Why Rain is Important

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?

Rain, Ice, Steam: Using Reading to Support Inquiry About the Water Cycle
This unit of study allows first- and second-grade students to discover the repetitive cycle of water. Read-alouds introduce the topic of rain and hands-on experiments and classroom centers teach students about the water cycle and how it functions. 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.

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Using the story Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs students will be introduced to the common types of precipitation.

Bringing Rain
Students will research folklore and scientific information about rain and water cycles. Then they will communicate their understanding of water cycles by creating mobiles showing each stage. Finally, students will write their own folk tales, explaining the water cycle and its relationship to weather and climatic patterns using rhyme, rhythm, and repetition.