Lesson 4: Precipitation
Day 2
Reminder
- Fill out your weather log each day as outlined in Lesson 1.
- Take four temperature readings during the day for the daily temperature experiment outlined in Lesson 2. This should be your fifth and final entry.
- Record the speed and direction of wind as outlined in Lesson 3.
Activity 3: Graphing Rainfall
Materials: The Kids' Book of Weather Forecasting by Mark Breen and Kathleen Friestad
Give your child the page called "Graphing Rainfall." Explain to him that the tool we use to measure rainfall is a rain gauge, a container that collects rain and lets you measure its amount. (If your child is interested, p. 84 of the book describes how to make a rain gauge.) On the activity page, your child can write the amount of rainfall shown to the nearest quarter inch. Then he can add the varying amounts of rainfall to the bar graph. Each box for the graph represents a quarter inch of rain. After he completes the graph, ask him the following questions:
- Which day received the most rainfall?
- Which day received the least rainfall?
- Was there more rain on Sunday or Friday?
- Which day would have been the best day to go on a picnic?
Student Activity Page
Activity 4: Quick-Take Forecasts
Materials: The Kids' Book of Weather Forecasting by Mark Breen and Kathleen Friestad, journal
Your child can test his developing weather forecasting abilities by trying to answer the "Quick-Take Forecasts" quizzes on pp. 34, 37, and 44 of the book. Tell him to be sure to first cover up the answers at the middle or bottom of the page. Next he should read each question and jot down the answer in his journal. Then he can uncover the answers and check his work. All answers are explained. As he comes across future "Quick-Take Forecasts" in the book, encourage him to try to answer those as well.