Paint the Rain Committee
Big Four Depot — 200 N. 2nd St, Lafayette, IN 47901
T: 765-337-9100 E: speel@lafayette.in.gov W: www.wabashriver.net/painttherain

Grades 1-8
Grades 9-12
Biology
Earth and Space Science I
Chemistry 1
Integrated Chemistry-Physics
Applicant Information
Rain Barrel Implementation Plan
Rain Barrel Theme
Education Plan
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The Paint the Rain (PTR) Committee is excited to announce its first Paint the Rain (for the Wabash) School
Competition. The competition is open to all Tippecanoe County schools grades K-12 with a maximum of three entries per school, entry on first-come, first-serve basis. All group entries must have a teacher supervisor from their school. Paint the Rain will provide each interested class or school club one rain barrel, one stand, and one diverter with which to install your barrel. All competitors must identify a project theme, the long-term plan for their barrel after it has been painted and judged, and the associated education program. Completed barrels and the application packet (electronic or printed) must be dropped off by 4PM on May 2 nd at the City of Lafayette
Wastewater Treatment Plant at 1700 Wabash Avenue.
Judging will occur on Monday, May 9th at 5:30 pm at Lafayette Jeff High School. Judging requires participation of no less than one and no more than three students. All judging will occur within age groups. Three top prizes will be awarded in each age group.
PTR will provide the rain barrel and installation equipment, rain barrel painting instructions, applicable Indiana state science standards, in-classroom presentations as well as technical support for identifying appropriate locations for rain barrel or other green practice installation as requested.
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Painted rain barrel must be dropped off between 8am and 4pm EST by Wednesday, May 2nd, 2016 at the
City of Lafayette Wastewater Treatment Plant (1700 Wabash Avenue, Lafayette, IN 47901). Contact Sara
Peel for early drop off arrangements (speel@wabashriver.net, 765-337-9100).
 Completed application must be emailed to Sara Peel by 4 pm on Wednesday May 2 nd at speel@wabashriver.net
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 Incomplete packages or late barrels may be excluded from judging.
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Age groups are: lower elementary, upper elementary, middle school and high school. We recognize that different school systems split their classes differently, so we ask that you please submit to the most appropriate age group for judging.
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Only 10 entries are allowed per age group, and entry is based on a first-come first-serve basis.
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A maximum of three entries from one school are allowed.
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All groups must have a teacher supervisor from their school.
 At least 1, but no more than 3 students must be present at the judging event held on Monday, May 9th at
5:30pm outside Lafayette Jeff High School. Judging will be interactive with age group judges speaking with the students present at the judging. All students are encouraged to attend; however, no more than three students can participate in the interactive judging.
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If you are an entry in the contest, WREC will provide you with: rain barrel and installation equipment and technical support for siting and installing the rain barrel. Barrels will be available in early February and WREC will provide information for barrel pick up or delivery.

 Three prizes will be awarded in each age group: First, Second, and Third place.
 First Place in each age group will receive $100 to go to their class/school/student club for supplies. The participants will also have a photo of themselves with their finished rain barrel on display at different locations and events around Tippecanoe County. Winners will also be featured on WREC’s website and social media. Certificates will also be given to each student.
 Second Place in each age group will receive $50 to go to their class/school/student club for supplies. Winners will also be featured on WREC’s website and social media. Certificates will also be given to each student.
 Third Place in each age group will receive $25 to go to their class/school/student club for supplies. Winners will also be featured on WREC’s website and social media. Certificates will also be given to each student.
 All Participants will receive a certificate of completion.
 Each submission will be reviewed by at least two judges for the following aspects:
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: why it was chosen.
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: how your group will educate others about rain barrels and water conservation.
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: where will your rain barrel go and why will it be there.

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K.1.1. Use all senses as appropriate to observe, sort and describe objects according to their composition and physical properties, such as size, color and shape. Explain these choices to others and generate questions about the objects.
1.1.2 Characterize materials as solid or liquid, investigate their properties, record observations and explain the choices to others based on evidence (i.e., physical properties).
1.3.3 Observe and explain that plants and animals have basic needs for growth and survival: plants need to take in water and need light, and animals need to take in water and food and have a way to dispose of waste.
2.1.1. Observe, describe and measure ways in which the properties of a sample of water (including volume) change or stay the same as the water is heated and cooled and then transformed into different states.
2.2.1 Construct and use tools to observe and measure weather phenomena like precipitation, changes in temperature, wind speed and direction.
2.2.3 Chart or graph weather observations such as cloud cover, cloud type and type of precipitation on a daily basis over a period of weeks.
2.2.4 Ask questions about charted observations and graphed data. Identify the day-to-day patterns and cycles of weather. Understand seasonal time scales in terms of temperature and amounts of rainfall and snowfall.
3.2.6 Describe how the properties of earth materials make them useful to humans in different ways. Describe ways that humans have altered these resources to meet their needs for survival.
4.2.2 Describe how wind, water and glacial ice shape and reshape earth’s land surface by eroding rock and soil in some areas and depositing them in other areas in a process that occurs over a long period of time.
4.2.5 Describe methods that humans currently use to extend the use of natural resources.
4.2.6 Describe ways in which humans have changed the natural environment. Explain if these changes have been detrimental or beneficial.
5.1.1 Describe and measure the volume and weight of a sample of a given material.
6.1.2 Explain the properties of solids, liquids and gases using drawings and models that represent matter as particles in motion whose state can be represented by the relative positions and movement of the particles.
6.3.3 Describe how certain biotic and abiotic factors—such as predators, quantity of light and water, range of temperatures and soil composition—can limit the number of organisms an ecosystem can support.
6.3.4 Recognize that plants use energy from the sun to make sugar (i.e., glucose) by the process of photosynthesis.
7.2.6 Describe physical and chemical characteristics of soil layers and how they are influenced by the process of soil formation (including the action of bacteria, fungi, insects and other organisms).
7.3.2 Understand that water is a major component within all cells and is required to carry out many cellular functions.
8.1.5 Explain that atoms join together to form molecules and compounds and illustrate with diagrams the relationship between atoms and compounds and between atoms and molecules.

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8.2.1 Recognize and demonstrate how the sun’s energy drives convection in the atmosphere and in bodies of water, which results in ocean currents and weather patterns
8.2.2 Describe and model how water moves through the earth’s crust, atmosphere and oceans in a cyclic way as a liquid vapor and solid.
8.2.6 Identify, explain and discuss some effects human activities (e.g., air, soil, light, noise and water pollution) have on the biosphere.
8.2.7 Recognize that some of Earth’s resources are finite and describe how recycling, reducing consumption and the development of alternatives can reduce the rate of their depletion.
8.2.8 Explain that human activities, beginning with the earliest herding and agricultural activities, have drastically changed the environment and have affected the capacity of the environment to support native species. Explain current efforts to reduce and eliminate these impacts and encourage sustainability.
B.3.1 Describe how some organisms capture the sun’s energy through the process of photosynthesis by converting carbon dioxide and water into high-energy compounds and releasing oxygen.
B.4.1 Explain that the amount of life environments can support is limited by the available energy, water, oxygen and minerals and by the ability of ecosystems to recycle the remains of dead organisms.
B.4.2 Describe how human activities and natural phenomena can change the flow and of matter and energy in an ecosystem and how those changes impact other species.
B.4.4 Describe how climate, the pattern of matter and energy flow, the birth and death of new organisms, and the interaction between those organisms contribute to the long-term stability of an ecosystem.
ES.3.1 Understand that the Earth system contains fixed amounts of each stable chemical element and that each element moves among reservoirs in the solid earth, oceans, atmosphere and living organisms as part of biogeochemical cycles (i.e., nitrogen, water, carbon, oxygen and phosphorus cycles), which are driven by energy from within the earth and from the sun.
ES.3.2 Demonstrate the possible effects of atmospheric changes brought about by natural and human-made processes.
ES.3.3 Identify and differentiate between renewable and nonrenewable resources present within Earth’s systems. Describe the possible long-term consequences that increased human consumption has placed on natural processes that renew some resources.
ES.4.2 Describe the relationships among evaporation, precipitation, ground water, surface water, and glacial systems in the water cycle. Discuss the effect of human interactions with the water cycle.
ES.6.1 Investigate and discuss how humans affect and are affected by geological systems and processes.
ES.3.1 Understand that the Earth system contains fixed amounts of each stable chemical element and that each element moves among reservoirs in the solid earth, oceans, atmosphere and living organisms as part of

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ES.3.3 Identify and differentiate between renewable and nonrenewable resources present within Earth’s systems. Describe the possible long-term consequences that increased human consumption has placed on natural processes that renew some resources.
ES.4.2 Describe the relationships among evaporation, precipitation, ground water, surface water, and glacial systems in the water cycle. Discuss the effect of human interactions with the water cycle.
7 biogeochemical cycles (i.e., nitrogen, water, carbon, oxygen and phosphorus cycles), which are driven by energy from within the earth and from the sun.
ES.3.2 Demonstrate the possible effects of atmospheric changes brought about by natural and human-made processes.
ES.6.1 Investigate and discuss how humans affect and are affected by geological systems and processes.
ICP 2.3 Describe how energy is propagated by waves without the transfer of mass using examples such as water waves, earthquakes and sound waves.
ICP.3.2 Study the characteristics of solids, liquids and gases and their changes of state. Interpret them in terms of a molecular model which describes their energies and motions.
ICP.8.4 Describe how efficient use of renewable and non-renewable energy sources is essential to maintaining an acceptable environment.

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Your rain barrel should be cleaned, then painted and coated with polyurethane to protect the painted surface and maintain your artwork through all weather conditions. We have provided steps below to ensure your masterpiece will last through all weather conditions!
Recommended steps to follow:
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All rain barrels are shipped with a few layers of UV protection. Thoroughly clean the exterior surface of the barrel by wiping away excess dirt and grime with a clean rag soaked in a 1:1 mixture of vinegar and water. Some individuals claim that generic window surface cleaner works also.
Use a fine- to medium-grade sandpaper (220 grit or finer) to lightly “rough up” the surface which will help the paint adhere to the plastic barrel. Be sure to use sand paper that does not leave scratches.
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Wipe the barrel again with a dry cloth to get rid of any fine plastic shavings. Cover the spigot and overflow valve with masking tape and complete all of your painting in a well-ventilated area.
The barrel must be primed so that the paint adheres properly to the surface. Krylon Fusion spray paint or RustOleum Spray Paint for Plastic both make a spray primer that are great for a base coat (primer).
Allow the primer to dry according to the directions on the container. Krylon Fusion and RustOleam primer can usually be found in local hardware and craft stores.
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The barrel can be painted any way you like with ordinary flat or semi-gloss acrylic paint (spray or
liquid). The design is completely up to you. Some people use stencils, a pattern, or freehand with a brush. You can also finger paint the barrel. Flat or semi-gloss acrylic paint, Krylon Fusion and
RustOleam products can usually be found in local hardware and craft stores. a. For those of you only interested in painting the barrel a solid color, spray paint is perfect. You probably will be able to cover a rain barrel with one can of paint. These plastic barrels by nature need to be painted at a slower rate than most “standard” surfaces because of the surface tension characteristics of the polymer, as well as the waxy surface features. Allow the paint to dry according to the directions on the container. b. If you are using spray paint, but you need to paint small details, spray some paint into a small cup, making a liquid puddle, then use a brush to apply the paint. Allow all the paint to dry completely.
Apply at least two coats of flat or satin polyurethane spray to help protect the painted barrel. Krylon
Triple Thick Crystal Glaze or other polyurethane sprays or brush-on products can be used as long as they are plastic-appropriate. Be sure to allow the polyurethane to dry between coats.
Once your rain barrel is painted, coated and DRY, deliver your rain barrel and completed application between 9 am and 5pm on May 7th to the Wabash River Enhancement Corporation at the Big Four Depot at Reihle Plaza 200 N 2nd Street Lafayette. Contact Sara Peel to arrange for early drop off of your barrel at speel@wabashriver.net or 765-337-9100.

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Team Name:
Directions for Sending Prize Monies: Please include to whom should the check be made out, including memo information, and to where it should be sent.
Supervisor Name:
School Name:
Age Group (Circle One):
Supervisor Title:
Number of Participants:
Lower Elementary
Upper Elementary Middle School High School
Please describe the theme that your group chose to paint your rain barrel in. Explain why you chose the specific theme.

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Please describe how you will educate others about rain barrels and water conservation. This should be ageappropriate, but examples include but are not limited to: article in school newspaper, informational event, art project, presentation at PTA/PTO meeting, talking with younger students, school radio PSA, and social media informational campaigns.

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Please describe where your rain barrel will be installed after the competition. Possibilities include installing it at your school, at a local business or raffling off to interested parents at your school. Please also describe why you chose your installation location (i.e., there is a garden nearby to water).