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Early Childhood Education

Learning Experience Template

Name: Anna Lesson Title: Make your own Rainstick

Date: March 27, 2018 Grade Level: Preschool ECE PKSN
Standard(s)/Guideline(s): C25: Demonstrate understanding of the relative position of objects using terms such as in/on/under, up/down, inside/outside,
above/ below, beside/between, in front of/ behind and next to
C50: With modeling and support, explore the position and motion of objects
A7: Develop, initiate and carry out simple plans to obtain a goal
Pre-assessment of current knowledge: They understand that water comes in different forms, which was taught in the previous lesson.

Objectives Assessment of Student Learning Learning Experience

One/Two Assessed Identify Evidence: (What will you collect or record as data Academic Language:
Instructional Objective(s): The to demonstrate students have met your objective(s) and precipitation, snow, rain, hail, instrument, forms (types of
student will be able to... skill?) rain), rainstick
1. Make a plan as to how The teachers will take pictures of the students while they
they want to make their are decorating their rainstick and filling their rainstick with Procedural steps:This lesson or activity will be set up as
rainstick their chosen material. The teachers will take anecdotal a station during indoor free play time so that both
2. Explain that rain comes notes of what the students said before and after making the Courtney and I can take notes and monitor the activity.
in different forms rainstick to see if they understand that precipitation comes 1. The teacher will start out by asking the students
in different forms, and depending on the type of rain it will questions before they make their rainstick:
One Assessed Developmental make a different sound. The teacher will also take notes on a. What seasons can it rain in?
Skill: the plans that the students created before they make a b. What are the different kinds of
1. Students will be able to rainstick. precipitation?
use their fine motor i. Snow, hail, rain, etc. (may have
skills to make a Program Monitoring: (How will you aggregate or compile to give the students these
rainstick. your evidence into a class or group view? Give specific answers or prompt the students
numeric data.) to get this answers)
Safety Considerations: The teacher will take anecdotal notes of what the students ii. Why does the type of
1. Objects used to make say before, during, and after they make the rainstick. The precipitation change?
the rainstick, such as teacher will then compile the students’ responses in a c. What does rain sound like when it hits the
paper towel rolls, toilet spreadsheet of what they said while making their rainstick. window? What does rain sound like when
paper rolls, beans, The teacher will also compile notes into a document on it hits the sidewalk?
popcorn, beads, tin foil, what each student’s plan was before they made their d. How do you plan on decorating your
markers, glue, tape, rainstick. If the students don’t understand how to make a rainstick?
rice, and stickers etc. plan, the teacher will guide the students as to how to make 2. The teacher will then use the rainstick musical
will not be thrown a plan and stick to it. If the students don’t understand that instrument to show the students what they will be
2. Markers, glue, stickers, water comes in different forms, the teacher will need to creating.
etc. will not be used on review the different forms that rain comes in. 3. The students will then be given either a paper
other objects or people towel roll or a toilet paper roll and will be asked to
around the room except decorate their rainstick however they would like.
for on the paper towel The teacher will then explain that they are making
rolls and toilet paper a musical instrument called a rainstick, and that

rolls
3. Make sure that the
children keep the
beans, popcorn kernels,
beads, and rice out of
their mouth
4. Make sure the children
do not put the tin foil
near their mouth
5. Make sure that there
are no allergies with the
supplies used to make
the rainstick
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once the rainstick is completed that it will sound
like it is raining.
a. There will be a variety of materials for the
students to decorate their rainstick with
such as markers, stickers, etc.
4. The teacher will then put tin foil on one end of the
rainstick and will use either tape or a rubber band
to hold the tin foil in place. The teacher will help
the students fill their rainstick with beans,
popcorn, beads, and/or rice.
5. After the students have filled their rainstick with
the materials of their choice, the teacher will help
the students close the open end where the
students were filling their rainstick. They will use
tin foil and a rubber band or tape to hold the tin
foil in place.
6. After the students have finished making their
rainsticks, the teacher will ask the students
questions about their rainstick:
a. Does the rainstick sound like rain?
b. What type of rain does it sound like?
i. May have to review or ask more
questions if the students forget
the different types of rain like hail,
snow, or rain.
c. Why did you decide to decorate your
rainstick like that?
d. What other materials could we have used
to make it sound more like rain or a
different type of rain? What could we
have used to make it sound like snow?
e. Does it sound the same everytime it
rains?

Authentic Materials: (Describe authentic real life, hands-

on materials. If science, label 5Es.)
Paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls, beans, popcorn
kernels, beads, tin foil, markers, glue, tape, rubber bands,
rice, rainstick and stickers
● Engage: The students will be asked different
questions about the different types or forms that
rain comes in.
● Explore: The students will explore with the
different materials provided to make a rainstick.
● Explain: The students will be asked to explain
what type or form of rain that their rainstick
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sounds like.
● Extend: The students will have to extend their
thinking about what other materials they could
have used to make their rainstick sound
differently.
● Evaluate: The students will have to evaluate their
own work as to why they decided to decorate their
rainstick the way they did and why they decided
to use the materials that they did.

Adult Roles:
The adults will make sure that all materials that are
needed to make the rainstick will be used correctly.

Resources & References:

K., Eaker, M., B., & C. (2017, April 12). DIY rain stick craft that actually sounds like rain! Retrieved March 7, 2018, from
https://www.giftofcuriosity.com/diy-rain-stick-craft/

Reflection: (What have you learned about your students? How will this inform future instruction? Hint: Look at rubric for guidelines on what to write about.)
This was a fun activity because it was very hands-on and aloud the students the opportunity to be creative. The students really enjoyed using the stickers
and the markers to decorate their rainstick. While the teachers were filling up the rainstick with either popcorn, beads, rice, or beans, you could really see how
patient some of the students were while their rainsticks were being filled. We had teachers fill the rainsticks with popcorn, beads, rice, or beans to help prevent the
materials from being spilled everywhere. Even though we thought about the pouring being an issue, it still occurred. One of the teachers tried filling one of the
rainsticks and spilled the whole bag of popcorn on the floor. Even after the rainstick was filled and closed, some of the students shook their rainstick so hard
causing their materials to fall out of their rainstick. I think the only way to prevent this from happening again is to use something like a pringles can as the rainstick
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or the teacher could have used a scooper to help fill the rainstick. This way there is a secure lid to help prevent the materials from falling out. Since the students
were shaking their rainsticks so hard, which caused several messes, we decided that the rainsticks either had to be left at the table or they had to be put in the
students backpack.
Another thing that I might do differently is set a limit as to how many students could be at the table at once. When the activity was first set out there was
only 3 students at the table, but as time went on there was around 7 students at the table at once. This became hard to manage since so many students needed
help completing their rainstick, such as putting the materials in the rainstick. It also became hard to ask students questions and right down anecdotal notes at the
same time because I was more focused on helping the students create their rainstick than making sure I was writing down everything they were saying.
Even though the activity was somewhat chaotic, I think the students really enjoyed the activity. The students showed excitement in making their own
rainstick, since they tend to enjoy making crafts. The students were also able to make connections by saying what rain sometimes sounds like. One of the
students said that rain kind of sounds like tic tacs, which showed a great use of background knowledge and making connections. The students also talked about
how the rainstick sounds like rain when it hits a window. The students also talked about how it rain the day we did our activity.