Weathering the water cycle: Precipitation
Students will learn that precipitation is one of the three stages of the water cycle and how it relates to the other stages.
A lesson plan for grades 2 and 5 Science
Learn more
- Wild Wild Weather meteorologist Dan's weather webpage for kids
Related pages
- Weathering the water cycle: Evaporation: Students will learn that evaporation is one of the three stages of the water cycle. The other three lessons in this series on condensation, precipitation, and the water cycle will allow the students to explore all stages.
- Observing the water cycle: Initially, students will observe a demonstration of the water cycle and apply the information gained through the demonstration. Then students will measure and graph rainfall for two weeks.
- Weathering the water cycle: Condensation: This lesson introduces students to condensation as one phase of the water cycle. Through the use of the four lessons in this series in which students will learn that the water cycle is a continuous cycle.
Related topics
- Learn more about environmental science, labs, measurement, meteorology, precipitation, rain, rain gauge, science, water, and water cycle.
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Learning outcomes
Students will:
- Gain an understanding of the different types of precipitation through an online precipitation scavenger hunt.
- Construct a rain gauge.
- Gather and graph measurements of rainfall.
Teacher planning
Time required for lesson
3 weeks
Materials/resources
- instructions for constructing a rain gauge (for each student)
- rainfall data collection worksheet (for each student)
- precipitation grading rubric
- books on precipitation:
- What Makes It Rain? by K. Brendt
- Why Does It Rain? by Marian B. Jacobs
- video or book: The Magic School Bus Kicks Up A Storm
Technology resources
- computer(s)
- internet access
- software for creating spreadsheets and graphs
Pre-activities
The teacher will initiate a class discussion on the different types of precipitation and their causes. Students will discuss what they know about precipitation, and what they want to learn. The teacher can read one of the books about precipitation or show the video.
Activities
Activity 1
(should be completed at the beginning of the unit)
Students will construct a rain gauge following the instructions on the handout.
Activity 2
(should be started at the beginning of the unit and tracked throughout the duration of the unit)
- Students will take the rain gauges and home and record the amount of rainfall each day for two weeks. This should be part of their daily homework. The differing amounts could be briefly compared daily.
- Students will complete the online precipitation scavenger hunt. Students may print out their completed hunt as a measure of assessment.
- At the end of the two week measuring period, students will use the data they collected to create a spreadsheet on the computer. After completing the spreadsheet, the students will then convert the spreadsheet into a graph.
Assessment
The teacher will use the rubric to assess the students based on the completion of the data collection activity, the spreadsheet/graph, and the completed scavenger hunt.
Supplemental information
Attachments:
The teacher should have a previous knowledge of creating spreadsheets and graphs on the computer.
Comments
The spreadsheet activity could be completed in a multi-computer lab or the data could be compiled/totaled to create a single spreadsheet/graph on a single computer.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
Science (2005)
Grade 2
- Goal 2: The learner will conduct investigations and use appropriate tools to build an understanding of the changes in weather.
- Objective 2.03: Describe weather using quantitative measures of:
- Temperature.
- Wind direction.
- Wind speed.
- Precipitation.
- Objective 2.04: Identify and use common tools to measure weather:
- Wind vane and anemometer.
- Thermometer.
- Rain gauge.
- Objective 2.03: Describe weather using quantitative measures of:
Grade 5
- Goal 3: The learner will conduct investigations and use appropriate technology to build an understanding of weather and climate.
- Objective 3.01: Investigate the water cycle including the processes of:
- Evaporation.
- Condensation.
- Precipitation.
- Run-off.
- Objective 3.01: Investigate the water cycle including the processes of:
