Learning Opportunity Planning Form

(Avoid opportunities associated with holidays)

Student Name: Hannah Heissel

Resource Used: www.coffeecupsandcrayons.com
Date to be presented: April 24th, 2015 2:00
Site Supervisors Signature _________________________________________ Date __________________

It is required to discuss your final written plans with your site supervisor and obtain a sign-off signature one week before presenting this learning opportunity.

Primary Curriculum (content) Area: Science

Learning Opportunity Name: Rain Cloud in a Jar
Brief description/type: After talking to children about how
WHO Its for: 7 to 8 five and six year olds
List specific accommodations/adaptions:
Children are having difficulty holding onto crayons, markers, brushes, sand toys, etc.: I would use materials that might be
easier for the child to grasp (spoon) and I would also build up the handles of tools using a piece of foam, tape, play dough, etc.
Children are having difficulty following directions during an activity: I would make sure the activity is age-appropriate and
use pictures in addition to providing verbal directions to demonstrate what I want the child to do.
Caras Kit: page 9 & 10)
WHY-Rationale:
The scientifically literate person is one who is aware that science, math, and technology are interdependent human
enterprise with strengths and limitations; understands key concepts and principles of science; is familiar with natural
world and recognizes both its diversity and unity; and use scientific knowledge and scientific ways of thinking for
individual and social purposes. (Iowa Core)
Objective(s): By participating in this opportunity, the children will

Practice using their fine motor skills by squeezing a pipette

Gain understanding of how rain falls from a cloud

Learn about the weather and rain clouds

Standard(s): Earth and Space
S.K-2. ES.2: Understand and Apply Knowledge of observable information about daily and seasonal weather conditions.
(Iowa Core)
HOW to Prepare: What you need:
MATERIALS:
Clear jar
Water
Shaving cream
Pipette (or spoon)
Food Coloring
TIME: 15-20 minutes
SETTING: Small Group
SET UP/SPACE: Tables
HOW to Teach:
Introduction: What is a cloud? (A lot of droplets of water or ice crystals, the droplets float in the air molecules) Why does it
rain? (When a rain cloud gets so full of water or mass, the water has to go somewhere and will break through the cloud and
start to fall to the ground.) What season are we in right now? (Spring!) Since it is spring, what types of weather do we have?
Today we are going to see how rain falls from a cloud.
Teaching steps:
1. Why are clouds white? (Water droplets and ice crystals that make up clouds, scatter the light rays and reflect white
light. Sunlight is made up of all colors. When all colors of the light spectrum mix, it creates white light.)
2. Why are storm cloud grey? (When the clouds get thick or high in the sky, the light does not make it all the way through
to reflect back out, making the cloud appear grey. When many clouds are together, they can also cast shadows on other
clouds, causing the clouds to look grey)

How do clouds move? (the clouds and the storms they form move in the air currents, wind, and jet stream)
Fill jar about full with water
Spray shaving cream to cover top of water completely
Drip water on top of the shaving cream using pipette
Drip food coloring on top of the shaving cream
As you pour or drip the water over the shaving cream cloud, the water will start to break through just a little bit.
Observe the cloud as the water breaks through.
Closure & Transition:

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

HOW to Assess and Document

Objectives

Evidence of Learning
How to Document This Evidence
Children might
Practice using their fine motor skills by
Squeeze really hard or squeeze very lightlyAnecdotal record, observation, pictures,
squeezing a pipette
work sample
Gain understanding of how rain falls from a Look, the cloud is full!
Anecdotal record, observation, pictures,
cloud
The rain is falling!
work sample
Learn about the weather and rain clouds Its raining outside
Anecdotal record, observation, pictures,
Talk about the different seasons and what work sample
weather happens during those seasons
Assessment Documentation:
Anecdotal Record, photo
Learning Opportunity Name: Cloud in a Jar
Primary Curriculum (content) Area: Science
Primary Domain: Cognitive
Secondary Domain: Social/Language
Date: April 24th 2015
Setting: Small group
Objective: To gain knowledge of how rain falls from a cloud

While observing the groups of children I had, one student looked at me and said, I know what we are doing! We are
going to put shaving cream on the table and play in it! Since this was not planned in my learning opportunity, I went
ahead with my experiment and then included the shaving cream at the end asking them if they thought that clouds would
feel like shaving cream. The same student said, No, I think they would feel more like a pillow.

Evaluation:
What evidence of childrens engagement and learning did you see during this learning opportunity? How were the
objectives met?
The children were engaged by helping spray shaving cream into the Mason jar, squirting the rain water on top of the
cloud and feeling clouds by using shaving cream. The objectives were met by: being able to use a pipette to practice
their fine motor skills, see how rain falls from a cloud by the cloud in a jar, and we touched basis on the weather and
what season it was.
What did you learn from planning and presenting this learning opportunity?
a) About the learning opportunity itself:
I found this learning opportunity was very fun. The children were very engaged and learned something out of the
activity.
b) About children:
Children NEED hands on experiences and sensory materials. I feel that they learned much more about clouds and how
rain falls from doing this experiment then trying to show them pictures.
c) About your own abilities:
I found out that I really enjoy doing science experiments and seeing the childrens faces light up when they see the
experiment happening.
Evaluate this learning opportunity as a whole. Share suggestions, as discussed with your site supervisor, for improvement.
a) As I reflect on this learning opportunity, I feel my strengths were:
I felt that I was very organized and came well prepared. I didnt plan on having the children play with shaving cream,
but once they mentioned it and were showing interest in doing it, I figured I could allow them to experience it.
b) As I reflect on this learning opportunity, I realize that I could improve by:
I feel that I could improve on my open ended questions and avoid saying Can anyone tell me