Today's Classroom Activities :

Measuring the Rain

Rainy-Day Science
Science Set up a scientific process for studying rainfall during a certain period of time. Always observe the rain from the same spot, using the same criteria. Does it always come at the same time? Does it always come from the same direction? Does it always fall straight down? Have students document and graph results. Are there any general trends? What might account for the differences?

Light and Heavy Rain
Poetry/Creative Dramatics Teach the following finger play to the children:

Light and Heavy Rain

by Jacqueline Schiff

Rain is skipping
From the sky, (raise arms overhead; wiggle fingers downward in a skipping motion)

Drip drip showers
Plopping by. (wiggle fingers all the way to the ground)
Rain is rushing,
Gushing down; (raise arms over head; clap fingers against palms and rapidly move hands downward)

What a downpour (clap fingers all the way to the ground)
Floods my town! (press palms against cheeks and widen eyes, looking surprised; pretend to row a boat through town)

Gauging Rain
Science Practice reading rain gauges by providing several in the room and using colored water in them. Add levels, compare levels, graph levels and discuss where the proper gauge placement would be to insure realistic readings.

Bringing Rain
Students research folklore and scientific information about rain and water cycles.

Rain, Ice, Steam: Using Reading to Support Inquiry About the Water Cycle
After exploring the different parts of the water cycle, students demonstrate the knowledge they have gained by working in groups to write and perform a play.

Rain: Friend or Foe?
In this lesson students will use their knowledge of rainfall, vegetation, and the slope angles of hillsides to make decisions, predict outcomes, and analyze the effects of certain events or practices (e.g., overgrazing, forest fires, and clear-cutting woodlands resulting in deforestation).