Kindergarten – Shaving Cream Rain Cloud Lesson Plan

Unit Title: Earth & Human Activity Corresponding Unit Task: To demonstrate how clouds produce rain.

Essential Question(s): How do clouds produce rain?

Materials/Resources Essential Vocabulary
Teacher: Student: rain, precipitation, atmosphere,
https:// condensation
● Water
amothershipdown.com/
shaving-cream-rain- ● Clear jar
clouds-science-
experiment/ ● Shaving cream

● food coloring

● Pipette

● Funnel

● Sharpie
Learning Experience
Essential Standards:
Science &
K-ESS2-1: Use and share observations of local weather to describe patterns over time.
Engineering
Practice: Ask
questions & define I Can Statement(s): I can explain how water droplets in clouds form rain.
problems. Using,
developing, &
drawing models to Engage: Activating Strategy/Hook:
explain a concrete Introduce self/ask students names.
event. Show cards with behavior expectations.
Disciplinary Core
Ideas: Some kinds Possible questions:
of severe weather ● Where does rain come from?
are more likely ● How do clouds produce rain?
than others in a ● Where does the water from rain come from?
given region.
Crosscutting Explore: Learning Experiences
Concepts: Cause
and effect generate 1. Fill your jar up ¾ of the way to the top with water.
patterns. Have students use the funnel to fill the water up to the line on the jar.

2. Spray a layer of shaving cream onto the top of the water. Make sure to cover the
surface. Remind students to NOT eat the shaving cream (it isn’t whipped cream).

3. Add drops of food coloring/water to the top of the shaving cream until the water
goes through the shaving cream.
Using the pipettes, students should drop water into their cloud until it gets heavy enough to
go through the shaving cream.

Explain: Learning Experiences

Expected results.
● What happened during the experiment?

● What did the water droplets do when they got heavy?

Elaborate: Extending & Defining
 The shaving cream represents a cloud, the water represents the atmosphere. When you
add the food coloring to the shaving cream, the weight will make it fall like rain.

Clouds form when water vapor rises into the air. Condensation then builds up in the
clouds. As it gets heavier, gravity pulls the water down out of the clouds through the
atmosphere. This causes rain.
Evaluate: Summarizing Strategy
● Students should fill out the jar worksheet
Assessment(s):
Students should accurately draw the rain cloud on the worksheet.