Rain

Students will examine rain. They will explore activities on how rain is created and measured. Then they will understand why rain exists. They will be able to answer the following questions:

Why does it rain?

What is rain?

How do you measure rainfall?

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Let’s Meet Puffy

Dear Class:

Hi! My name is Puffy. I live very high in the sky. If you can believe it, I can’t see everything. I was wondering about rain. He’s one of my friends and I don’t always get to visit very long with him. Keep a journal about how he comes to visit me and how he leaves. Would you please learn how to measure him too, so that I can keep up with him every now and then? Thanks!

Your Friend,

Puffy

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Your Job

There will be three questions to research.

1. What is rain?

2. Why does it rain?

3. How is rain measured?

You will be placed into groups to answer the questions. After you have answered all questions then each group will present their findings to the class. This will be in the form of a poster, a journal and a project.

LET’S GO!

Ø Each group will learn about rain. Click your arrow on the picture to learn about how and why it rains.

After visiting this site write in your weather log what you found out about rain.

After visiting this site draw a picture in your weather log of the water cycle.

After visiting this site practice measuring rain with your group and draw a picture in your log of you measuring the rain.

Ø Now that you have researched all the information and completed your rain log decide how you will put your information on a poster to display your results.

Ø Choose one rain log and one rain in a bag project from the group to be displayed with the group poster.

Just For Fun

Listen to the rain

Look at pictures of weather

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Evaluation

CATEGORY	Beginning 1	Developing 2	Accomplished 3	Magnificent 4
Create class display/center	No rain in a bag project. Just poster about rain.	Center has rain in a bag project and poster about rain.	Center has rain in a bag project, daily log and poster.	Center has rain in a bag project, completed, daily log and poster.
Create poster about rain question	Very little information about rain: how it rains, why it rains and how it is measured.	Some information about rain but does not answer all questions	Some information about rain answers most of the question.	A lot of information about rain: How it rains, why it rains and how it is measured.
Presentation	Presentation hard to understand	Presentation short with some information	Presentation smooth and easy to follow with a lot of information	Presentation fun, exciting with lots of information

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Conclusion

Now that you have learned about rain and how to measure it share you findings with the rest of the class.

Class:

Thanks for all of your help. I knew you could do it!!!

Your Friend,

Puffy

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Teacher Page

Subject Area: Science

Grade Level: First

Rain in a Bag

Rain Journal

Learner Information:

This lesson is designed for first grade science and involves language arts and math. Children are encouraged to express their ideas through group projects and class presentation. There is an extended activity that can be used for enrichment.

This web quest is intended to be done whole group with the teacher facilitating smaller groups.

Books about Rain:

Where Do Puddles Go? by Fay Robinson

Water Up, Water Down by Sally M. Walker

The Magic School Bus: Wet All Over
A Book About the Water Cycle by Joanna Cole

Standards:

Curriculum:

Local Content Standards for Science

1Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations.

2Use appropriate tools and technology resources to gather, analyze, and interpret data.

4Use appropriate skills to design and conduct a scientific investigation.

7Use mathematics in scientific inquiry.

8Recognize that scientists use technology in scientific research.

9Recognize the importance of science and technology to many careers.

10Recognize the impact of society on human health and environmental conditions.

21Relate events in daily life to aspects of weather patterns.

State standards for Science

21.) Relate events in daily life to aspects of weather patterns.Local Content Standards for Technology in First Grade

Technology:

1. Demonstrate optimal posture and position at the computer workstation.

· Eyes level with the text on the monitor

· Shoulders down, arms relaxed

· Elbows level with keyboard

· Feet and lower back supported

· Fingers curved*

· Wrists slightly elevated*

2. Use developmentally appropriate keyboard techniques.

· Recognize and locate alphabetic keys

· Left hand for left side keys and right hand for right side keys*

3. Demonstrate appropriate use of special keys.

· Shift, Backspace, Enter, arrow, spacebar

4. Utilize developmentally appropriate terminology to communicate effectively in a technological society.

· Login (Log-in)*

· Cursor

· Icon

· Scroll bar

· Hour glass/Busy

· Internet

· Open file*

· Save*

· Edit*

· Press

5. Identify computer hardware components and peripheral devices.

· Keyboard and mouse

· Monitor/screen

· Headphones and speakers

· Printer

· CD-Rom/DVD

· Scanner/digital camera*

6. Demonstrate appropriate use of hardware (input/output devices) and media.

· Keyboard and mouse

· Floppy

· Audio devices*

· Audio tapes*

· CD layer*

Social, Ethical, and Human Issues

10. Demonstrate respect for the work of others.

11. Demonstrate proper care of hardware (computer, peripherals, other equipment) and media.*

Examples: clean hands, clean work area, no magnets, drink, or food around computer

Technology Productivity Tools

23. Use a variety of media and technology resources for directed and independent learning activities across the curriculum.

Example: learning software

24. Use appropriate techniques for producing and word processing documents.

• Create and save a new document*

· Open, view, print, and close documents*

25. Use a variety of media and technology resources to produce developmentally appropriate multimedia
products across the curriculum.

• Class projects with digital cameras, scanners, presentation software

Technology Research Tools

31. Identify the Internet as a resource for information.

32. Utilize information from a locally approved Internet web site.

Example: research project on dinosaurs, dental health or rain forests

33. Use the Internet to locate information.

· Utilize information from approved websites

Search the Internet using developmentally appropriate search engine

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