Weather
Lesson #6: Types of Precipitation
Time Frame: 60 minutes
Learning Standards:
Science
Earth and Space Science: Weather
1) Explain how air temperature, moisture, wind speed and direction, and
precipitation make up the weather in a particular place and time.
2) Distinguish among the various forms of precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, and hail),
making connections to the weather in a particular place and time.
Skills of Inquiry
 Ask questions and make predictions that can be tested.
Technology/Engineering
Materials and Tools
1.1 Identify materials used to accomplish a design task based on a specific property,
i.e., weight, strength, hardness, and flexibility.
1.2 Identify and explain the appropriate materials and tools (e.g., hammer, screwdriver,
pliers, tape measure, screws, nails, and other mechanical fasteners) to construct a
given prototype safely.
Engineering Design
2.1 Identify a problem that reflects the need for shelter, storage, or convenience.
2.2 Describe different ways in which a problem can be represented, e.g., sketches,
diagrams, graphic organizers, and lists.
2.3 Identify relevant design features (e.g., size, shape, weight) for building a prototype of
a solution to a given problem.
Student will be able to:
1) Describe precipitation and compare and contrast the different types of
precipitation.
2) Design and create a device to measure precipitation.
Resources and Materials:
Item
Pictures of different precipitation
Box with different clothes and other objects (not provided)
Glass and plastic containers
Rulers (not provided)
Paper (not provided)
Tape
Amount
3 sets (in bin)
(in classroom)
1 bag (in bin)
(in classroom)
(in classroom)
1 (in bin)
Focus Activity: What types of water fall out of the sky? Discuss the answers as a
class and talk about how some types of precipitation are liquid (rain) and some are
solid (snow, sleet, and hail). Then discuss what types of precipitation are most common
during different times of the year, making connections between types of precipitation
and temperature. When does it snow in Williamstown? How does it feel outside when it
is snowing? What about sleet? Hail? When does rain occur? Does it need to be cold
for it to rain? How can you tell when a rainstorm might be coming? Does the air feel
humid (damp and heavy)?
Introduction: From the previous lesson, students should know that water in the
atmosphere (from the water cycle) falls back to the earth as precipitation. Water
evaporates from the earth to forms clouds that create precipitation. Discuss the
different types of precipitation as a class, using the pictures provided as a visual aid.
Precipitation can be either liquid (rain) or solid (hail, sleet, or snow).
 Rain falls when growing water droplets become too heavy to remain in
clouds, and fall toward the earth’s surface. Rain can also begin as ice
crystals that come together to form large snowflakes. As the falling snow
comes into contact with warmer air, the flakes melt and collapse into
raindrops.
 Hail is a large frozen raindrop produced by intense thunderstorms where
snow and rain can coexist. As the snowflakes fall, liquid water freezes onto
them forming ice pellets that will continue to grow as more and more droplets
are accumulated. The hailstone reaches the ground as ice because it is not
in contact with the warm air below the thunderstorm long enough to melt
before reaching the ground.
 Sleet is frozen raindrops that bounce when they hit the ground or hit
something else. Sleet begins as snow high in the atmosphere and then
partially melts in warmer layers of air but then refreezes in colder areas of air
as it falls.
 Snow is ice crystals that form into flakes. Snow forms at temperatures below
freezing. For snow to reach the earth's surface the temperature in the
troposphere needs to be at or below freezing. It can be slightly above
freezing in some layers if the layer is not warm or deep enough to melt the
snowflakes too much.
Make sure that students understand that there exist layers of warm and cool air in the
troposphere. The temperature of these layers do not necessarily relate directly to their
altitude, although on average temperature decreases when altitude increases.
Activity:
1) Divide the students up into four groups. Assign each group a type of
precipitation (rain, hail, sleet, or snow). Give each group a piece of paper with
the name and pictures of their precipitation. Ask the groups to act out a short
story about their assigned type of precipitation that demonstrates its
characteristics. Give the class a box with different clothes and other objects such
as snow boots, hats, scarves, mittens, umbrellas, rain boots, etc. Each skit
should do the following:
a. Describe the type of precipitation
b. Explain how people respond to the precipitation
c. Explain some effects of this precipitation
Work with the groups to develop their ideas and assist groups as necessary in
coming up with a storyline and presenting all of the relevant information.
2) Give each group the opportunity to present their skit to the class. Discuss each
type of precipitation after the skit and go over the similarities and differences
between snow, sleet, rain, and hail.
3) Discuss how to measure precipitation. Review the data collected from the
weather station over the past couple of weeks. Ask the students to design and
make devices that can measure snow, rain, hail, or sleet. Provide the students
with plastic and glass containers, paper, rulers, and other supplies as necessary.
If time permits, allow students to explain their devices to the class and place
them outside to make measurements.
Closure: Discuss the following questions as a class. Which type of precipitation is
water in its liquid form? Which types of precipitation are made of water in its solid form?
How is sleet different from hail? How is rain different from snow? How are rain, sleet,
snow, and hail similar?
Assessment: Participation in class activities and discussions, participation and creation
of a precipitation skit, design and creation of a device to measure precipitation