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Can we make it rain?
Watery Planet Unit | Lesson 4 of 5

Can we make it rain?

Watery Planet Unit | Lesson 4 of 5
Lesson narration:
Scroll for prep

DISCUSS:

Imagine you lived in the same town as Pat’s brother. What could the town do to solve the problem of running out of fresh water? Do you have any ideas?

THINK & DRAW:

What makes it rain? How does rain get up into clouds?

Draw a picture of your ideas. Label your picture with words describing what you think happens.

DISCUSS (1 of 2):

Have you ever noticed a situation where water droplets formed on something?

Go to the next slide to see examples we thought about.

Example (1 of 3): The bathroom mirror after a shower

Example (2 of 3): The outside of a cold glass

Example (3 of 3): Blades of grass first thing in the morning

DISCUSS (2 of 2):

Where do you think the water droplets came from? Why do you think they formed in these places?

Hint...

Slide Image

boil


1 of 14

to heat a liquid until it bubbles and turns quickly into a gas

water vapor


2 of 14

water when it is a gas, such as steam

evaporation


3 of 14

the process of a liquid changing to a gas
Slide Image

condensation


4 of 14

the process of a gas changing to a liquid
Slide Image

precipitation


5 of 14

when water falls from clouds in the sky; including rain, snow, and hail
Slide Image

hydrosphere


6 of 14

all the water (solid, liquid, gas) on and around planet Earth
Slide Image

atmosphere


7 of 14

the air that surrounds a planet
Slide Image

cycle


8 of 14

a set of events that repeats in the same order over and over
Slide Image

water cycle


9 of 14

the movement of water between the ocean, air, and land
Slide Image

temperature


10 of 14

how hot or cold something is
Slide Image

model


11 of 14

a pretend version of something that scientists use when the real thing is too big, small, or complicated to work with
Slide Image

experiment


12 of 14

a test used to discover new information about a question
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observe


13 of 14

to pay close attention to something
Slide Image

predict


14 of 14

to guess what will happen based on things you know
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Featured Reviews

“The students really understood the process of evaporation and condensation!”
“The experiment made the water cycle clear and easy to understand.”
“It was a great lesson. It definitely does require prepping the lesson beforehand so it goes smoothly. The kids really enjoyed it. I suggest giving out all the "rules" to students before passing anything out. My students were lifting the cups, touching the bottles etc. It still worked and still very fun and interesting.”
“Kids loved making rain! It really helped them understand how it rains and how it affects aquifers. we live in California where we have had a drought in recent years so it really made sense to them. ”
“Students loved working in groups and having individual jobs to do within the group. The lesson was very easy to follow as well.”
“The kids loved figuring out which combination would make the most rain!”
“Light bulbs are going off in the students heads as they begin to put together all the info to add to the reasons for the dust bowl. The water cycle experiment was loved by all! ”
“Loved the models. Easy to set up and very few materials to show such a large idea!”
“This was a great activity and engaging to students. I liked the pre-thinking and forming of a guess or hypothesis about which combo would make it rain. The worksheets were great for collecting data! Thanks again for a great Mystery Science lesson!”
“Students loved this and the hands-on application of the science concept!”
“My students had so much fun! They had great discussions about what they would do if the water ran out. I was amused with some of the more extreme solutions! The water cycle process is more embedded into their memories now! Thanks for all the teacher steps/lessons/videos for me. Looking forward to doing the conclusion and some extras next week! Those are very helpful too!”
“Great hands-on activity. My kids loved this! They said they felt like real scientists!”
“It was so hands on which was great for my students to overview the water cycle again and go straight to the source themselves.”
“It was really nice for the kids to see how rain actually forms and prove their ideas. It even sparked a discussion about snow.”
“That my limited knowledge of the NGSS doesn't hold me or my students back from beginning to access the learning. Thank you!!! The units/activities are engaging and my students LOVE it! Also, the activities are perfect for all my learners, special education and gifted alike. What a fantastic platform!”
“The investigation did a fabulous job of helping students to understand how heat is necessary for evaporation and how cooling allows water vapor to change back to liquid. We were all intrigued by your explanation of why California could have deserts, while being located near an ocean. We had never thought about that before! Thanks for enlightening us! ”
“My students enjoyed the exploration videos. The questions were great for group discussion. The experiments were simple but interesting; I had all the supplies in my classroom. The lesson was organized and ready made-this saves me a lot of time. ”
“When students removed the water bottle from the top of their cups and were able to see more condensation than before - priceless reactions!”
Lesson narration:

Grade 5

Water Cycle & Earth's Systems

Water Cycle

5-ESS2-1

Activity Prep

Print Prep
In this lesson, students develop a model to explain how water cycles from the Earth’s surface to the atmosphere and back again. In the activity, Make It Rain, students create simple models of the ocean and sky to see how these two systems interact. Students compare how the temperature of the ocean and the temperature of the sky affect evaporation and condensation.
Preview activity

Exploration

23 mins

Wrap-Up

7 mins

Grade 5

Water Cycle & Earth's Systems

Water Cycle

5-ESS2-1

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Earth Lesson 4: Can we make it rain?

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