LAB: Rain in a Jar

Materials:

glass or mason jar (one per lab group)

water
shaving cream
colored water (food coloring)
eyedropper / pipette
paper towels

Procedure:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Cover table / line tray with paper towels

Fill a mason jar about 2/3 full with water
Prepare colored water in plastic cup with water & blue food coloring
Distribute an eyedropper to each table to share & take turns during lab
Discuss the lab should be an opportunity to investigate how rain falls from a cloud
Add a cumulus cloud (shaving cream) on top of the water in each jar
Demonstrate how to add drops of color on top of the cloud (shaving cream)
Allow each child to have a turn at using the eyedropper to model rain falling
Repeat step 8, if the water has not turned dark

Scientific Reasoning:
Congratulations, you just made rain fall from a cloud! But how did it work?
All rain falls from clouds, but clouds that you see which don't have rain falling from them are
just not raining because the cloud has not become saturated with water vapor. Once
clouds become so heavily saturated with water vapor, then water will return to the Earth
through precipitation (as rain, snow, sleet, or hail depending on the temperature.)

Simple and fun way to teach about rain

Pouring the rain into the cloud