A guide for using our resources

Children will distinguish between “lion weather” and “lamb weather.”

Science Focus: weather, seasons

CCSS (and states that have similar standards): RI.1.1, RI.1.5, RF.1.3, RL.1.1, L.1.1, W.1.1

Simple, spectacular ideas to boost your lessons.

• This charming book is a fresh take on the old saying.
• The rhyming text tells the story of the lion, until spring comes—with a sneeze! Then it’s time for the lamb to take over.

• Work together to find and circle each word in the issue that contains the ou vowel team.
• Read the words you found aloud, emphasizing the vowel sound.

Skill: observation and recording, making predictions

Materials: Rain Cloud! skill sheet, glass jar (any size), water, shaving cream, blue food coloring, cup, pipette or eye dropper

• Expand your students’ understanding of precipitation with this simple experiment. Before beginning the experiment, explain that when clouds get heavy with water droplets, rain falls.
• Fill the glass jar about   full with water. Squirt shaving cream to fully cover the top of the water. (Don’t use too much though—the more shaving cream you use, the harder it will be to make it rain!)
• In a separate cup, dye some water blue using food coloring. Drop the blue water on top of the cloud of shaving cream using a pipette. Challenge students to predict what will happen.
• As you add blue drops, ask students to observe the “cloud.” It will become more saturated. Then the blue drops will start to fall through.
  
• Ask students how this shaving cream cloud is similar to a real cloud. (When water droplets make a cloud heavy, rain falls.)