Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

What Makes It Rain?

Subject Area

Science

Grade(s)

K

Overview

In this lesson, students will be able to explain that clouds are made up of tiny droplets of water. They will also be able to make a model to explain that these water droplets come together to form larger drops that fall from clouds as rain. Students watch a video of rain falling and have a class discussion about the importance of rain and how we use water in our daily lives. Students put tiny drops of water on a laminated picture to make a model of a cloud. Students stand the card up and the drops stay in the cloud but when they make the drops bigger, they fall as rain. Students see an animation showing that clouds are made of tiny water droplets and that these droplets come together to make bigger drops that fall as rain. Students model this process using clay or Play-Doh to represent tiny droplets in a cloud.

    Science (2015) Grade(s): KG

    SC15.K.9

    Observe, record, and share findings of local weather patterns over a period of time (e.g., increase in daily temperature from morning to afternoon, typical rain and storm patterns from season to season).

    Unpacked Content

    UP:SC15.K.9

    Vocabulary

    • Observe
    • Record
    • Share
    • Findings
    • Weather
    • Patterns
    • Period of Time

    Knowledge

    Students know:
    • The number of sunny, cloudy, rainy, windy, cool, or warm days.
    • The relative temperature at various times of the day (e.g., cooler in the morning, warmer during the day, cooler at night).
    • The relative number of days of different types of weather conditions in a month.
    • The change in the relative temperature over the course of the day.
    • Certain months have more days of some kinds of weather than do other months (e.g., some months have more hot days, some have more rainy days).
    • The differences in relative temperature over the course of a day (e.g., between early morning and the afternoon, between one day and another) are directly related to the time of day.

    Skills

    Students are able to:
    • Observe weather patterns over a period of time.
    • Record findings of weather patterns over a period of time.
    • Share findings of weather patterns over a period of time.
    • Describe patterns in the weather data.

    Understanding

    Students understand that:
    • Patterns of weather can be observed, used to describe phenomena, and used as evidence.
    • Whether events have causes that generate observable patterns.

    Scientific and Engineering Practices

    Analyzing and Interpreting Data

    Crosscutting Concepts

    Patterns
    Link to Resource

    CR Resource Type

    Lesson/Unit Plan

    Resource Provider

    Other

    Resource Provider other

    American Chemical Society
    Accessibility
    License

    License Type

    CUSTOM
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