out the states of California and Arizona. Can the students point out the towns of Anaheim and Wittmann on the United States map? They may need help locating them. I place a sticky star on each site so they are easy to locate during review.

"Let's pretend we are going on a vacation to Disneyland this coming weekend. Each day we will look at the the local forecast of the city of Los Angeles (It is near Anaheim).  We will graph Los Angeles' weather and use the 4 day forecast to know the weekend's weather."
"Why is it helpful to know the weather of a place you are visiting before you leave your home?" 
Answers:
It is very helpful to know the weather so you will know what to pack. (umbrellas, rain boots and rain coats)

DAILY: We will go to Intellicast to find out if it is cloudy or sunny.
DAILY: We will graph sunny or cloudy on our web site. We will do this by adding a sun or a cloud  each day as we check the cloud cover for Los Angeles.
 (Los Angeles)

TIME: 5 minutes
MATERIALS: A picture of Disneyland. A map of the United States.

SITE WITH LESSON  FOR WEATHER PREDICTION: Weather or Not?
 
 

Together the class will build a classroom terrarium using a clear plastic container, we will put an inch of soil on the bottom of the container. The students will help plant seeds and give the soil a thorough soaking. We are trying to create a closed environment which will not allow the water to escape into the atmosphere. When we have finished planting and soaking our terrariums, we will put them in a sunny place.

MATERIALS NEEDED: A large plastic container. A selection of seeds. Soil.
TIME: 15 Minutes

• Link to a terrarium lesson

Lesson Day 2   Back to the Water Cycle